| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: tempted by a low rascal called Cloete.
"Cloete does not understand what it means exactly. All he sees is
that the fellow means to make mischief. He sees trouble ahead. . .
Do you think you can scare me? he asks, - you poor miserable skunk.
. . And Stafford faces him out - both holding on to the cabin
table: No, damn you, you are only a dirty vagabond; but I can
scare the other, the chap in the black coat. . .
"Meaning George Dunbar. Cloete's brain reels at the thought. He
doesn't imagine the fellow can do any real harm, but he knows what
George is; give the show away; upset the whole business he had set
his heart on. He says nothing; he hears the other, what with the
Within the Tides |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Taras Bulba and Other Tales by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol: would have attempted, and, by the sheer force of his mad attack,
accomplish such wonders as could not but amaze even men grown old in
battle. Old Taras admired and said, "And he too will make a good
warrior if the enemy does not capture him meanwhile. He is not Ostap,
but he is a dashing warrior, nevertheless."
The army decided to march straight on the city of Dubno, which, rumour
said, contained much wealth and many rich inhabitants. The journey was
accomplished in a day and a half, and the Zaporozhtzi appeared before
the city. The inhabitants resolved to defend themselves to the utmost
extent of their power, and to fight to the last extremity, preferring
to die in their squares and streets, and on their thresholds, rather
Taras Bulba and Other Tales |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from King James Bible: pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him
were about six hundred men;
SA1 14:3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of
Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod.
And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
SA1 14:4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over
unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side,
and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez,
and the name of the other Seneh.
SA1 14:5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against
Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
King James Bible |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: not know the charm of your red lips, your fair face, nor see how
soft your eyes are. . . . I also am beginning to talk nonsense;
but let me talk."
Nothing pleases a woman better than to listen to such whispered
words as these; the most puritanical among them listens even when
she ought not to reply to them; and Rastignac, having once begun,
continued to pour out his story, dropping his voice, that she
might lean and listen; and Mme. de Nucingen, smiling, glanced
from time to time at de Marsay, who still sat in the Princesse
Galathionne's box.
Rastignac did not leave Mme. de Nucingen till her husband came to
Father Goriot |
