| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: tell de widder she gwyne to sell me down to Orleans,
but she didn' want to, but she could git eight hund'd
dollars for me, en it 'uz sich a big stack o' money she
couldn' resis'. De widder she try to git her to say
she wouldn' do it, but I never waited to hear de res'.
I lit out mighty quick, I tell you.
"I tuck out en shin down de hill, en 'spec to steal a
skift 'long de sho' som'ers 'bove de town, but dey wuz
people a-stirring yit, so I hid in de ole tumble-down
cooper-shop on de bank to wait for everybody to go
'way. Well, I wuz dah all night. Dey wuz somebody
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Persuasion by Jane Austen: a greater right to influence him, than is really the case.
I am sure you have, somehow or other, imbibed such a notion.
You must consider me only as Mr Elliot's relation. If in that light
there is anything which you suppose his cousin might fairly ask of him,
I beg you would not hesitate to employ me."
Mrs Smith gave her a penetrating glance, and then, smiling, said--
"I have been a little premature, I perceive; I beg your pardon.
I ought to have waited for official information, But now, my dear
Miss Elliot, as an old friend, do give me a hint as to when I may speak.
Next week? To be sure by next week I may be allowed to
think it all settled, and build my own selfish schemes on
Persuasion |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: "Since how long?"
"Since two months."
"Who, then, was that young man whom thou didst call
thy son a few moments ago at the posting-house?"
"A young Siberian whom I took for him," replied Marfa
Strogoff. "This is the tenth man in whom I have thought
I recognized my son since the town has been so full of
strangers. I think I see him everywhere."
"So this young man was not Michael Strogoff?"
"It was not Michael Strogoff."
"Dost thou know, old woman, that I can torture thee
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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 The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: Adultery fornication uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like.
Therefore, if you cannot feel it, at least believe the Scriptures, they
will not lie to you and they know your flesh better than you yourself.
Yea, St. Paul further concludes in Rom. 7, 18: l know that in me, that
is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. If St. Paul may speak thus of
his flesh, we do not propose to be better nor more holy. But that we do
not feel it is so much the worse; for it is a sign that there is a
leprous flesh which feels nothing, and yet [the leprosy] rages and
keeps spreading. Yet as we have said, if you are quite dead to all
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