| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Art of War by Sun Tzu: that you may know where strength is superabundant and where it is
deficient.
[Cf. IV. ss. 6.]
25. In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you
can attain is to conceal them;
[The piquancy of the paradox evaporates in translation.
Concealment is perhaps not so much actual invisibility (see supra
ss. 9) as "showing no sign" of what you mean to do, of the plans
that are formed in your brain.]
conceal your dispositions, and you will be safe from the prying
of the subtlest spies, from the machinations of the wisest
The Art of War |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Bickerstaff-Partridge Papers by Jonathan Swift: The 19th will be famous for the revolt of a whole province or
kingdom, excepting one city, by which the affairs of a certain
prince in the alliance will take a better face.
May, against common conjectures, will be no very busy month in
Europe, but very signal for the death of the Dauphin, which will
happen on the 7th, after a short fit of sickness, and grievous
torments with the strangury. He dies less lamented by the court
than the kingdom.
On the 9th a Mareschal of France will break his leg by a fall
from his horse. I have not been able to discover whether he will
then die or not.
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Dracula by Bram Stoker: It had been fighting, and manifestly had had a savage opponent,
for its throat was torn away, and its belly was slit open
as if with a savage claw.
Later.--By the kindness of the Board of Trade inspector,
I have been permitted to look over the log book of the Demeter,
which was in order up to within three days, but contained
nothing of special interest except as to facts of missing men.
The greatest interest, however, is with regard to the paper
found in the bottle, which was today produced at the inquest.
And a more strange narrative than the two between them unfold
it has not been my lot to come across.
Dracula |
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 Damaged Goods by Upton Sinclair: up his gloves, his cane and his hat, and rose.
"I will think it over," he said. "I thank you, Doctor. I will
come back next week as you have told me. That is--probably I
will."
He was about to leave.
The doctor rose, and he spoke in a voice of furious anger. "No,"
he said, "I shan't see you next week, and you won't even think it
over. You came here knowing what you had; you came to ask advice
of me, with the intention of paying no heed to it, unless it
conformed to your wishes. A superficial honesty has driven you
to take that chance in order to satisfy your conscience. You
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