| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Research Magnificent by H. G. Wells: Giorgio was too full to wait for questions. He talked eagerly to
Benham's silence.
It must have happened yesterday, he explained. They were
Bulgarians--traitors. They had been converted to the Patriarchists
by the Greeks--by a Greek band, that is to say. They had betrayed
one of their own people. Now a Bulgarian band had descended upon
them. Bulgarian bands it seemed were always particularly rough on
Bulgarian-speaking Patriarchists. . . .
9
That night they slept in a dirty little room in a peasant's house in
Resnia, and in the middle of the night Amanda woke up with a start
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum: can't be winter yet."
"You will change your mind about that in a little
while," declared the Bumpy Man. "My bumps always tell me
the state of the weather, and they feel just now as if a
snowstorm was coming this way. But make yourselves at
home, strangers. Supper is nearly ready and there is food
enough for all."
Inside the house there was but one large room, simply
but comfortably furnished. It had benches, a table and a
fireplace, all made of stone. On the hearth a pot was
bubbling and steaming, and Trot thought it had a rather
The Scarecrow of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Talisman by Walter Scott: voice as much as his weakness permitted, exclaimed, "Reverend
father, noble knight, and you, kind leech, if you would have me
sleep and recover, tell me in charity what is become of my dear
master?"
"He is upon a distant expedition, friend," replied the prelate--
"on an honourable embassy, which may detain him for some days."
"Nay," said the Baron of Gilsland, "why deceive the poor fellow?
--Friend, thy master has returned to the camp, and you will
presently see him."
The invalid held up, as if in thankfulness, his wasted hands to
Heaven, and resisting no longer the soporiferous operation of the
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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 Paz by Honore de Balzac: "Thaddeus turned pale," said the count, "but he didn't say a word."
"Oh! his name is Thaddeus, is it?"
"Yes; Thaddeus folded the paper and gave it back to me, and then he
said: 'I thought, Adam, that we were one for life or death, and that
we should never part. Do you want to be rid of me?' 'Oh!' I said, 'if
you take it that way, Thaddeus, don't let us say another word about
it. If I ruin myself you shall be ruined too.' 'You haven't fortune
enough to live as a Laginski should,' he said, 'and you need a friend
who will take care of your affairs, and be a father and a brother and
a trusty confidant.' My dear child, as Paz said that he had in his
look and voice, calm as they were, a maternal emotion, and also the
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