| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald: "Come on, that's rather hard. You chose to come to an Eastern
college. Either your eyes were opened to the mean scrambling
quality of people, or you'd have gone through blind, and you'd
hate to have done thatbeen like Marty Kaye."
"Yes," he agreed, "you're right. I wouldn't have liked it. Still,
it's hard to be made a cynic at twenty."
"I was born one," Amory murmured. "I'm a cynical idealist." He
paused and wondered if that meant anything.
They reached the sleeping school of Lawrenceville, and turned to
ride back.
"It's good, this ride, isn't it?" Tom said presently.
This Side of Paradise |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Marriage Contract by Honore de Balzac: cheeks.
"Let us now return to the others, madame," said Solonet. "Listen
carefully to what I shall say; and then--you shall think me incapable
if you choose."
"My dear friend," said the young notary to Maitre Mathias, "in spite
of your great ability, you have not foreseen either the case of
Monsieur de Manerville dying without children, nor that in which he
leaves only female issue. In either of those cases the entail would
pass to the Manervilles, or, at any rate, give rise to suits on their
part. I think, therefore, it is necessary to stipulate that in the
first case the entailed property shall pass under the general deed of
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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 Miracle Mongers and Their Methods by Harry Houdini: nave in the mud, all the oxen and horses yoked
to it having exerted their strength in vain.
For this service the king granted him a
pension, and being soon promoted, he at length
rose to be town-major of Valenciennes.
[7] Wonders of the little World, by Nathaniel Wanley,
London, 1806. Vol. I., page 76.
Barsabas entering one day a farrier's
shop in a country village, asked for horse
shoes, the farrier showed him some, which
Barsabas snapped in pieces as if they had
Miracle Mongers and Their Methods |
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 Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum: They circled all around the cavern, keeping a good distance away from
the blinking yellow eyes of the dragonettes, and presently discovered
that there were two paths leading from the wall opposite to the place
where they had entered. They selected one of these at a venture
and hurried along it as fast as they could go, for they had no idea
when the mother dragon would be back and were very anxious not to make
her acquaintance.
14. Ozma Uses the Magic Belt
For a considerable distance the way led straight upward in a gentle
incline, and the wanderers made such good progress that they grew
hopeful and eager, thinking they might see sunshine at any minute.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz |
