| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: MORTIMER.
That cause, fair nephew, that imprison'd me
And hath detain'd me all my flowering youth
Within a loathsome dungeon, there to pine,
Was cursed instrument of his decease.
PLANTAGENET.
Discover more at large what cause that was,
For I am ignorant and cannot guess.
MORTIMER.
I will, if that my fading breath permit,
And death approach not ere my tale be done.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: haste, and such a greedy appetite, as if I wondered nobody had
taken it before, and afraid it should be taken from me now. After
it was down, though the thoughts of it filled me with horror, yet
it checked the fit of hunger, and I took another draught of water,
and was composed and refreshed for some hours after. This was the
fourth day; and this I kept up till towards night, when, within the
compass of three hours, I had all the several circumstances over
again, one after another, viz. sick, sleepy, eagerly hungry, pain
in the stomach, then ravenous again, then sick, then lunatic, then
crying, then ravenous again, and so every quarter of an hour, and
my strength wasted exceedingly; at night I lay me down, having no
Robinson Crusoe |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: Invariably when he offers sacrifice the king begins the work in the
gloaming ere the day has broken, being minded to anticipate the
goodwill of the god. And round about the place of sacrifice are
present the polemarchs and captains, the lieutenants and sub-
lieutenants, with the commandants of the baggage train, and any
general of the states[7] who may care to assist. There, too, are to be
seen two of the ephors, who neither meddle nor make, save only at the
summons of the king, yet have they their eyes fixed on the proceedings
of each one there and keep all in order,[8] as may well be guessed.
When the sacrifices are accomplished the king summons all and issues
his orders[9] as to what has to be done. And all with such method
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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 Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum: it or not."
Dorothy laughed and stretched out her hands.
"Come here, please--Ianu and your sister--and let me feel of you,"
she requested.
They came to her willingly, and Dorothy passed her hands over their
faces and forms and decided one was a girl of about her own age and
the other a boy somewhat smaller. The girl's hair was soft and fluffy
and her skin as smooth as satin. When Dorothy gently touched her nose
and ears and lips they seemed to be well and delicately formed.
"If I could see you I am sure you would be beautiful," she declared.
The girl laughed, and her mother said:
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz |
