| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Augsburg Confession by Philip Melanchthon: history -- namely, this Article: the forgiveness of sins, to
wit, that we have grace, righteousness, and forgiveness of
sins through Christ.
Now he that knows that he has a Father gracious to him through
Christ, truly knows God; he knows also that God cares for him,
and calls upon God; in a word, he is not without God, as the
heathen. For devils and the ungodly are not able to believe
this Article: the forgiveness of sins. Hence, they hate God as
an enemy, call not upon Him, and expect no good from Him.
Augustine also admonishes his readers concerning the word
"faith," and teaches that the term "faith" is accepted in the
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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 Mountains by Stewart Edward White: Near noon we came to a little cattle ranch situated
in a flat surrounded by red dikes and buttes
after the manner of Arizona. Here we unpacked,
early as it was, for through the dry countries one has
to apportion his day's journeys by the water to be
had. If we went farther to-day, then to-morrow night
would find us in a dry camp.
The horses scampered down the flat to search out
alfilaria. We roosted under a slanting shed,--where
were stock saddles, silver-mounted bits and spurs,
rawhide riatas, branding-irons, and all the lumber 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 Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: "He's gone out," Trimmle announced, with the superior air of one
who has respectfully waited for the question that a well-ordered
mind would have first propounded.
Mary's previous conjecture had been right, then. Boyne must have
gone to the gardens to meet her, and since she had missed him, it
was clear that he had taken the shorter way by the south door,
instead of going round to the court. She crossed the hall to the
glass portal opening directly on the yew garden, but the parlor-
maid, after another moment of inner conflict, decided to bring
out recklessly, "Please, Madam, Mr. Boyne didn't go that way."
Mary turned back. "Where DID he go? And when?"
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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 Children of the Night by Edwin Arlington Robinson: Under red roses. Red they bloomed and fell;
But when flushed autumn and the snows went by,
And spring came, -- lo, from every bud's green shell
Burst a white blossom. -- Can love reason why?
Horace to Leuconoe
I pray you not, Leuconoe, to pore
With unpermitted eyes on what may be
Appointed by the gods for you and me,
Nor on Chaldean figures any more.
'T were infinitely better to implore
The present only: -- whether Jove decree
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