| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Flame and Shadow by Sara Teasdale: Open Windows
Out of the window a sea of green trees
Lift their soft boughs like the arms of a dancer,
They beckon and call me, "Come out in the sun!"
But I cannot answer.
I am alone with Weakness and Pain,
Sick abed and June is going,
I cannot keep her, she hurries by
With the silver-green of her garments blowing.
Men and women pass in the street
Glad of the shining sapphire weather,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Dream Life and Real Life by Olive Schreiner: glittering in the candle-light, and the white rose fastened at her breast.
She looked like a queen. I said "Good-evening," and turned away quickly to
the glass to arrange my old black scarf across my old black dress.
Then I felt a hand touch my hair.
"Stand still," she said.
I looked in the glass. She had taken the white rose from her breast, and
was fastening it in my hair.
"How nice dark hair is; it sets off flowers so." She stepped back and
looked at me. "It looks much better there!"
I turned round.
"You are so beautiful to me," I said.
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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 The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "In that case," replied Glinda, "I shall merely ask you to drink a powerful
draught which will cause you to forget all the magic you have ever learned."
"Then I would become a helpless old woman!"
"But you would be alive," suggested the Pumpkinhead, consolingly.
"Do try to keep silent!" said Tip, nervously.
"I'll try," responded Jack; "but you will admit that it's a good thing to be
alive."
"Especially if one happens to be Thoroughly Educated," added the Woggle-Bug,
nodding approval.
"You may make your choice," Glinda said to old Mombi, "between death if you
remain silent, and the loss of your magical powers if you tell me the truth.
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
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 Tattine by Ruth Ogden [Mrs. Charles W. Ide]: "I am sorry to say they have."
"Have you seen them bring struggling rabbits dangling in their mouths right up
to the house here, Mamma?"
Mrs. Gerald merely shook her head. She felt so sorry to have to own to such a
sight.
"Why did I never know it, Mamma?"
"You have never chanced to be on the spot, dear, when it happened, and I was
in no hurry to tell you anything that I knew would make you sad."
"I think it would have been better to tell me. It's awful to find such a thing
out suddenly about dogs you've trusted, and to think how good and gentle they
look when they come and put their heads in your lap to be petted, just as
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