| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Herbert West: Reanimator by H. P. Lovecraft: and the terrific mental and nervous strain made my friend brood
morbidly.
But West’s gentle enemies were no less harassed with
prostrating duties. College had all but closed, and every doctor
of the medical faculty was helping to fight the typhoid plague.
Dr. Halsey in particular had distinguished himself in sacrificing
service, applying his extreme skill with whole-hearted energy
to cases which many others shunned because of danger or apparent
hopelessness. Before a month was over the fearless dean had become
a popular hero, though he seemed unconscious of his fame as he
struggled to keep from collapsing with physical fatigue and nervous
Herbert West: Reanimator |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Riverman by Stewart Edward White: and they ought to skip over there in twelve to fifteen hours."
Accordingly, the three vessels were laid alongside the wharves at
the mill, and as fast as possible the selected lumber was passed
into their holds. Orde departed for the woods to start the cutting
as soon as the first belated snow should fall.
This condition seemed, however, to delay. During each night it grew
cold. The leaves, after their blaze and riot of colour, turned
crisp and crackly and brown. Some of the little, still puddles were
filmed with what was almost, but not quite ice. A sheen of frost
whitened the house roofs and silvered each separate blade of grass
on the lawns. But by noon the sun, rising red in the veil of smoke
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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 A Personal Record by Joseph Conrad: bend of the road, we came upon a building, ghostly in the
twilight.
At that time the work on the St. Gothard Tunnel was going on, and
that magnificent enterprise of burrowing was directly responsible
for the unexpected building, standing all alone upon the very
roots of the mountains. It was long, though not big at all; it
was low; it was built of boards, without ornamentation, in
barrack-hut style, with the white window-frames quite flush with
the yellow face of its plain front. And yet it was a hotel; it
had even a name, which I have forgotten. But there was no gold
laced doorkeeper at its humble door. A plain but vigorous
A Personal Record |
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 Passionate Pilgrim by William Shakespeare: She told the youngling how god Mars did try her,
And as he fell to her, so fell she to him.
'Even thus,' quoth she, 'the warlike god embraced me,'
And then she clipp'd Adonis in her arms;
'Even thus,' quoth she, 'the warlike god unlaced me,'
As if the boy should use like loving charms;
'Even thus,' quoth she, 'he seized on my lips
And with her lips on his did act the seizure
And as she fetched breath, away he skips,
And would not take her meaning nor her pleasure.
Ah, that I had my lady at this bay,
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