| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: Bellovacorum introduxerint et eorum agros populari coeperint. His
mandatis eum a se dimittit. Postquam omnes Belgarum copias in unum locum
coactas ad se venire vidit neque iam longe abesse ab iis quos miserat
exploratoribus et ab Remis cognovit, flumen Axonam, quod est in extremis
Remorum finibus, exercitum traducere maturavit atque ibi castra posuit.
Quae res et latus ullum castrorum ripis fluminis muniebat et post eum quae
erant tuta ab hostibus reddebat et commeatus ab Remis reliquisque
civitatibus ut sine periculo ad eum portari possent efficiebat. In eo
flumine pons erat. Ibi praesidium ponit et in altera parte fluminis
Q. Titurium Sabinum legatum cum sex cohortibus relinquit; castra in
altitudinem pedum XII vallo fossaque duodeviginti pedum muniri iubet.
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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 Cruise of the Jasper B. by Don Marquis: He felt the frown slipping, but it was a point of honor with him
to retain it.
"She WILL be a sailin' vessel when she gets her sticks into her,"
said the Cap'n, fumbling with his neckwear.
"Let me fix that for you," said the lady. And before the Cap'n
could protest she was arranging his tie for him. "You old sea
captains!------" she said, untying the scarf and making the ends
even. "As if anyone could possibly be afraid to sail in anything
one of YOU had charge of!" She gave the necktie a little final
pat. "There, now!"
The Captain's frown was gone past replacement. But he still felt
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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 Turn of the Screw by Henry James: on my face, on the ground and given way to a wildness of grief.
I must have lain there long and cried and sobbed, for when I raised
my head the day was almost done. I got up and looked a moment,
through the twilight, at the gray pool and its blank, haunted edge,
and then I took, back to the house, my dreary and difficult course.
When I reached the gate in the fence the boat, to my surprise, was gone,
so that I had a fresh reflection to make on Flora's extraordinary
command of the situation. She passed that night, by the most tacit,
and I should add, were not the word so grotesque a false note,
the happiest of arrangements, with Mrs. Grose. I saw neither of them
on my return, but, on the other hand, as by an ambiguous compensation,
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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 War in the Air by H. G. Wells: It was Bert began the talking and he talked on regardless of what
they understood or failed to understand. But his voice must have
conveyed his cantankerous intentions.
"You want that machine done, he said first, "you better keep your
'ands off me!"
They disregarded that and he repeated it.
Then he expanded his idea and the spirit of speech took hold of
him. "You think you got 'old of a chap you can kick and 'it like
you do your private soldiers--you're jolly well mistaken. See?
I've 'ad about enough of you and your antics. I been thinking
you over, you and your war and your Empire and all the rot of it.
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