| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Distinguished Provincial at Paris by Honore de Balzac: Florine's gift, on the chimney-piece, had so far escaped the
pawnbroker. Add a forlorn-looking chest of drawers, and a table
littered with papers and disheveled quill pens, and the list of
furniture was almost complete. All the books had evidently arrived in
the course of the last twenty-four hours; and there was not a single
object of any value in the room. In one corner you beheld a collection
of crushed and flattened cigars, coiled pocket-handkerchiefs, shirts
which had been turned to do double duty, and cravats that had reached
a third edition; while a sordid array of old boots stood gaping in
another angle of the room among aged socks worn into lace.
The room, in short, was a journalist's bivouac, filled with odds and
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll: White King, who was sitting sulkily among the ashes, `Mind the
volcano!'
`What volcano?' said the King, looking up anxiously into the
fire, as if he thought that was the most likely place to find
one.
`Blew--me--up,' panted the Queen, who was still a little
out of breath. `Mind you come up--the regular way--don't get
blown up!'
Alice watched the White King as he slowly struggled up from bar
to bar, till at last she said, `Why, you'll be hours and hours
getting to the table, at that rate. I'd far better help you,
Through the Looking-Glass |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Koran: those who were big with pride, 'Verily, in what ye do believe we
disbelieve.' Then they did hamstring the camel, and rebelled against
the bidding of their Lord and said, 'O Zali'h! bring us what thou
didst threaten us with, if thou art of those who are sent.' Then the
earthquake took them, and in the morning they lay prone in their
dwellings; and he turned away from them and said, 'O my people! I
did preach to you the message of my Lord, and I gave you good
advice; but ye love not sincere advisers.'
And Lot, when he said to his people, 'Do ye approach an
abomination which no one in all the world ever anticipated you in?
verily, ye approach men with lust rather than women- nay, ye are a
The Koran |
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 Father Sergius by Leo Tolstoy: peasant reviled him, but for the most part he was given food and
drink and even something to take with him. His noble bearing
disposed some people in his favour, while others on the contrary
seemed pleased at the sight of a gentleman who had come to
beggary.
But his gentleness prevailed with everyone.
Often, finding a copy of the Gospels in a hut he would read it
aloud, and when they heard him the people were always touched and
surprised, as at something new yet familiar.
When he succeeded in helping people, either by advice, or by his
knowledge of reading and writing, or by settling some quarrel, he
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