| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: of it. After keeping quiet for some time about this opposition she
suddenly--one Sunday afternoon on a penny chair in the Regent's
Park--broke, for him, capriciously, bewilderingly, into an
intimation of what it came to. He had naturally pressed more and
more on the point of her again placing herself where he could see
her hourly, and for her to recognise that she had as yet given him
no sane reason for delay he had small need to describe himself as
unable to make out what she was up to. As if, with her absurd bad
reasons, she could have begun to tell him! Sometimes she thought
it would be amusing to let him have them full in the face, for she
felt she should die of him unless she once in a while stupefied
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: the populace. She clenched the railing of the balcony so fiercely as
to break her nails; the two stone lions at her back seemed to bite her
shoulders and join their voices to hers.
Antipas followed her example; and priests, soldiers, and Pharisees
cried aloud together for vengeance, echoed by the rest of the
gathering, who were indignant that a mere slave should dare to delay
their pleasures.
Again Mannaeus left the hall, covering his face with his hands.
The guests found the second delay longer than the first. It seemed
tedious to every one.
Presently a sound of footsteps was heard in the corridor without; then
Herodias |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Complete Poems of Longfellow by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: From the margin of the river
Took a long reed for a pipe-stem,
With its dark green leaves upon it;
Filled the pipe with bark of willow,
With the bark of the red willow;
Breathed upon the neighboring forest,
Made its great boughs chafe together,
Till in flame they burst and kindled;
And erect upon the mountains,
Gitche Manito, the mighty,
Smoked the calumet, the Peace-Pipe,
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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 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: "Poor little soul, you look as if you'd grieved yourself
half sick! I'm going to take care of you, so don't cry any
more, but come and walk about with me, the wind is too chilly
for you to sit still," he said, in the half-caressing,
half-commanding way that Amy liked, as he tied on her hat,
drew her arm through his, and began to pace up and down the
sunny walk under the new-leaved chestnuts. He felt more at
ease upon his legs, and Amy found it pleasant to have a strong
arm to lean upon, a familiar face to smile at her, and a kind
voice to talk delightfully for her alone.
The quaint old garden had sheltered many pairs of lovers,
Little Women |
