| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart: With the end of the play he wandered out with the crowd, edging his
way close to the man and girl who had focused Gregory's attention,
and following them into the street. He saw only a tall man with a
certain quiet distinction of bearing, and a young and pretty girl,
still flushed and excited, who went up the street a short distance
and got into a small and shabby car. Bassett noted, carefully, the
license number of the car.
Then, still curious and extremely interested, he walked briskly
around to the stage entrance, nodded to the doorkeeper, and went in.
Gregory was not in sight, but the stage manager was there, directing
the striking of the last set.
The Breaking Point |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Master Key by L. Frank Baum: "I'll give you a million dollars to control the sale in Chicago alone,"
continued the gentleman, with an eager inflection in his smooth voice.
"You seem quite anxious to get rid of money," remarked Rob,
carelessly. "How much are you worth?"
"Personally?"
"Yes."
"Nothing at all, young man. I am not offering you my own money. But
with such inventions as you have exhibited I could easily secure
millions of capital. Suppose we form a trust, and place them upon the
market. We'll capitalize it for a hundred millions, and you can have
a quarter of the stock--twenty-five millions. That would keep you
The Master Key |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Father Sergius by Leo Tolstoy: husband I tormented him by my jealousy, which I could not
restrain.'
'I heard that he drank . . .'
'Yes, but I did not give him any peace. I always reproached him,
though you know it is a disease! He could not refrain from it.
I now remember how I tried to prevent his having it, and the
frightful scenes we had!'
And she looked at Kasatsky with beautiful eyes, suffering from
the remembrance.
Kasatsky remembered how he had been told that Pashenka's husband
used to beat her, and now, looking at her thin withered neck with
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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 Witch, et. al by Anton Chekhov: Only the well-to-do peasants were afraid of death; the richer
they were the less they believed in God, and in the salvation of
souls, and only through fear of the end of the world put up
candles and had services said for them, to be on the safe side.
The peasants who were rather poorer were not afraid of death. The
old father and Granny were told to their faces that they had
lived too long, that it was time they were dead, and they did not
mind. They did not hinder Fyokla from saying in Nikolay's
presence that when Nikolay died her husband Denis would get
exemption -- to return home from the army. And Marya, far from
fearing death, regretted that it was so slow in coming, and was
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