| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: Do you hate your boy, and want to fire pillows at him?"
Anything more wheedlesome than that touching appeal was seldom
heard, but Jo quenched `her boy' by turning on him with a stern
query, "How many bouquets have you sent Miss Randal this week?"
"Not one, upon my word. She's engaged. Now then."
"I'm glad of it, that's one of your foolish extravagances,
sending flowers and things to girls for whom you don't care two
pins," continued Jo reprovingly.
"Sensible girls for whom I do care whole papers of pins won't
let me send them `flowers and things', so what can I do? My feelings
need a` vent'."
Little Women |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Moby Dick by Herman Melville: hawks. But the bird has a voice, and with plaintive cries will make
known her fear; but the fear of this vast dumb brute of the sea, was
chained up and enchanted in him; he had no voice, save that choking
respiration through his spiracle, and this made the sight of him
unspeakably pitiable; while still, in his amazing bulk, portcullis
jaw, and omnipotent tail, there was enough to appal the stoutest man
who so pitied.
Seeing now that but a very few moments more would give the Pequod's
boats the advantage, and rather than be thus foiled of his game,
Derick chose to hazard what to him must have seemed a most unusually
long dart, ere the last chance would for ever escape.
Moby Dick |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: there just within the entrance they stood until, their eyes
becoming accustomed to the dim light, one of them pointed
suddenly to the thing lying upon the floor with one foot tangled
in the coverings of the dais.
"Look!" he gasped. "It is the corpse of O-Mai! Ancestor of
ancestors! we are in the forbidden chamber." Simultaneously there
came from behind the hangings beyond the grewsome dead a hollow
moan followed by a piercing scream, and the hangings shook and
bellied before their eyes.
With one accord, chieftains and warriors, they turned and bolted
for the doorway; a narrow doorway, where they jammed, fighting
The Chessmen of Mars |
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 Pupil by Henry James: coming because he had to go somewhere, thanks to the collapse of
his fortune at the end of a year abroad spent on the system of
putting his scant patrimony into a single full wave of experience.
He had had his full wave but couldn't pay the score at his inn.
Moreover he had caught in the boy's eyes the glimpse of a far-off
appeal.
"Well, I'll do the best I can for you," said Morgan; with which he
turned away again. He passed out of one of the long windows;
Pemberton saw him go and lean on the parapet of the terrace. He
remained there while the young man took leave of his mother, who,
on Pemberton's looking as if he expected a farewell from him,
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