| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Twilight Land by Howard Pyle: "The fruit of happiness!" said the first raven, "and of what use
would the fruit of happiness be to him?"
"What use? I tell you, friend, there is no fruit in the world
like that, for one has only to hold it in one's hand and wish,
and whatever one asks for one shall have."
You may guess that when the servant understood the talk of the
ravens he was not slow in making use of what he heard. Up he
scrambled, and away he went as fast as his legs could carry him.
On and on he travelled, until he came to the cross-roads and the
stone cross of which the raven spoke, and there, sure enough, sat
the traveller. He was clad in a weather-stained coat, and he wore
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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 Jolly Corner by Henry James: Avenue "officer" had happened on occasion to see him entering at
eleven-thirty, he had never yet, to the best of his belief, been
noticed as emerging at two. He walked there on the crisp November
nights, arrived regularly at the evening's end; it was as easy to
do this after dining out as to take his way to a club or to his
hotel. When he left his club, if he hadn't been dining out, it was
ostensibly to go to his hotel; and when he left his hotel, if he
had spent a part of the evening there, it was ostensibly to go to
his club. Everything was easy in fine; everything conspired and
promoted: there was truly even in the strain of his experience
something that glossed over, something that salved and simplified,
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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 United States Constitution: Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof;
but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations,
except as to the Places of chusing Senators.
The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year,
and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December,
unless they shall by law appoint a different Day.
Section 5. Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections,
Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a
Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business;
but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day,
and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members,
The United States Constitution |
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 A Passion in the Desert by Honore de Balzac: the most horrible despair was infused into his soul. Before him
stretched an ocean without limit. The dark sand of the desert spread
further than eye could reach in every direction, and glittered like
steel struck with bright light. It might have been a sea of looking-
glass, or lakes melted together in a mirror. A fiery vapor carried up
in surging waves made a perpetual whirlwind over the quivering land.
The sky was lit with an Oriental splendor of insupportable purity,
leaving naught for the imagination to desire. Heaven and earth were on
fire.
The silence was awful in its wild and terrible majesty. Infinity,
immensity, closed in upon the soul from every side. Not a cloud in the
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