| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: reverse, to man's power of selection. A high degree of variability is
obviously favourable, as freely giving the materials for selection to work
on; not that mere individual differences are not amply sufficient, with
extreme care, to allow of the accumulation of a large amount of
modification in almost any desired direction. But as variations manifestly
useful or pleasing to man appear only occasionally, the chance of their
appearance will be much increased by a large number of individuals being
kept; and hence this comes to be of the highest importance to success. On
this principle Marshall has remarked, with respect to the sheep of parts of
Yorkshire, that 'as they generally belong to poor people, and are mostly in
small lots, they never can be improved.' On the other hand, nurserymen,
On the Origin of Species |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from An Historical Mystery by Honore de Balzac: face of Michu's wife.
In the first place, Marthe had been piously brought up by her mother.
Both, being good Catholics, had suffered much from the opinions and
behavior of the tanner. Marthe could never think without a blush of
having marched through the street of Troyes in the garb of a goddess.
Her father had forced her to marry Michu, whose bad reputation was
then increasing, and she feared him too much to be able to judge him.
Nevertheless, she knew that he loved her, and at the bottom of her
heart lay the truest affection for this awe-inspiring man; she had
never known him to do anything that was not just; never did he say a
brutal word, to her at least; in fact, he endeavored to forestall her
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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 Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner: at last. It was a small thing; but life is made up of small things, as a
body is built up of cells. What has been done in small things can be done
in large. Shall be," she said softly.
Waldo listened. To him the words were no confession, no glimpse into the
strong, proud, restless heart of the woman. They were general words with a
general application. He looked up into the sparkling sky with dull eyes.
"Yes," he said; "but when we lie and think, and think, we see that there is
nothing worth doing. The universe is so large, and man is so small--"
She shook her head quickly.
"But we must not think so far; it is madness, it is a disease. We know
that no man's work is great, and stands forever. Moses is dead, and the
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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 Macbeth by William Shakespeare: He wants the naturall touch. For the poore Wren
(The most diminitiue of Birds) will fight,
Her yong ones in her Nest, against the Owle:
All is the Feare, and nothing is the Loue;
As little is the Wisedome, where the flight
So runnes against all reason
Rosse. My deerest Cooz,
I pray you schoole your selfe. But for your Husband,
He is Noble, Wise, Iudicious, and best knowes
The fits o'th' Season. I dare not speake much further,
But cruell are the times, when we are Traitors
Macbeth |
