| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Blue Flower by Henry van Dyke: wind and wave, by storm and stream, by rain and river, by pond
and pool, by flood and fountain, by dyke and dam.
"These be changeable things," said Martimor, swear by the
Name of God."
So he sware, and even as the Name passed his teeth, the
gobbets of foam floated forth from the gate, and the water-weed
writhed away with the stream, and the river flowed fair and
softly, with a sound like singing.
Then Martimor came back to the Mill, and told how Flumen
was overcome and made to swear a pact. Thus their hearts
waxed light and jolly, and they kept that day as it were a
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: est, quod ante id tempus accidit nulli.
C. IULI CAESARIS
DE BELLO GALLICO
COMMENTARIUS TERTIUS
CVM in Italiam proficisceretur Caesar, Ser. Galbam cum legione XII.
et parte equitatus in Nantuates, Veragros Sedunosque misit, qui a finibus
Allobrogum et lacu Lemanno et flumine Rhodano ad summas Alpes pertinent.
Causa mittendi fuit quod iter per Alpes, quo magno cum periculo magnisque
cum portoriis mercatores ire consuerant, patefieri volebat. Huic
permisit, si opus esse arbitraretur, uti in his locis legionem hiemandi
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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 Meno by Plato: MENO: I think so.
SOCRATES: Mark now the farther development. I shall only ask him, and not
teach him, and he shall share the enquiry with me: and do you watch and
see if you find me telling or explaining anything to him, instead of
eliciting his opinion. Tell me, boy, is not this a square of four feet
which I have drawn?
BOY: Yes.
SOCRATES: And now I add another square equal to the former one?
BOY: Yes.
SOCRATES: And a third, which is equal to either of them?
BOY: Yes.
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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 Oscar Wilde Miscellaneous by Oscar Wilde: MYRRHINA. Why are ye afraid of him?
FIRST MAN. We do not know.
MYRRHINA. What is his name?
FIRST MAN. The voice that speaks to him at night time in the cavern
calls to him by the name of Honorius. It was also by the name of
Honorius that the three lepers who passed by once called to him. We
think that his name is Honorius.
MYRRHINA. Why did the three lepers call to him?
FIRST MAN. That he might heal them.
MYRRHINA. Did he heal them?
SECOND MAN. No. They had committed some sin: it was for that
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