| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Royalty Restored/London Under Charles II by J. Fitzgerald Molloy: feet, he promptly tottered down the room, whereon she cried out
to him, "Come here, you little bastard!" Hearing this word of
evil import applied to his son, the monarch begged she would not
use the expression, "I am sorry," said she regretfully, "but,
alas, I have no other name to give him! "His majesty took the
hint, and soon after bestowed on him that of Charles Beauclerk,
and created him Baron of Heddington, in Oxon, and Earl of Burford
in the same county; and finally, when he had reached the age of
ten years, raised him to the dignity of Duke of St. Albans.
After a reign of five years in the court of the merry monarch,
her Grace of Portsmouth was destined to encounter a far more
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Damaged Goods by Upton Sinclair: store for me, the disgusting things, the frightful catastrophes
to which I am condemned--"
"What is all this you are telling me?" asked the doctor,
laughing.
"Oh, I know, I know!" cried the other, and repeated what his
friend had told him about the man in a wheel-chair. "And they
used to call me handsome Raoul! That was my name--handsome
Raoul!"
"Now, my dear sir," said the doctor, cheerfully, "wipe your eyes
one last time, blow your nose, put your handkerchief into your
pocket, and hear me dry-eyed."
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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 Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy: my heart, women will be the death of me!"
"Well you shouldn't keep people's hair. You'll
burn it, won't you, Frank?"
Frank went on as if he had not heard her. "There
are considerations even before my consideration for you;
reparations to be made -- ties you know nothing of If
you repent of marrying, so do I."
Trembling now, she put her hand upon his arm,
saying, in mingled tones of wretchedness and coaxing,
"I only repent it if you don't love me better than any
woman in the world! I don't otherwise, Frank. You
Far From the Madding Crowd |
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 Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: "What a foolish little girl!" laughed Grace. "Take it; you will
oblige me very much by taking it."
"No, ma'am, I can't; my mother wouldn't own me if I should take
money as a gift."
"But you must take it, Katy; I shall be angry if you don't."
The little girl looked up into her pretty eyes beaming with pity
and love; and she could hardly resist the temptation to oblige
her by accepting the gift; but since she had heard the story of
her mother's life, she understood why she was so much prouder
than other poor people; and as she thought of her grandfather in
his fine house in the great city of Liverpool, she felt a little
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