| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Burning Daylight by Jack London: "Well, I'll be plumb gosh darned!" was Daylight's comment. "No
ill-will, no grudge, no nothing-and after that lambasting! You're
sure a hummer, Bob."
Once again Daylight was lulled into fancied security. For an
hour Bob was all that could be desired of a spirited mount, when,
and as usual without warning, he took to whirling and bolting.
Daylight put a stop to this with spurs and quirt, running him
several punishing miles in the direction of his bolt. But when
he turned him around and started forward, Bob proceeded to feign
fright at trees, cows, bushes, Wolf, his own shadow--in short, at
every ridiculously conceivable object. At such times, Wolf lay
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Lover's Complaint by William Shakespeare: 'So on the tip of his subduing tongue
All kind of arguments and question deep,
All replication prompt, and reason strong,
For his advantage still did wake and sleep:
To make the weeper laugh, the laugher weep,
He had the dialect and different skill,
Catching all passions in his craft of will;
'That he did in the general bosom reign
Of young, of old; and sexes both enchanted,
To dwell with him in thoughts, or to remain
In personal duty, following where he haunted:
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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 My Antonia by Willa Cather: I went down across the fields, and Tony saw me from a long way off. She stood
still by her shocks, leaning on her pitchfork, watching me as I came.
We met like the people in the old song, in silence, if not in tears.
Her warm hand clasped mine.
`I thought you'd come, Jim. I heard you were at Mrs. Steavens's last night.
I've been looking for you all day.'
She was thinner than I had ever seen her, and looked as Mrs. Steavens said,
`worked down,' but there was a new kind of strength in the gravity of
her face, and her colour still gave her that look of deep-seated health
and ardour. Still? Why, it flashed across me that though so much had
happened in her life and in mine, she was barely twenty-four years old.
My Antonia |
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 In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: is only one thing I'm fitted for, and that is to be a great courtesan."
But she did not know how to go about it. She was frightened to go into the
streets--she heard of such awful things happening to those women--men with
diseases--or men who didn't pay--besides, the idea of a strange man every
night--no, that was out of the question. "If I'd the clothes I would go to
a really good hotel and find some wealthy man...like the strange man this
morning. He would be ideal. Oh, if I only had his address--I am sure I
would fascinate him. I'd keep him laughing all day--I'd make him give me
unlimited money..." At the thought she grew warm and soft. She began to
dream of a wonderful house, and of presses full of clothes and of perfumes.
She saw herself stepping into carriages--looking at the strange man with a
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