| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: though she was barely twenty, they had seemed to appertain to
each other for a time so long that the memory of man or maiden
aunt ran not to the contrary. She always declared, indeed, that
they were born married, and that their wedding-day would seem
like a silver wedding. Harry was quiet, unobtrusive, and manly.
He might seem commonplace at first beside the brilliant Kate
and his more gifted sister; but thorough manhood is never
commonplace, and he was a person to whom one could anchor. His
strong, steadfast physique was the type of his whole nature;
when he came into the room, you felt as if a good many people
had been added to the company. He made steady progress in his
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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 A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde: finger of thy hand."
'And the Emperor frowned. "It is but a ring of lead," he cried,
"nor has it any value. Therefore take thy half of the treasure and
go from my city."
'"Nay," I answered, "but I will take nought but that leaden ring,
for I know what is written within it, and for what purpose."
'And the Emperor trembled, and besought me and said, "Take all the
treasure and go from my city. The half that is mine shall be thine
also."
'And I did a strange thing, but what I did matters not, for in a
cave that is but a day's journey from this place have, I hidden the
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