| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Silverado Squatters by Robert Louis Stevenson: the morning - rarely indeed, rose before noon; he loved all
games, from poker to clerical croquet; and in the Toll House
croquet ground I have seen him toiling at the latter with the
devotion of a curate. He took an interest in education, was
an active member of the local school-board, and when I was
there, he had recently lost the schoolhouse key. His waggon
was broken, but it never seemed to occur to him to mend it.
Like all truly idle people, he had an artistic eye. He chose
the print stuff for his wife's dresses, and counselled her in
the making of a patchwork quilt, always, as she thought,
wrongly, but to the more educated eye, always with bizarre
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: should be a drag on your happiness." William! Isabel pressed her face
into the pillow. But she felt that even the grave bedroom knew her for
what she was, shallow, tinkling, vain...
Presently from the garden below there came voices.
"Isabel, we're all going for a bathe. Do come!"
"Come, thou wife of William!"
"Call her once before you go, call once yet!"
Isabel sat up. Now was the moment, now she must decide. Would she go with
them, or stay here and write to William. Which, which should it be? "I
must make up my mind." Oh, but how could there be any question? Of course
she would stay here and write.
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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 Moby Dick by Herman Melville: "What now?" said the Guernsey-man, when the Captain had returned to
them.
"Why, let me see; yes, you may as well tell him now that--that--in
fact, tell him I've diddled him, and (aside to himself) perhaps
somebody else."
"He says, Monsieur, that he's very happy to have been of any service
to us."
Hearing this, the captain vowed that they were the grateful parties
(meaning himself and mate) and concluded by inviting Stubb down
into his cabin to drink a bottle of Bordeaux.
"He wants you to take a glass of wine with him," said the
Moby Dick |
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 Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling: De Aquila climbed upon a horse-block and spoke to
them in what he swore was good Saxon, but no man
understood it. At night we feasted in the Great Hall, and
when the harpers and the singers were gone we four sat
late at the high table. As I remember, it was a warm night
with a full moon, and De Aquila bade Hugh take down
his sword from the wall again, for the honour of the
Manor of Dallington, and Hugh took it gladly enough.
Dust lay on the hilt, for I saw him blow it off.
'She and I sat talking a little apart, and at first we
thought the harpers had come back, for the Great Hall
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