| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: chalk-cart," or only a mouse, or only a dead leaf. Chalk-carts,
like mice, and dead leaves, and most other matters in the universe
are very curious and odd things in the eyes of wise and reasonable
people. Whenever I hear young men saying "only" this and "only"
that, I begin to suspect them of belonging, not to the noble army
of sages--much less to the most noble army of martyrs,--but to the
ignoble army of noodles, who think nothing interesting or
important but dinners, and balls, and races, and back-biting their
neighbours; and I should be sorry to see you enlisting in that
regiment when you grow up. But think--are not chalk-carts very
odd and curious things? I think they are. To my mind, it is 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 Philosophy 4 by Owen Wister: they sat down to eggs and coffee at the Holly Tree.
"I waked John up," said Billy." He is satisfied."
"Let's have another order," said Bertie. "These eggs are delicious."
Each of them accordingly ate four eggs and drank two cups of coffee.
"Oscar called five times," said Billy; and he threw down those cards
which Oscar had so neatly written.
"There's multiplicity of the ego for you!" said Bertie.
Now, inspiration is a strange thing, and less obedient even than love to
the will of man. It will decline to come when you prepare for it with
the loftiest intentions, and, lo! at an accidental word it will suddenly
fill you, as at this moment it filled Billy.
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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 Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: subducit, aciem instruit. Labienus, ut erat ei praeceptum a Caesare ne
proelium committeret, nisi ipsius copiae prope hostium castra visae
essent, ut undique uno tempore in hostes impetus fieret, monte occupato
nostros expectabat proelioque abstinebat. Multo denique die per
exploratores Caesar cognovit et montem a suis teneri et Helvetios castra,
movisse et Considium timore perterritum quod non vidisset pro viso sibi
renuntiavisse. Eo die quo consuerat intervallo hostes sequitur et milia
passuum tria ab eorum castris castra ponit.
Postridie eius diei, quod omnino biduum supererat, cum exercitui
frumentum metiri oporteret, et quod a Bibracte, oppido Haeduorum longe
maximo et copiosissimo, non amplius milibus passuum XVIII aberat, rei
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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 Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: "You must not be so carnally minded, dear," said Kate. "You
must be very good and grateful, and not care for your
breakfast. Somebody says that mutton chops with wit are a great
deal better than turtle without."
"A very foolish somebody," pronounced Aunt Jane. "I have had a
great deal of wit in my life, and very little turtle. Dear
child, do not excite me with impossible suggestions. There are
dropped eggs, I might have those. They look so beautifully, if
it only were not necessary to eat them. Yes, I will certainly
have dropped eggs. I think Ruth could drop them; she drops
everything else."
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