| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Daisy Miller by Henry James: Winterbourne imagined for a moment that this was the manner
in which the child had been taught to intimate that Mr. Miller
had been removed to the sphere of celestial reward.
But Randolph immediately added, "My father's in Schenectady.
He's got a big business. My father's rich, you bet!"
"Well!" ejaculated Miss Miller, lowering her parasol and looking
at the embroidered border. Winterbourne presently released
the child, who departed, dragging his alpenstock along the path.
"He doesn't like Europe," said the young girl. "He wants
to go back."
"To Schenectady, you mean?"
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Several Works by Edgar Allan Poe: his connoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso
spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the
time and opportunity-- to practise imposture upon the British and
Austrian millionaires. In painting and gemmary, Fortunato,
like his countrymen, was a quack-- but in the matter of old wines he
was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him
materially: I was skillful in the Italian vintages myself, and
bought largely whenever I could.
It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of
the carnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me
with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. The man wore
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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 1984 by George Orwell: in her struggles, was carried in, kicking and shouting, by four guards,
who had hold of her one at each corner. They wrenched off the boots with
which she had been trying to kick them, and dumped her down across
Winston's lap, almost breaking his thigh-bones. The woman hoisted herself
upright and followed them out with a yell of 'F---- bastards!' Then,
noticing that she was sitting on something uneven, she slid off Winston's
knees on to the bench.
'Beg pardon, dearie,' she said. 'I wouldn't 'a sat on you, only the buggers
put me there. They dono 'ow to treat a lady, do they?' She paused, patted
her breast, and belched. 'Pardon,' she said, 'I ain't meself, quite.'
She leant forward and vomited copiously on the floor.
1984 |
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 the Cage by Henry James: couldn't, not even once or twice, touch with him on some individual
fact. She would have given anything to have been able to allude to
one of his friends by name, to one of his engagements by date, to
one of his difficulties by the solution. She would have given
almost as much for just the right chance--it would have to be
tremendously right--to show him in some sharp sweet way that she
had perfectly penetrated the greatest of these last and now lived
with it in a kind of heroism of sympathy. He was in love with a
woman to whom, and to any view of whom, a lady-telegraphist, and
especially one who passed a life among hams and cheeses, was as the
sand on the floor; and what her dreams desired was the possibility
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