| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Hated Son by Honore de Balzac: When the boy was big enough he took him to hunt, and let him acquire
the savage language, the rough manners, the bodily strength, and the
vivacity of look and speech which to his mind were the attributes of
an accomplished man. The boy became, by the time he was twelve years
old, a lion-cub ill-trained, as formidable in his way as the father
himself, having free rein to tyrannize over every one, and using the
privilege.
Etienne lived in the little house, or lodge, near the sea, given to
him by his father, and fitted up by the duchess with some of the
comforts and enjoyments to which he had a right. She herself spent the
greater part of her time there. Together the mother and child roamed
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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 Foolish Virgin by Thomas Dixon: swept her on and on over billowy clouds through the
gates of Heaven.
There was no help for it. They would spend
the time together in her room planning the future.
It would be sweet--these intimate hours in her home
with the man she loved.
Should she spend a whole day alone there with him?
Was it just proper? Was it really safe? Nonsense!
The vile thoughts which Jane had uttered had poisoned
her, after all. She hated her self that she could
remember them. And yet they filled her heart with
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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 Philosophy 4 by Owen Wister: thanked, and they drove away beneath the stars, leaving behind them
golden opinions, and a host who decided not to disturb his helpmate by
retiring to rest in their conjugal bed.
Bertie had forgotten, but the playful gelding had not. When they came
abreast of that gate where Diggs of the Bird-in-Hand had met them at
sunset, Bertie was only aware that a number of things had happened at
once, and that he had stopped the horse after about twenty yards of
battle. Pride filled him, but emptied away in the same instant, for a
voice on the road behind him spoke inquiringly through the darkness.
"Did any one fall out?" said the voice. "Who fell out?"
"Billy!" shrieked Bertie, cold all over. "Billy, are you hurt "
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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 The Message by Honore de Balzac: me into the garden. The Count, for the sake of appearances, came
as far as the threshold.
"Don't go, don't go!" called he. "Don't trouble yourselves in the
least," but he did not offer to accompany us.
We three--the canon, the housemaid, and I--hurried through the
garden walks and over the bowling-green in the park, shouting,
listening for an answer, growing more uneasy every moment. As we
hurried along, I told the story of the fatal accident, and
discovered how strongly the maid was attached to her mistress,
for she took my secret dread far more seriously than the canon.
We went along by the pools of water; all over the park we went;
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