| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Mrs. Warren's Profession by George Bernard Shaw: shopgirls, or barmaids, or waitresses, when we could trade in
them ourselves and get all the profits instead of starvation
wages? Not likely.
VIVIE. You were certainly quite justified--from the business
point of view.
MRS WARREN. Yes; or any other point of view. What is any
respectable girl brought up to do but to catch some rich man's
fancy and get the benefit of his money by marrying him?--as if a
marriage ceremony could make any difference in the right or wrong
of the thing! Oh, the hypocrisy of the world makes me sick! Liz
and I had to work and save and calculate just like other people;
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Simple Soul by Gustave Flaubert: the tranquility of everything. In the distance, the hammers of some
calkers pounded the hull of a ship, and the sultry breeze brought them
an odour of tar.
The principal diversion consisted in watching the return of the
fishing-smacks. As soon as they passed the beacons, they began to ply
to windward. The sails were lowered to one third of the masts, and
with their fore-sails swelled up like balloons they glided over the
waves and anchored in the middle of the harbour. Then they crept up
alongside of the dock and the sailors threw the quivering fish over
the side of the boat; a line of carts was waiting for them, and women
with white caps sprang forward to receive the baskets and embrace
A Simple Soul |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: thickest. All the other guests followed. "Stay," said Monte
Cristo, "here, in this very spot" (and he stamped upon the
ground), "I had the earth dug up and fresh mould put in, to
refresh these old trees; well, my man, digging, found a box,
or rather, the iron-work of a box, in the midst of which was
the skeleton of a newly born infant." Monte Cristo felt the
arm of Madame Danglars stiffen, while that of Villefort
trembled. "A newly born infant," repeated Debray; "this
affair becomes serious!"
"Well," said Chateau-Renaud, "I was not wrong just now then,
when I said that houses had souls and faces like men, and
The Count of Monte Cristo |
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 Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: belli haberent aut quibus institutis uterentur, neque qui essent ad
maiorem navium multitudinem idonei portus reperire poterat.
Ad haec cognoscenda, prius quam periculum faceret, idoneum esse
arbitratus C. Volusenum cum navi longa praemittit. Huic mandat ut
exploratis omnibus rebus ad se quam primum revertatur. Ipse cum omnibus
copiis in Morinos proficiscitur, quod inde erat brevissimus in Britanniam
traiectus. Huc naves undique ex finitimis regionibus et quam superiore
aestate ad Veneticum bellum fecerat classem iubet convenire.
Interim, consilio eius cognito et per mercatores perlato ad Britannos,
a compluribus insulae civitatibus ad eum legati veniunt, qui polliceantur
obsides dare atque imperio populi Romani obtemperare. Quibus auditis,
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