| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates by Howard Pyle: Hiram straightened himself and drew a deep breath, and the moon,
shining full upon his face, snowed it twisted, convulsed, as it
had been when he had fronted his stepbrother seven months before
in the kitchen. Great beads of sweat stood on his brow and he
wiped them away with his sleeve. Then, coatless, hatless as he
was, he swung himself out of the window, dropped upon the grass,
and, without an instant of hesitation, strode off down the road
in the direction that Levi West had taken.
As he climbed the fence where the two men had climbed it he could
see them in the pallid light, far away across the level, scrubby
meadow land, walking toward a narrow strip of pine woods.
 Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. Wells: I know that I didn't connect them with the idea of the loved
and worshipped goddesses at all, because I remember when I
first saw the goddess in a real human being and how amazed I
was at the discovery. . . . I was a boy of twelve or
thirteen. My people took me one summer to Dymchurch in Romney
Marsh; in those days before the automobile had made the Marsh
accessible to the Hythe and Folkestone crowds, it was a
little old forgotten silent wind-bitten village crouching
under the lee of the great sea wall. At low water there were
miles of sand as smooth and shining as the skin of a savage
brown woman. Shining and with a texture--the very same. And
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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 King James Bible: unto him.
JOH 13:29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that
Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against
the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.
JOH 13:30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it
was night.
JOH 13:31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son
of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
JOH 13:32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in
himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
JOH 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall
 King James Bible |
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 Grimm's Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm: stable, and cried: 'Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!' Then
Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened. How
they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each
other! And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into
the witch's house, and in every corner there stood chests full of
pearls and jewels. 'These are far better than pebbles!' said Hansel,
and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Gretel said:
'I, too, will take something home with me,' and filled her pinafore
full. 'But now we must be off,' said Hansel, 'that we may get out of
the witch's forest.'
When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great stretch of
 Grimm's Fairy Tales |