| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Another Study of Woman by Honore de Balzac: day, to deceive the curious and mislead the observant we had adopted a
scheme of conduct: never to look at each other; to avoid meeting; to
speak ill of each other. Self-admiration, swagger, or playing the
disdained swain,--all these old manoeuvres are not to compare on
either part with a false passion professed for an indifferent person
and an air of indifference towards the true idol. If two lovers will
only play that game, the world will always be deceived; but then they
must be very secure of each other.
"Her stalking-horse was a man in high favor, a courtier, cold and
sanctimonious, whom she never received at her own house. This little
comedy was performed for the benefit of simpletons and drawing-room
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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 Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: circumstances of their political state--to that "government of one
man which in the end has the inevitable effect of rendering all men
alike, and all mutually indifferent to their common fate"--we must
differ, even from him: for facts prove the impotence of that, or of
any other circumstance, in altering the hearts and souls of men, in
producing in them anything but a mere superficial and temporary
resemblance.
For all the while there was, among these very French, here and there
a variety of character and purpose, sufficient to burst through that
very despotism, and to develop the nation into manifold, new, and
quite original shapes. Thus it was proved that the uniformity had
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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 The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: Suddenly she relaxed her grasp on the windowsill and fell back limp and
senseless.
Heckewelder ran to the door lo look out, while the others bent over the
unconscious girl, endeavoring to revive her. Presently a fluttering breath and
a quivering of her dark lashes noted a return of suspended life. Then her
beautiful eyes opened wide to gaze with wonder and fear into the grave faces
bent so anxiously over her.
"Nell, dearest, you are safe. What was it? What frightened you so?" said Kate,
tenderly.
"Oh, it was fearful!" gasped Nell, sitting up. She clung to her sister with
one hand, while the other grasped Jim's sleeve.
The Spirit of the Border |
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 Animal Farm by George Orwell: respectful distance. At every few steps Napoleon stopped and snuffed the
ground for traces of Snowball's footsteps, which, he said, he could detect
by the smell. He snuffed in every corner, in the barn, in the cow-shed,
in the henhouses, in the vegetable garden, and found traces of Snowball
almost everywhere. He would put his snout to the ground, give several deep
sniffs, ad exclaim in a terrible voice, "Snowball! He has been here! I can
smell him distinctly!" and at the word "Snowball" all the dogs let out
blood-curdling growls and showed their side teeth.
The animals were thoroughly frightened. It seemed to them as though
Snowball were some kind of invisible influence, pervading the air about
them and menacing them with all kinds of dangers. In the evening Squealer
Animal Farm |
