| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: men, and mend their world themselves? To educate men into self-
government--that is the purpose of the government of God; and some
of the men of the eighteenth century did not learn that lesson. As
the century rolled on, the human mind arose out of the slough in
which Le Sage found it, into manifold and beautiful activity,
increasing hatred of shams and lies, increasing hunger after truth
and usefulness. With mistakes and confusions innumerable they
worked: but still they worked; planting good seed; and when the
fire of the French Revolution swept over the land, it burned up the
rotten and the withered, only to let the fresh herbage spring up
from underneath.
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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 Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne: wrist) I am sure you must have one of the best pulses of any woman
in the world. - Feel it, said she, holding out her arm. So laying
down my hat, I took hold of her fingers in one hand, and applied
the two forefingers of my other to the artery. -
- Would to heaven! my dear Eugenius, thou hadst passed by, and
beheld me sitting in my black coat, and in my lack-a-day-sical
manner, counting the throbs of it, one by one, with as much true
devotion as if I had been watching the critical ebb or flow of her
fever. - How wouldst thou have laugh'd and moralized upon my new
profession! - and thou shouldst have laugh'd and moralized on. -
Trust me, my dear Eugenius, I should have said, "There are worse
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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 Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: most intimate friends, the officer of the post gave orders to let Felton
pass, who, besides, wore the uniform of a naval officer.
Felton darted into the palace.
At the moment he entered the vestibule, another man was entering
likewise, dusty, out of breath, leaving at the gate a post horse, which,
on reaching the palace, tumbled on his foreknees.
Felton and he addressed Patrick, the duke's confidential lackey, at the
same moment. Felton named Lord de Winter; the unknown would not name
anybody, and pretended that it was to the duke alone he would make
himself known. Each was anxious to gain admission before the other.
Patrick, who knew Lord de Winter was in affairs of the service, and in
The Three Musketeers |
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 Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: Beyond the turnpike was a long piece of road, upon which fresh stones
had just been laid -- large sharp stones, over which no horse could be
driven quickly without risk of danger. Over this road, with one shoe gone,
I was forced to gallop at my utmost speed, my rider meanwhile cutting into me
with his whip, and with wild curses urging me to go still faster.
Of course my shoeless foot suffered dreadfully; the hoof was broken and split
down to the very quick, and the inside was terribly cut by the sharpness
of the stones.
This could not go on; no horse could keep his footing
under such circumstances; the pain was too great. I stumbled,
and fell with violence on both my knees. Smith was flung off by my fall,
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