| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy: 'He will take us right. Let me have the reins.'
Vasili Andreevich gave him the reins, the more willingly
because his hands were beginning to feel frozen in his thick
gloves.
Nikita took the reins, but only held them, trying not to shake
them and rejoicing at his favourite's sagacity. And indeed the
clever horse, turning first one ear and then the other now to
one side and then to the other, began to wheel round.
'The one thing he can't do is to talk,' Nikita kept saying.
'See what he is doing! Go on, go on! You know best. That's
it, that's it!'
Master and Man |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: to him.' -- `Oh, father,' I exclaimed, `you are very good.'
"`But you must swear solemnly that I shall never have reason
to repent my recommendation.' I extended my hand, and was
about to pledge myself by any promise he would dictate, but
he stopped me. `It is unnecessary for you to bind yourself
by any vow,' said he; `I know and admire the Corsican nature
too well to fear you. Here, take this,' continued he, after
rapidly writing the few lines I brought to your excellency,
and upon receipt of which you deigned to receive me into
your service, and proudly I ask whether your excellency has
ever had cause to repent having done so?"
The Count of Monte Cristo |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin by Robert Louis Stevenson: France standing on the top of golden hours
And human nature seeming born again.
At once, by temper and belief, they were formed to find their
element in such a decent and whiggish convulsion, spectacular in
its course, moderate in its purpose. For them,
Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive,
But to be young was very heaven.
And I cannot but smile when I think that (again like Wordsworth)
they should have so specially disliked the consequence.
It came upon them by surprise. Liberal friends of the precise
right shade of colour had assured them, in Mrs. Turner's drawing-
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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 Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: that have denied the only true God and not known their Maker and
Creator, but have worshipped foul devils, and rendered homage to
dumb idols, and loved the pleasures of this vain world, and, like
swine, wallowed in the mire of sinful lusts, and made their lives
a headquarters for all wickedness, shall stand naked and laid
bare, downright ashamed and downcast, pitiable in appearance and
in fact, set forth for a reproach to all creation. All their
life in word, deed and thought shall come before their faces.
Then, after this bitter disgrace and unbearable reproach, shall
they be sentenced to the unquenchable and light-less fire of
Gehenna, unto the outer darkness, the gnashing of teeth and the
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