| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: 'Old man, thou hast no lack of skill in tending a garden;
lo, thou carest well for all, {*} nor is there aught
whatsoever, either plant or fig-tree, or vine, yea, or
olive, or pear, or garden-bed in all the close, that is not
well seen to. Yet another thing will I tell thee and lay
not up wrath thereat in thy heart. Thyself art scarce so
well cared for, but a pitiful old age is on thee, and
withal thou art withered and unkempt, and clad unseemly. It
cannot be to punish thy sloth that thy master cares not for
thee; there shows nothing of the slave about thy face and
stature, for thou art like a kingly man, even like one who
The Odyssey |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare: 'Twixt the turtle and his queen;
But in them it were a wonder.
So between them love did shine,
That the turtle saw his right
Flaming in the phoenix' sight:
Either was the other's mine.
Property was thus appall'd,
That the self was not the same;
Single nature's double name
Neither two nor one was call'd.
Reason, in itself confounded,
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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 Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: "You blasted--ugh--"
Kent merely threw back his weight, shutting off the other's wind.
"Bloomin'--Bur--ugh--"
"Where is it?" Kent repeated.
"Wot?" Cardegee asked, as soon as he had caught his breath.
"The gold-dust."
"Wot gold-dust?" the perplexed sailor demanded.
"You know well enough,--mine."
"Ain't seen nothink of it. Wot do ye take me for? A safe-
deposit? Wot 'ave I got to do with it, any'ow?"
"Mebbe you know, and mebbe you don't know, but anyway, I'm going
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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 A Second Home by Honore de Balzac: to hear the reply.
"Alas!" sobbed the woman, "the wretch has left me nothing that I can
bequeath. When he robbed me of my dear Caroline, he parted us, and
only allowed me three thousand francs a year, of which the capital
belongs to my daughter."
"Madame has a daughter, and nothing to live on but an annuity,"
shrieked Francoise, bursting into the drawing-room.
The three old crones looked at each other in dismay. One of them,
whose nose and chin nearly met with an expression that betrayed a
superior type of hypocrisy and cunning, winked her eyes; and as soon
as Francoise's back was turned, she gave her friends a nod, as much as
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