| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Lily of the Valley by Honore de Balzac: advantage of excessive enthusiasm. In the first place, Felix, you
will never have more than two or three friends in the course of
your life. Your entire confidence is their right; to give it to
many is to betray your real friends. If you are more intimate with
some men than with others keep guard over yourself; be as cautious
as though you knew they would one day be your rivals, or your
enemies; the chances and changes of life require this. Maintain an
attitude which is neither cold nor hot; find the medium point at
which a man can safely hold intercourse with others without
compromising himself. Yes, believe me, the honest man is as far
from the base cowardice of Philinte as he is from the harsh virtue
The Lily of the Valley |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: a little farm in the country, tempted her with an offer of
marriage, and her conscience (I suppose) would not let her refuse
it. Katy, though she was a woman, so far as the duties and
responsibilities of life were concerned, was still a child in her
feelings and affections, and cried bitterly when they parted. The
good woman was scarcely less affected, and made Katy and her
mother promise an early visit to her farm.
Katy's sorrow at parting with her beloved friend was not the
only, nor perhaps, the most important, result of Mrs. Colvin's
departure, for they were deprived of the assistance of the chief
candy-puller. Katy tried to secure another woman for this labor,
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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 Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: uncertain gesture he seemed to free his throat from the grip of
an invisible hand. His bloodshot eyes wandered aimlessly from
face to face.
"There!" he said at last. "Are you all there? He is a dangerous
man."
He dragged at the cover with hasty violence, and the body rolled
stiffly off the planks and fell at his feet in rigid
helplessness.
"Cold, perfectly cold," said Almayer, looking round with a
mirthless smile. "Sorry can do no better. And you can't hang
him, either. As you observe, gentlemen," he added gravely,
Almayer's Folly |
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 Captain Stormfield by Mark Twain: ways and the sober talk I was used to, that I tried to ring in with
the old people, but they wouldn't have it. They considered me a
conceited young upstart, and gave me the cold shoulder. Two weeks
was a-plenty for me. I was glad to get back my bald head again,
and my pipe, and my old drowsy reflections in the shade of a rock
or a tree."
"Well," says I, "do you mean to say you're going to stand still at
seventy-two, forever?"
"I don't know, and I ain't particular. But I ain't going to drop
back to twenty-five any more - I know that, mighty well. I know a
sight more than I did twenty-seven years ago, and I enjoy learning,
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