| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: room.
"Look!" she screamed, and pointing in horror toward the dreadful
creature now dragging itself across the threshold, she sank
fainting into Aggie's outstretched arms.
CHAPTER XXX
Having dragged the limp form of her friend to the near-by couch,
Aggie was bending over her to apply the necessary restoratives,
when Alfred returned in triumph. He was followed by the officer
in whose arms were three infants, and behind whom was the irate
O'Flarety, the hysterical Italian woman, and last of all, Maggie.
"Bring them all in here, officer," called Alfred over his
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Crito by Plato: not wrong those whom I ought least to wrong? Do I not desert the
principles which were acknowledged by us to be just--what do you say?
CRITO: I cannot tell, Socrates, for I do not know.
SOCRATES: Then consider the matter in this way:--Imagine that I am about
to play truant (you may call the proceeding by any name which you like),
and the laws and the government come and interrogate me: 'Tell us,
Socrates,' they say; 'what are you about? are you not going by an act of
yours to overturn us--the laws, and the whole state, as far as in you lies?
Do you imagine that a state can subsist and not be overthrown, in which the
decisions of law have no power, but are set aside and trampled upon by
individuals?' What will be our answer, Crito, to these and the like words?
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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 Twice Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: "But let the poor devil go," thought the pedlar. "I don't want
his black blood on my head; and hanging the nigger wouldn't
unhang Mr. Higginbotham. Unhang the old gentleman; It's a sin, I
know; but I should hate to have him come to life a second time,
and give me the lie!"
With these meditations, Dominicus Pike drove into the street of
Parker's Falls, which, as everybody knows, is as thriving a
village as three cotton factories and a slitting mill can make
it. The machinery was not in motion, and but a few of the shop
doors unbarred, when he alighted in the stable yard of the
tavern, and made it his first business to order the mare four
Twice Told Tales |
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 Dreams by Olive Schreiner: God said, "No; we are coming to where the people are."
And as we went on it grew brighter and brighter till it was burning day;
and on the rock were flowers blooming, and trees blossomed at the roadside;
and streams of water ran everywhere, and I heard the birds singing; I asked
God where they were.
God said, "It is the people calling to one another."
And when we came nearer I saw them walking, and they shone as they walked.
I asked God how it was they wore no covering.
God said, "Because all their body gives the light; they dare not cover any
part."
And I asked God what they were doing.
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