| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Rape of Lucrece by William Shakespeare: Poor Lucrece' cheeks unto her maid seem so
As winter meads when sun doth melt their snow.
Her mistress she doth give demure good-morrow,
With soft-slow tongue, true mark of modesty,
And sorts a sad look to her lady's sorrow,
(For why her face wore sorrow's livery,)
But durst not ask of her audaciously
Why her two suns were cloud-eclipsed so,
Nor why her fair cheeks over-wash'd with woe.
But as the earth doth weep, the sun being set,
Each flower moisten'd like a melting eye;
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Case of the Golden Bullet by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: although he had been taking a great interest in his affairs for the
last few days, had his own ideas on the subject, and he decided to
make the acquaintance of the Forest Councillor as soon as possible
- that is, after he had found out all there was to be found out
about his affairs and his habits.
Just a week after the murder, on Saturday evening therefore, the
snow was whirling merrily about the gables and cupolas of the
Archducal hunting castle. The weather-vanes groaned and the old
trees in the park bent their tall tops under the mad wind which
swept across the earth and tore the protecting snow covering from
their branches. It was a stormy evening, not one to be out in if
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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 Chance by Joseph Conrad: shadow, formless and silent, and empty, till a bullock turned up
from somewhere, quite shadowy too. He came smartly to the very edge
of the bank as though he meant to step on board, stretched his
muzzle right over my boat, blew heavily once, and walked off
contemptuously into the darkness from which he had come. I had not
expected a call from a bullock, though a moment's thought would have
shown me that there must be lots of cattle and sheep on that marsh.
Then everything became still as before. I might have imagined
myself arrived on a desert island. In fact, as I reclined smoking a
sense of absolute loneliness grew on me. And just as it had become
intense, very abruptly and without any preliminary sound I heard
Chance |
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 The White Moll by Frank L. Packard: had been forced to keep to the dark alleyways and lanes, and the
unfrequented streets!
And now, through a jeweler's window, she noted the time, and knew
a further sense of relief. It was even earlier than she had
imagined. It was not quite ten o'clock; she would, at least, be
close on the heels of Perlmer's departure from his office, if not
actually ahead of time, and therefore she would be first on the
scene, and - yes, this was the place; here was Perlmer's name
amongst those on the name-plate at the street entrance of a small
three-story building.
She entered the hallway, and found it deserted. It was a rather
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