| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: fear of my starving for some time to come."
Finally, Mme. Vauquer's magpie's eye had discovered and read
certain entries in the list of shareholders in the funds, and,
after a rough calculation, was disposed to credit Goriot (worthy
man) with something like ten thousand francs a year. From that
day forward Mme. Vauquer (nee de Conflans), who, as a matter of
fact, had seen forty-eight summers, though she would only own to
thirty-nine of them--Mme. Vauquer had her own ideas. Though
Goriot's eyes seemed to have shrunk in their sockets, though they
were weak and watery, owing to some glandular affection which
compelled him to wipe them continually, she considered him to be
Father Goriot |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Desert Gold by Zane Grey: "It didn't take long for every cavalryman in that camp to get wind
of what was comin' off. Shore they musta been wild. They strung
out after Nell in a thunderin' troop.
"Say, I wish you fellers could see the lane that bunch of hosses
left in the greasewood an' cactus. Looks like there'd been a
cattle stampede on the desert....Blanco Sol stayed out in front,
you can gamble on that. Right into Rojas's camp! Sabe, you
senors? Gawd Almighty! I never had grief that 'd hold a candle
to this one of bein' too late to see Nell an' Sol in their one best
race.
"Rojas an' his men vamoosed without a shot. That ain't surprisin'.
Desert Gold |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft: in our path, it was a dreadful warning to turn aside; and the head
ached as if assailed by the scalping knife. The Indians who hovered
on the skirts of the European settlements had only learned of their
neighbours to plunder, and they stole their guns from them to
do it with more safety.
"From the woods and back settlements, I returned to the towns,
and learned to eat and drink most valiantly; but without entering
into commerce (and I detested commerce) I found I could not live
there; and, growing heartily weary of the land of liberty and vulgar
aristocracy, seated on her bags of dollars, I resolved once more
to visit Europe. I wrote to a distant relation in England, with
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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 The Europeans by Henry James: "At any rate," he said, "take good care of that paper."
A couple of days afterward he asked her to come and see his house.
The visit had already been proposed, but it had been put off in
consequence of his mother's illness. She was a constant invalid,
and she had passed these recent years, very patiently, in a great
flowered arm-chair at her bedroom window. Lately, for some days,
she had been unable to see any one; but now she was better,
and she sent the Baroness a very civil message. Acton had wished
their visitor to come to dinner; but Madame M; auunster preferred
to begin with a simple call. She had reflected that if she should
go to dinner Mr. Wentworth and his daughters would also be asked,
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