| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Elizabeth and her German Garden by Marie Annette Beauchamp: Indeed, in its practical utility the only thing I ever saw to equal it
is a sofa my neighbour has bought as a Christmas surprise for her husband,
and which she showed me the last time I called there--a beautiful invention,
as she explained, combining a bedstead, a sofa, and a chest of drawers,
and into which you put your clothes, and on top of which you put yourself,
and if anybody calls in the middle of the night and you happen to be
using the drawing-room as a bedroom, you just pop the bedclothes inside,
and there you are discovered sitting on your sofa and looking for all
the world as though you had been expecting visitors for hours.
"Pray, does he wear pyjamas?" I inquired.
But she had never heard of pyjamas.
Elizabeth and her German Garden |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy: They ascended a steep staircase and entered a little room with
one window, a writing-table, and a few chairs in it. The
inspector sat down.
"Mine are heavy, heavy duties," he remarked, again addressing
Nekhludoff, and took out a cigarette.
"You are tired, evidently," said Nekhludoff.
Tired of the whole of the service--the duties are very trying.
One tries to lighten their lot and only makes it worse; my only
thought is how to get away. Heavy, heavy duties!"
Nekhludoff did not know what the inspector's particular
difficulties were, but he saw that to-day he was in a peculiarly
Resurrection |
| 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: "got her away from that man."
"You don't know what you are saying, papa."
She would try not to show her weariness, the nervous strain of these
two men's antagonism around her person which was the cause of her
languid attitudes. For as a matter of fact the sea agreed with her.
As likely as not Anthony would be walking on the other side of the
deck. The strain was making him restless. He couldn't sit still
anywhere. He had tried shutting himself up in his cabin; but that
was no good. He would jump up to rush on deck and tramp, tramp up
and down that poop till he felt ready to drop, without being able to
wear down the agitation of his soul, generous indeed, but weighted
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 Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: inquiringly toward his companions. Neither had moved. Miss
Lombard stood with her hand on the cord, her lids lowered, her
mouth drooping; the doctor, his strange Thoth-like profile turned
toward his guest, was still lost in rapt contemplation of his
treasure.
Wyant addressed the young girl.
"You are fortunate," he said, "to be the possessor of anything so
perfect."
"It is considered very beautiful," she said coldly.
"Beautiful--BEAUTIFUL!" the doctor burst out. "Ah, the poor,
worn out, over-worked word! There are no adjectives in the
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