| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: -she only smiled at him. The evening had thickened now; the
scattered lamps were red; the Park, all before them, was full of
obscure and ambiguous life; there were other couples on other
benches whom it was impossible not to see, yet at whom it was
impossible to look. "But I've walked so much out of my way with
you only just to show you that--that"--with this she paused; it was
not after all so easy to express--"that anything you may have
thought is perfectly true."
"Oh I've thought a tremendous lot!" her companion laughed. "Do you
mind my smoking?"
"Why should I? You always smoke THERE."
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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 Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: determined to marry me."
"I am determined to try and be on good terms with everybody,
at all events," said Monte Cristo. "But apropos of Debray,
how is it that I have not seen him lately at the baron's
house?"
"There has been a misunderstanding."
"What, with the baroness?"
"No, with the baron."
"Has he perceived anything?"
"Ah, that is a good joke!"
"Do you think he suspects?" said Monte Cristo with charming
The Count of Monte Cristo |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Paz by Honore de Balzac: melancholy, inspired a violent passion in the Comte de La Palferine,
one of the most daring and presumptuous lions of the day. La Palferine
was well aware that the conquest of a woman so guarded by reserve as
the Comtesse Laginska was difficult, but he thought he could inveigle
this charming creature into committing herself if he took her
unawares, by the assistance of a certain friend of her own, a woman
already jealous of her.
Quite incapable, in spite of her intelligence, of suspecting such
treachery, the Comtesse Laginska committed the imprudence of going
with her so-called friend to a masked ball at the Opera. About three
in the morning, led away by the excitement of the scene, Clementine,
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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 Lamentable Tragedy of Locrine and Mucedorus by William Shakespeare: Brings forth more fruit than this accursed grove.
Ne'er came sweet Ceres, ne'er came Venus here;
Triptolemus, the god of husbandmen,
Ne'er sowed his seed in this foul wilderness.
The hunger-bitten dogs of Acheron,
Chased from the ninefold Puriflegiton,
Have set their footsteps in this damned ground.
The iron hearted Furies, armed with snakes,
Scattered huge Hydras over all the plains,
Which have consumed the grass, the herbs, the trees;
Which have drunk up the flowing water springs.
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