| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa: slightly skyward.
"Oh, set me free! I am glued to the tree like its own bark!
Cut me loose!" moaned the prisoner.
A young woman, carrying on her strong back a bundle of tightly
bound willow sticks, passed near by the lonely teepee. She heard
the wailing man's voice. She paused to listen to the sad words.
Looking around she saw nowhere a human creature. "It may be a
spirit," thought she.
"Oh! cut me loose! set me free! Iktomi has played me false!
He has made me bark of his tree!" cried the voice again.
The young woman dropped her pack of firewood to the ground.
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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 Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson: recover from their first surprise, one fellow beginning to
dismount. A second arrow from somewhat farther off glanced in a
wide arch; a second rider bit the dust. The man who was
dismounting lost hold upon the rein, and his horse fled galloping,
and dragged him by the foot along the road, bumping from stone to
stone, and battered by the fleeing hoofs. The four who still kept
the saddle instantly broke and scattered; one wheeled and rode,
shrieking, towards the ferry; the other three, with loose rein and
flying raiment, came galloping up the road from Tunstall. From
every clump they passed an arrow sped. Soon a horse fell, but the
rider found his feet and continued to pursue his comrades till a
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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 From London to Land's End by Daniel Defoe: not a finer in any private hand in Europe, and in no hand at all in
Britain, private or public.
The gardens are on the south of the house, and extend themselves
beyond the river, a branch of which runs through one part of them,
and still south of the gardens in the great park, which, extending
beyond the vale, mounts the hill opening at the last to the great
down, which is properly called, by way of distinction, Salisbury
Plain, and leads from the city of Salisbury to Shaftesbury. Here
also his lordship has a hare-warren, as it is called, though
improperly. It has, indeed, been a sanctuary for the hares for
many years; but the gentlemen complain that it mars their game, for
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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 Economist by Xenophon: other instances of like large-mindedness on her part: shown in the
readiness with which she listened to my words and carried out my
wishes.
What sort of thing? (I answered). Do, pray, tell me, since I would far
more gladly learn about a living woman's virtues than that Zeuxis[1]
should show me the portrait of the loveliest woman he has painted.
[1] See "Mem." I. iv. 3.
Whereupon Ischomachus proceeded to narrate as follows: I must tell
you, Socrates, I one day noticed she was much enamelled with white
lead,[2] no doubt to enhance the natural whitenes of her skin; she had
rouged herself with alkanet[3] profusely, doubtless to give more
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