| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Battle of the Books by Jonathan Swift: In a new world with caution stepped,
Watched all the company she kept,
Well knowing from the books she read
What dangerous paths young virgins tread;
Would seldom at the park appear,
Nor saw the play-house twice a year;
Yet not incurious, was inclined
To know the converse of mankind.
First issued from perfumers' shops
A crowd of fashionable fops;
They liked her how she liked the play?
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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 Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving: Such was the formidable rival with whom Ichabod Crane had to
contend, and, considering, all things, a stouter man than he
would have shrunk from the competition, and a wiser man would
have despaired. He had, however, a happy mixture of pliability
and perseverance in his nature; he was in form and spirit like a
supple-jackÄyielding, but tough; though he bent, he never broke;
and though he bowed beneath the slightest pressure, yet, the
moment it was away--jerk!--he was as erect, and carried his
head as high as ever.
To have taken the field openly against his rival would have
been madness; for he was not a man to be thwarted in his amours,
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: stick of candy. She would like to do so very much indeed; but it
was certain she could not afford to pursue such a liberal policy.
It was a hard question, and, hoping she should not meet any of
her schoolmates, she determined to refer it to her mother for
settlement.
When she got into Washington Street, she felt that the time for
action had come. Now was the time to sell candy; and yet she did
not feel like asking folks to buy her wares. The night before, as
she lay thinking about her business, it had all seemed very easy
to her; but now it was quite a different thing. No one seemed to
take any notice of her, or to feel the least interest in the
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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 Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: and contemplative organization, and he had brought him this
gentleman, for whom he believed himself to be engaged, had won
Planchet--that was the name of the Picard. He felt a slight
disappointment, however, when he saw that this place was already
taken by a compeer named Mousqueton, and when Porthos signified
to him that the state of his household, though great, would not
support two servants, and that he must enter into the service of
D'Artagnan. Nevertheless, when he waited at the dinner given my
his master, and saw him take out a handful of gold to pay for it,
he believed his fortune made, and returned thanks to heaven for
having thrown him into the service of such a Croesus. He
The Three Musketeers |
