| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso: Nor thinks he that a man to wars inured
Will aught forslow, or in his journey stay,
For well he knew him for a dangerous foe:
An herald called he then, and spake him so:
LXVIII
"A pinnace take thee swift as shaft from bow,
And speed thee, Henry, to the Greekish main,
There should arrive, as I by letters know
From one that never aught reports in vain,
A valiant youth in whom all virtues flow,
To help us this great conquest to obtain,
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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 Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: into some of the rooms. Let's go to Coney Island, old sport. In my car."
"It's too late."
"Well, suppose we take a plunge in the swimming-pool? I haven't made use
of it all summer."
"I've got to go to bed."
"All right."
He waited, looking at me with suppressed eagerness.
"I talked with Miss Baker," I said after a moment. "I'm going to call up
Daisy to-morrow and invite her over here to tea."
"Oh, that's all right," he said carelessly. "I don't want to put you to
any trouble."
The Great Gatsby |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Case of the Golden Bullet by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: the "here" showed him that even the head of the department had been
incensed at his suggestion that the beautiful Mrs. Kniepp had died
of her own free will. It had been his assertion of this which,
coming to the ears of the bereaved husband, had enraged and
embittered him, and had turned the power of his influence with the
high authorities against the detective. Muller knew how greatly he
had fallen from favour in the Police Department, and the words of
his respected superior showed him that he was still in disgrace.
But the strange, quiet smile was still on his lips as, with his
usual humble deference, he accompanied the others to the sidewalk.
Before the commissioners left the house, the Chief commanded Johann
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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 Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: of understanding, how didst thou, who hast had such dread of the
herald of thy peer and brother (against whom thy conscience doth
not accuse thee of having committed any trespass) blame me for my
humility in greeting the heralds of my God, when they warned me,
in gentler tones than those of the trumpet, of my death and
fearful meeting with that Master against whom I know that I have
often grievously offended? Lo! then, it was in reproof of thy
folly that I played thee this turn, even as I will shortly
convict of vanity those that prompted thy reproof.' Thus he
comforted his brother and sent him home with a gift.
"Then he ordered four wooden caskets to be made. Two of these he
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