| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Woman and Labour by Olive Schreiner: us, that when Augustus Caesar demanded hostages from a tribe, he took
women, not men, because he found by experience that the women were more
regarded than men, and of whom Strabo says, that so highly did the Germanic
races value the intellect of their women that they regarded them as
inspired, and entered into no war or great undertaking without their advice
and counsel; while among the Cimbrian women who accompanied their husbands
in the invasion of Italy were certain who marched barefooted in the midst
of the lines, distinguished by their white hair and milk-white robes, and
who were regarded as inspired, and of whom Florus, describing an early
Roman victory, says, "The conflict was not less fierce and obstinate with
the wives of the vanquished; in their carts and wagons they formed a line
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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 Purse by Honore de Balzac: of the Baron.
"But come in," said Adelaide, who had no doubt heard him come
down from the studio.
The painter followed, bashful and out of countenance, not knowing
what to say, happiness had so dulled his wit. To see Adelaide, to
hear the rustle of her skirt, after longing for a whole morning
to be near her, after starting up a hundred time--"I will go down
now"--and not to have gone; this was to him life so rich that
such sensations, too greatly prolonged, would have worn out his
spirit. The heart has the singular power of giving extraordinary
value to mere nothings. What joy it is to a traveler to treasure
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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 Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain: and they yelling and jeering at him, and roaring and laughing so you
could hear them a mile.
'Boys, we'll split a watermelon on that,' says the Child of Calamity;
and he come rummaging around in the dark amongst the shingle bundles
where I was, and put his hand on me. I was warm and soft and naked;
so he says 'Ouch!' and jumped back.
'Fetch a lantern or a chunk of fire here, boys--there's a snake
here as big as a cow!'
So they run there with a lantern and crowded up and looked in on me.
'Come out of that, you beggar!' says one.
'Who are you?' says another.
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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 Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum: hairy hand.
Until now Ervic could see over the bent form of the
ape, but suddenly the form, with its back to him,
seemed to straighten up and blot out the cupboard of
drawers. The ape had changed to the form of a woman,
dressed in the pretty Gillikin costume, and when she
turned around he saw that it was a young woman, whose
face was quite attractive.
"Do you like me better this way?" Reera inquired with
a smile.
"You look better," he said calmly, "but I'm not sure
Glinda of Oz |
