| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Menexenus by Plato: ordered our lives, and instructed us in the arts for the supply of our
daily needs, and taught us the acquisition and use of arms for the defence
of the country.
Thus born into the world and thus educated, the ancestors of the departed
lived and made themselves a government, which I ought briefly to
commemorate. For government is the nurture of man, and the government of
good men is good, and of bad men bad. And I must show that our ancestors
were trained under a good government, and for this reason they were good,
and our contemporaries are also good, among whom our departed friends are
to be reckoned. Then as now, and indeed always, from that time to this,
speaking generally, our government was an aristocracy--a form of government
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey: magnificent stride and hear the rapid thunder of his hoofs, to
ride him in that race and not glory in the ride.
So, with his passion to kill still keen and unabated, Venters
lived out that ride, and drank a rider's sage-sweet cup of
wildness to the dregs.
When Wrangle's long mane, lashing in the wind, stung Venters in
the cheek, the sting added a beat to his flying pulse. He bent a
downward glance to try to see Wrangle's actual stride, and saw
only twinkling, darting streaks and the white rush of the trail.
He watched the sorrel's savage head, pointed level, his mouth
still closed and dry, but his nostrils distended as if he were
Riders of the Purple Sage |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Collection of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter: patter, pitter-patter, and
some bits of mortar fell from
the wall above.
The cat looked up and saw
old Mr. Benjamin Bunny
prancing along the top of the
wall of the upper terrace.
He was smoking a pipe of
rabbit-tobacco, and had a little
switch in his hand.
He was looking for his son.
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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 Research Magnificent by H. G. Wells: What was this new-fangled aristocratic man, he asked, but the ideal
of Confucius, the superior person, "the son of the King"? There you
had the very essence of Benham, the idea of self -examination, self-
preparation under a vague Theocracy. ("Vaguer," said Benham, "for
the Confucian Heaven could punish and reward.") Even the elaborate
sham modesty of the two dreams was the same. Benham interrupted and
protested with heat. And this Confucian idea of the son of the
King, Prothero insisted, had been the cause of China's paralysis.
"My idea of nobility is not traditional but expectant," said Benham.
"After all, Confucianism has held together a great pacific state far
longer than any other polity has ever lasted. I'll accept your
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