| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mansion by Henry van Dyke: Only those plans in which the welfare of others is the master
thought.
Only those labors in which the sacrifice is greater than the
reward.
Only those gifts in which the giver forgets himself."
The man lay silent. A great weakness, an unspeakable despondency
and
humiliation were upon him. But the face of the Keeper of the
Gate was
infinitely tender as he bent over him.
"Think again, John Weightman. Has there been nothing like that
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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 Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells: owner of the chins. 'You're going to wipe your boots on 'im?"
said the fair young man, in a tone of mild surprise.
"I am," said Mr. Hoopdriver, with emphatic resolution, and glared
in the young man's face.
"That's fair and reasonable," said the man in the velveteen
jacket; "if you can."
The interest of the meeting seemed transferred to the young man
in the white tic. "Of course, if you can't find out which it is,
I suppose you're prepared to wipe your boots in a liberal way on
everybody in the room," said this young man, in the same tone of
impersonal question. "This gentleman, the champion lightweight--"
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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 Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: hissed upon the crackling pile.
Therefore a sadness hung upon her all her life, and deepened in the
days of Queen Mary, when, as a notorious Protestant and heretic,
she had had to hide for her life among the hills and caverns of the
Peak, and was only saved, by the love which her husband's tenants
bore her, and by his bold declaration that, good Catholic as he
was, he would run through the body any constable, justice, or
priest, yea, bishop or cardinal, who dared to serve the queen's
warrant upon his wife.
So she escaped: but, as I said, a sadness hung upon her all her
life; and the skirt of that dark mantle fell upon the young girl
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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 Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy: It glided noiselessly towards the recumbent woman.
She became conscious of something touching her
hand; it was softness and it was warmth. She
opened her eye's, and the substance touched her face.
A dog was licking her cheek.
He was huge, heavy, and quiet creature, standing
darkly against the low horizon, and at least two feet
higher than the present position of her eyes. Whether
Newfoundland, mastiff, bloodhound, or what not, it was
impossible to say. He seemed to be of too strange and
mysterious a nature to belong to any variety among those
Far From the Madding Crowd |
