| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Camille by Alexandre Dumas: "And then you will be nice to me till the very moment you go?"
"Yes; and I will come back as soon as I can."
"You will come back?" she said, looking at me with haggard eyes.
"Naturally."
"Oh, yes, you will come back to-night. I shall wait for you, as I
always do, and you will love me, and we shall be happy, as we
have been ever since we have known each other."
All these words were said in such a strained voice, they seemed
to hide so persistent and so sorrowful a thought, that I trembled
every moment lest Marguerite should become delirious.
"Listen," I said. "You are ill. I can not leave you like this. I
Camille |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum: He laughed at that, and his laugh was merry and frank. Jumping out of
the buggy he put Dorothy's suit-case under the seat and her bird-cage
on the floor in front.
"Canary-birds?" he asked.
"Oh no; it's just Eureka, my kitten. I thought that was the best way
to carry her."
The boy nodded.
"Eureka's a funny name for a cat," he remarked.
"I named my kitten that because I found it," she explained. "Uncle
Henry says 'Eureka' means 'I have found it.'"
"All right; hop in."
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: to so many brave men.
If there is anything terrible, if there exists a reality which
surpasses dreams, it is this: to live, to see the sun; to be in full
possession of virile force; to possess health and joy; to laugh valiantly;
to rush towards a glory which one sees dazzling in front of one;
to feel in one's breast lungs which breathe, a heart which beats,
a will which reasons; to speak, think, hope, love; to have a mother,
to have a wife, to have children; to have the light--and all at once,
in the space of a shout, in less than a minute, to sink into an abyss;
to fall, to roll, to crush, to be crushed; to see ears of wheat,
flowers, leaves, branches; not to be able to catch hold of anything;
Les Miserables |
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 Human Drift by Jack London: FITZSIMMONS. I should say not. You were past remembering
anything by that time. You had your arms around my neck -
MAUD. [Interrupting.] Oh!
FITZSIMMONS. And you kept repeating over and over, "Bob, dear
Bob."
MAUD. [Springing to her feet.] Oh! I never did! [Recollecting
herself.] Perhaps I must have. I was a trifle wild in those
days, I admit. But I'm wise now. I've sowed my wild oats and
steadied down.
FITZSIMMONS. I'm glad to hear that, Harry. You were tearing off
a pretty fast pace in those days. [Pause, in which MAUD nods.]
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