| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from God The Invisible King by H. G. Wells: you truly repent and set yourself to such atonement and reparation
as is possible there remains no barrier between you and God.
Directly you cease to hide or deny or escape, and turn manfully
towards the consequences and the setting of things right, you take
hold again of the hand of God. Though you sin seventy times seven
times, God will still forgive the poor rest of you. Nothing but
utter blindness of the spirit can shut a man off from God.
There is nothing one can suffer, no situation so unfortunate, that
it can shut off one who has the thought of God, from God. If you
but lift up your head for a moment out of a stormy chaos of madness
and cry to him, God is there, God will not fail you. A convicted
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: consilii aut dignitatis fuit eo convenerant, tum navium quod ubique fuerat
in unum locum coegerant; quibus amissis reliqui neque quo se reciperent
neque quem ad modum oppida defenderent habebant. Itaque se suaque omnia
Caesari dediderunt. In quos eo gravius Caesar vindicandum statuit quo
diligentius in reliquum tempus a barbaris ius legatorum conservaretur.
Itaque omni senatu necato reliquos sub corona vendidit.
Dum haec in Venetis geruntur, Q. Titurius Sabinus cum iis copiis quas
a Caesare acceperat in fines Venellorum pervenit. His praeerat Viridovix
ac summam imperii tenebat earum omnium civitatum quae defecerant, ex
quibus exercitum [magnasque scopias] coegerat; atque his paucis diebus
Aulerci Eburovices Lexoviique, senatu suo interfecto quod auctores belli
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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 Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne: than recognises them. You must have a scent for them,
and a scent is like a sixth sense which combines hearing,
seeing, and smelling. I've arrested more than one of these gentlemen
in my time, and, if my thief is on board, I'll answer for it;
he'll not slip through my fingers."
"I hope so, Mr. Fix, for it was a heavy robbery."
"A magnificent robbery, consul; fifty-five thousand pounds!
We don't often have such windfalls. Burglars are getting to be so
contemptible nowadays! A fellow gets hung for a handful of shillings!"
"Mr. Fix," said the consul, "I like your way of talking, and hope
you'll succeed; but I fear you will find it far from easy.
 Around the World in 80 Days |
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 A Simple Soul by Gustave Flaubert: requirements, that Madame Aubain finally said:
"Very well, I will give you a trial."
And half an hour later Felicite was installed in her house.
At first she lived in a constant anxiety that was caused by "the style
of the household" and the memory of "Monsieur," that hovered over
everything. Paul and Virginia, the one aged seven, and the other
barely four, seemed made of some precious material; she carried them
pig-a-back, and was greatly mortified when Madame Aubain forbade her
to kiss them every other minute.
But in spite of all this, she was happy. The comfort of her new
surroundings had obliterated her sadness.
 A Simple Soul |