| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: at the dawning of the idea that her tastes were not good
enough for her position, and would bring her into disgrace.
This made her very miserable, and she looked about for her
mother; but Mrs. Henchard, who had less idea of
conventionality than Elizabeth herself, had gone away,
leaving her daughter to return at her own pleasure. The
latter moved on into the dark dense old avenues, or rather
vaults of living woodwork, which ran along the town
boundary, and stood reflecting.
A man followed in a few minutes, and her face being to-wards
the shine from the tent he recognized her. It was Farfrae--
The Mayor of Casterbridge |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Hated Son by Honore de Balzac: to the two arched windows at the end of the room; but the smallness of
their panes and the multiplicity of the leaden lines did not allow her
to see the sky and judge if the world were coming to an end, as
certain monks, eager for donations, affirmed. She might easily have
believed in such predictions, for the noise of the angry sea, the
waves of which beat against the castle wall, combined with the mighty
voice of the tempest, so that even the rocks appeared to shake. Though
her sufferings were now becoming keener and less endurable, the
countess dared not awaken her husband; but she turned and examined his
features, as if despair were urging her to find a consolation there
against so many sinister forebodings.
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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 The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart: had happened before, her faith had killed her.
And again he wondered at the curious ability of some men to secure
loyalty. They might go through life, tearing down ideals and
destroying illusions to the last, but always there was some
faithful hand to rebuild, some faithful soul to worship.
He was somewhat daunted at the size and bustling activity of Norada.
Its streets were paved and well-lighted, there were a park and a
public library, and the clerk at the Commercial Hotel asked him if
he wished a private bath! But the development was helpful in one
way. In the old Norada a newcomer might have been subjected to a
friendly but inquisitive interest. In this grown-up and
The Breaking Point |
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 Monster Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs: At the sound of his approach the Dyak turned, and at
the sight of a pajama clad white man armed only with
a long whip they emitted savage cries of anticipation,
counting the handsome trophy upon the white one's
shoulders as already theirs. Number Thirteen would
have paid no attention whatever to them had they not
molested him, for he wished only to reach the girl's
side as quickly as possible; but in another moment he
found himself confronted by a half dozen dancing wild
men, brandishing wicked looking parangs, and crying
tauntingly.
The Monster Men |
