| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Europeans by Henry James: "Oh, no," cried Clifford, energetically, "they don't say such things
as that to each other!"
"If they think them they had better say them," the Baroness rejoined.
"Then they can be contradicted. Please contradict that whenever you hear it,
and don't be afraid of coming to see me on account of the company I keep.
I have the honor of knowing more distinguished men, my poor child,
than you are likely to see in a life-time. I see very few women; but those
are women of rank. So, my dear young Puritan, you need n't be afraid.
I am not in the least one of those who think that the society of women who
have lost their place in the vrai monde is necessary to form a young man.
I have never taken that tone. I have kept my place myself, and I think we are
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: to me and they shone with tears.
"I wouldn't have you say anything--but what you're saying," she
said. "But it's nonsense, dear. You know it's nonsense as you
say it."
I tried to keep up the heroic note, but she would not listen to
it.
"It's no good," she cried almost petulantly. "This little world
has made us what we are. Don't you see--don't you see what
I am? I can make love. I can make love and be loved, prettily.
Dear, don't blame me. I have given you all I have. If I had
anything more--. I have gone through it all over and over
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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 House of Mirth by Edith Wharton: passion of her soul for his.
In its light everything else dwindled and fell away from her. She
understood now that she could not go forth and leave her old self
with him: that self must indeed live on in his presence, but it
must still continue to be hers.
Selden had retained her hand, and continued to scrutinize her
with a strange sense of foreboding. The external aspect of the
situation had vanished for him as completely as for her: he felt
it only as one of those rare moments which lift the veil from
their faces as they pass.
"Lily," he said in a low voice, "you mustn't speak in this way. I
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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 De Profundis by Oscar Wilde: all that I have said I am simply concerned with my own mental
attitude towards life as a whole; and I feel that not to be ashamed
of having been punished is one of the first points I must attain
to, for the sake of my own perfection, and because I am so
imperfect.
Then I must learn how to be happy. Once I knew it, or thought I
knew it, by instinct. It was always springtime once in my heart.
My temperament was akin to joy. I filled my life to the very brim
with pleasure, as one might fill a cup to the very brim with wine.
Now I am approaching life from a completely new standpoint, and
even to conceive happiness is often extremely difficult for me. I
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