| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Love Songs by Sara Teasdale: A circle round it only they can cross
When they come back again!" . . . Look at the lake --
Do you remember how we watched the swans
That night in late October while they slept?
Swans must have stately dreams, I think. But now
The lake bears only thin reflected lights
That shake a little. How I long to take
One from the cold black water -- new-made gold
To give you in your hand! And see, and see,
There is a star, deep in the lake, a star!
Oh, dimmer than a pearl -- if you stoop down
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde: PARKER. Yes, my lady.
[Exit C.]
LADY WINDERMERE. It's best for me to see him before to-night. I'm
glad he's come.
[Enter PARKER C.]
PARKER. Lord Darlington,
[Enter LORD DARLINGTON C.]
[Exit PARKER.]
LORD DARLINGTON. How do you do, Lady Windermere?
LADY WINDERMERE. How do you do, Lord Darlington? No, I can't
shake hands with you. My hands are all wet with these roses.
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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 Historical Lecturers and Essays by Charles Kingsley: left behind, at least, traces of their learning; for the university
of Montpellier claimed to have been founded by Moors at a date of
altogether abysmal antiquity. They looked upon the Arabian
physicians of the Middle Age, on Avicenna and Averrhoes, as modern
innovators, and derived their parentage from certain mythic doctors
of Cordova, who, when the Moors were expelled from Spain in the
eighth century, fled to Montpellier, bringing with them traditions
of that primaeval science which had been revealed to Adam while
still in Paradise; and founded Montpellier, the mother of all the
universities in Europe. Nay, some went farther still, and told of
Bengessaus and Ferragius, the physicians of Charlemagne, and of
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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 Maitre Cornelius by Honore de Balzac: certain gesture by which they all expressed the same thought,--a
caustic, jeering thought, a silent slander. Two old women shook their
heads, and gave each other a glance that seemed to dive into futurity.
The chair into which the young man had slipped was close to a chapel
placed between two columns and closed by an iron railing. It was
customary for the chapter to lease at a handsome price to seignorial
families, and even to rich burghers, the right to be present at the
services, themselves and their servants exclusively, in the various
lateral chapels of the long side-aisles of the cathedral. This simony
is in practice to the present day. A woman had her chapel as she now
has her opera-box. The families who hired these privileged places were
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