| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: put an end to chagrin, and allow it to wear them out instead. Life is
a craft, a profession; every man must take the trouble to learn that
business. When he has learned what life is by dint of painful
experiences, the fibre of him is toughened, and acquires a certain
elasticity, so that he has his sensibilities under his own control; he
disciplines himself till his nerves are like steel springs, which
always bend, but never break; given a sound digestion, and a man in
such training ought to live as long as the cedars of Lebanon, and
famous trees they are.'
" 'Then is the Count actually dying?' I asked.
" 'That is possible,' said Gobseck; 'the winding up of his estate will
Gobseck |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lin McLean by Owen Wister: honest in his dealings, the good-will that man's courage and dashing
appearance beget in men would have brought him more employment than he
could have undertaken. He told Jessamine his way of breaking a horse that
few would dare, and she listened eagerly. "Do you remember when I used to
hold the pony for you to get on?" she said. "You always would scare me,
Nate!" And he replied, fluently, Yes, yes; did she see that horse there,
near the fence? He was a four-year-old, an outlaw, and she would find no
one had tried getting on his back since he had been absent. This was the
first question he asked on reaching the cabin, where various neighbors
were waiting the mail-rider; and, finding he was right, he turned in
pride to Jessamine
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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 My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: wife."
"If," replied Sir Philip Forester, "you suppose Major Falconer
simple enough to intrude his advice upon me, Lady Bothwell, in my
domestic matters, you are indeed warranted in believing that I
might possibly be so far displeased with the interference as to
request him to reserve his advice till it was asked."
"And being on these terms, you are going to join the very army in
which my brother Falconer is now serving?"
"No man knows the path of honour better than Major Falconer,"
said Sir Philip. "An aspirant after fame, like me, cannot choose
a better guide than his footsteps."
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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 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: what the commotion was: but as he SAW nothing, he returned and
sighed.
"Give me the water, Mary," he said.
I approached him with the now only half-filled glass; Pilot followed
me, still excited.
"What is the matter?" he inquired.
"Down, Pilot!" I again said. He checked the water on its way to his
lips, and seemed to listen: he drank, and put the glass down.
"This is you, Mary, is it not?"
"Mary is in the kitchen," I answered.
He put out his hand with a quick gesture, but not seeing where I
Jane Eyre |
