| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Facino Cane by Honore de Balzac: wedding was like you must know that I paid my charwoman, poor
creature, four francs a month; for which sum she came every morning to
make my bed, clean my shoes, brush my clothes, sweep the room, and
make ready my breakfast, before going to her day's work of turning the
handle of a machine, at which hard drudgery she earned five-pence. Her
husband, a cabinetmaker, made four francs a day at his trade; but as
they had three children, it was all that they could do to gain an
honest living. Yet I have never met with more sterling honesty than in
this man and wife. For five years after I left the quarter, Mere
Vaillant used to come on my birthday with a bunch of flowers and some
oranges for me--she that had never a sixpence to put by! Want had
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie: suddenly in some way."
"Well," said Mr. Carter, looking round him, "there's nothing more
to be done here. What about some lunch with me?"
"Thanks awfully, sir. But I think I'd better get back and rout
out Tuppence."
"Of course. Give her my kind regards and tell her not to believe
you're killed too readily next time."
Tommy grinned.
"I take a lot of killing, sir."
"So I perceive," said Mr. Carter dryly. "Well, good-bye.
Remember you're a marked man now, and take reasonable care of
Secret Adversary |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Bab:A Sub-Deb, Mary Roberts Rinehart by Mary Roberts Rinehart: gone, and me in the Country somewhere with Mademoiselle, and
walking through the pasture with a botany in one hand and a folding
Cup in the other, in case we found a spring a cow had not stepped
in. Mademoiselle was once my Governess, but has retired to private
life, except in cases of emergency.
I am naturaly very quick in mind. The Archibalds are all like that,
and when once we decide on a Course we stick to it through thick
and thin. But we do not lie. It is rediculous for Hannah to say I
said the cigarettes were mine. All I said was:
"I suppose you are going to tell the Familey. You'd better run, or
you'll burst."
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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 Hermione's Little Group of Serious Thinkers by Don Marquis: devoted an entire evening to it.
You see, there's a theory that after Evolution has
evolved just as far as it possibly can, everything
will go to smash, but then Evolution will start all
over again. And everything that has happened be-
fore will happen again.
Only the question is whether the people to whom
it is happening again will know whether they
are the same people to whom it has happened
before.
That's where the question of Persistence of
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