| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa: The bird rose into the air. He moved his outspread wings one,
two, three times and lo! the eagle tumbled from the great height
and fell heavily to the earth. An arrow stuck in his breast! He
was dead!
So quick was the hand of the avenger, so sure his sight, that
no one had seen the arrow fly from his long bent bow.
In awe and amazement the village was dumb. And when the
avenger, plucking a red eagle feather, placed it in his black hair,
a loud shout of the people went up to the sky. Then hither and
thither ran singing men and women making a great feast for the
avenger.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: point. It is done quite as much for the sake of benefiting their
friends as of annoying their enemies.
Further, the law enjoins upon all Lacedaemonians, during the whole
period of an expedition, the constant practice of gymnastic[8]
exercises, whereby their pride[9] in themselves is increased, and they
appear freer and of a more liberal aspect than the rest of the
world.[10] The walk and the running ground must not exceed in
length[11] the space covered by a regimental division,[12] so that no
one may find himself far from his own stand of arms. After the
gymnastic exercises the senior polemarch gives the order (by herald)
to be seated. This serves all the purposes of an inspection. After
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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 A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy: certainly.'
''Tis my misfortune to be always spoken to from a pedestal,'
sighed Elfride.
'Well, we will do as you like, Mrs. Swancourt,' said Knight, 'but----'
'I myself would rather remain on board,' interrupted the elder
lady. 'And Mr. Swancourt particularly wishes to go by himself.
So that shall settle the matter.'
The vicar, now a drab colour, was put ashore, and became as well
as ever forthwith.
Elfride, sitting alone in a retired part of the vessel, saw a
veiled woman walk aboard among the very latest arrivals at this
A Pair of Blue Eyes |
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 An International Episode by Henry James: the ponies, where, although he was not a particularly acute observer,
he saw much to entertain him--especially the ladies just mentioned,
who wandered up and down with the appearance of a kind of aimless
intentness, as if they were looking for something to buy, and who,
tripping in and out of their vehicles, displayed remarkably pretty feet.
It all seemed to Lord Lambeth very odd, and bright, and gay.
Of course, before they got back to the villa, he had had a great
deal of desultory conversation with Bessie Alden.
The young Englishmen spent the whole of that day and the whole
of many successive days in what the French call the intimite
of their new friends. They agreed that it was extremely jolly,
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