| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Pericles by William Shakespeare: Presumes to reach, all thy whole heap must die.
Yon sometimes famous princes, like thyself,
Drawn by report, adventurous by desire,
Tell thee, with speechless tongues and semblance pale,
That without covering, save yon field of stars,
Here they stand Martyrs, slain in Cupid's wars;
And with dead cheeks advise thee to desist
For going on death's net, whom none resist.
PERICLES.
Antiochus, I thank thee, who hath taught
My frail mortality to know itself,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Hated Son by Honore de Balzac: in some humble and retired sphere, did not regret the fate that was
thus imposed upon him; she used this enforced vocation to prepare him
for a noble life of study and science, and she brought to the chateau
Pierre de Sebonde as tutor to the future priest. Nevertheless, in
spite of the tonsure imposed by the will of the father, she was
determined that Etienne's education should not be wholly
ecclesiastical, and took pains to secularize it. She employed
Beauvouloir to teach him the mysteries of natural science; she herself
superintended his studies, regulating them according to her child's
strength, and enlivening them by teaching him Italian, and revealing
to him little by little the poetic beauties of that language. While
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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 House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde: the child of a poor beggar-woman. And how say ye that I am
beautiful, for I know that I am evil to look at?'
Then he, whose armour was inlaid with gilt flowers, and on whose
helmet crouched a lion that had wings, held up a shield, and cried,
'How saith my lord that he is not beautiful?'
And the Star-Child looked, and lo! his face was even as it had
been, and his comeliness had come back to him, and he saw that in
his eyes which he had not seen there before.
And the priests and the high officers knelt down and said to him,
'It was prophesied of old that on this day should come he who was
to rule over us. Therefore, let our lord take this crown and this
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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 Bab:A Sub-Deb, Mary Roberts Rinehart by Mary Roberts Rinehart: way to satisfy her and not make any trouble. And then I thought of
the Suitcase. So I locked the door and made her promise not to
tell, and got the whole thing out of the Toy Closet.
"Wha--what is it?" asked Jane.
I said nothing, but opened it all up. The Flask was gone, but the
rest was there, and Carter's box too. Jane leaned down and lifted
the trowsers. and poked around somewhat. Then she straitened and said:
"You have run away and got married, Bab."
"Jane!"
She looked at me peircingly.
"Don't lie to me," she said accusingly. "Or else what are you doing
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