The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Passionate Pilgrim by William Shakespeare: She, silly queen, with more than love's good will,
Forbade the boy he should not pass those grounds:
'Once,' quoth she, 'did I see a fair sweet youth
Here in these brakes deep-wounded with a boar,
Deep in the thigh, a spectacle of ruth!
See, in my thigh,' quoth she, 'here was the sore.
She showed hers: he saw more wounds than one,
And blushing fled, and left her all alone.
X.
Sweet rose, fair flower, untimely pluck'd, soon vaded,
Pluck'd in the bud, and vaded in the spring!
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tattine by Ruth Ogden [Mrs. Charles W. Ide]: get a shower by sunset."
"Yes, I think we would better," said Rudolph, glancing toward the clouds in
the west Rudolph prided himself on his ability to forecast the weather, and
was generally able to tell correctly when a shower was pretty sure to come and
when it was likely to "go round."
So Barney was coaxed into a good gait, which he was ready as a rule to take
towards home, and the little ford by way of a farm-lane, and which saved a
good mile on the road home, was soon reached. Barney knew the place well and,
always enjoying it, picked his way carefully to the middle of the ford, and
then he took it into his stubborn little head to stand stock still, and to
plant his four hoofs firmly in the nice soft mud at the bottom of the stream.
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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 Adam Bede by George Eliot: moves slow. And so I am straitened, and say but little of what is
in my mind. Greet your mother for me with a kiss. She asked me
to kiss her twice when we parted."
Adam had refolded the letter, and was sitting meditatively with
his head resting on his arm at the head of the bed, when Seth came
upstairs.
"Hast read the letter?" said Seth.
"Yes," said Adam. "I don't know what I should ha' thought of her
and her letter if I'd never seen her: I daresay I should ha'
thought a preaching woman hateful. But she's one as makes
everything seem right she says and does, and I seemed to see her
 Adam Bede |
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 Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum: dignified manner. The three knelt an instant before the
great Sorceress and then stood upright and waited for
her to speak.
"Whoever you may be," said Glinda, "I bid you
welcome."
"My name is Audah," said one.
"My name is Aurah," said another.
"My name is Aujah," said the third.
Glinda had never heard these names before, but
looking closely at the three she asked:
"Are you witches or workers in magic?"
 Glinda of Oz |