| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The War in the Air by H. G. Wells: The fleets came into contact on Wednesday before any actual
declaration of war. The Americans had strung out in the modern
fashion at distances of thirty miles or so, and were steaming to
keep themselves between the Germans and either the eastern states
or Panama; because, vital as it was to defend the seaboard cities
and particularly New York, it was still more vital to save the
canal from any attack that might prevent the return of the main
fleet from the Pacific. No doubt, said Kurt, this was now making
records across that ocean, "unless the Japanese have had the same
idea as the Germans." It was obviously beyond human possibility
that the American North Atlantic fleet could hope to meet and
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson: Cried, "If I lose myself, I save myself!"
`Then on a summer night it came to pass,
While the great banquet lay along the hall,
That Galahad would sit down in Merlin's chair.
`And all at once, as there we sat, we heard
A cracking and a riving of the roofs,
And rending, and a blast, and overhead
Thunder, and in the thunder was a cry.
And in the blast there smote along the hall
A beam of light seven times more clear than day:
And down the long beam stole the Holy Grail
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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 Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: follow the Spanish vessel: his duty to his vow, to go on to La
Guayra. It may seem a far-fetched dilemma. He found it a
practical one enough.
However, the counsel of Frank prevailed, and on to La Guayra he
went. He half hoped that the Spaniard would see and attack them.
However, he went on his way to the eastward; which if he had not
done, my story had had a very different ending.
About mid-day a canoe, the first which they had seen, came
staggering toward them under a huge three-cornered sail. As it
came near, they could see two Indians on board.
"Metal floats in these seas, you see," quoth Cary. "There's a
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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 Maitre Cornelius by Honore de Balzac: these precautions were so well taken that the people of Tours really
thought the king had returned to Plessis, and would sup on the morrow
with Cornelius.
Towards eight o'clock that evening, as the king was supping with his
physician, Cornelius, and the captain of his guard, and holding much
jovial converse, forgetting for the time being that he was ill and in
danger of death, the deepest silence reigned without, and all passers,
even the wariest robber, would have believed that the Malemaison was
occupied as usual.
"I hope," said the king, laughing, "that my silversmith shall be
robbed to-night, so that my curiosity may be satisfied. Therefore,
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