| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: "But where is such a lackey to be found?"
"Not to be found!" cried Athos. "I know it well, so take
Grimaud."
"Take Mousqueton."
"Take Bazin."
"Take Planchet. Planchet is brave and shrewd; they are two
qualities out of the four."
"Gentlemen," said Aramis, "the principal question is not to
know which of our four lackeys is the most discreet, the
most strong, the most clever, or the most brave; the
principal thing is to know which loves money the best."
The Three Musketeers |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Perfect Wagnerite: A Commentary on the Niblung's Ring by George Bernard Shaw: Your gods may not prevail with the dwarfs; but they may go to
these honest giants who will give a day's work for a day's pay,
and induce them to build for Godhead a mighty fortress, complete
with hall and chapel, tower and bell, for the sake of the
homesteads that will grow up in security round that
church-castle. This only, however, whilst the golden age lasts.
The moment the Plutonic power is let loose, and the loveless
Alberic comes into the field with his corrupting millions, the
gods are face to face with destruction; since Alberic, able with
invisible hunger-whip to force the labor of the dwarfs and to buy
the services of the giants, can outshine all the temporal shows
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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 Prince Otto by Robert Louis Stevenson: air of the night and the pure glory of the stars received him on the
threshold. He looked round him, breathing deep of earth's plain
fragrance; he looked up into the great array of heaven, and was
quieted. His little turgid life dwindled to its true proportions;
and he saw himself (that great flame-hearted martyr!) stand like a
speck under the cool cupola of the night. Thus he felt his careless
injuries already soothed; the live air of out-of-doors, the quiet of
the world, as if by their silent music, sobering and dwarfing his
emotions.
'Well, I forgive her,' he said. 'If it be of any use to her, I
forgive.'
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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 Captain Stormfield by Mark Twain: years I begun to get uneasy. Oh, it was pleasant enough, with a
good deal to find out, but then it was kind of lonesome, you know.
Besides, I wanted to get somewhere. I hadn't shipped with the idea
of cruising forever. First off, I liked the delay, because I
judged I was going to fetch up in pretty warm quarters when I got
through; but towards the last I begun to feel that I'd rather go to
- well, most any place, so as to finish up the uncertainty.
Well, one night - it was always night, except when I was rushing by
some star that was occupying the whole universe with its fire and
its glare - light enough then, of course, but I necessarily left it
behind in a minute or two and plunged into a solid week of darkness
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