| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin: breezy, long-legged letters, were engraved the words:
SOUTH WEST WIND, ESQUIRE
CHAPTER II
OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE THREE BROTHERS
AFTER THE VISIT OF SOUTHWEST WIND, ESQUIRE;
AND HOW LITTLE GLUCK HAD AN INTERVIEW
WITH THE KING OF THE GOLDEN RIVER
Southwest Wind, Esquire, was as good as his word. After the
momentous visit above related, he entered the Treasure Valley no
more; and, what was worse, he had so much influence with his
relations, the West Winds in general, and used it so effectually,
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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 Call of the Wild by Jack London: it, in the old familiar way, as a sound heard before. He sprang
through the sleeping camp and in swift silence dashed through the
woods. As he drew closer to the cry he went more slowly, with
caution in every movement, till he came to an open place among the
trees, and looking out saw, erect on haunches, with nose pointed
to the sky, a long, lean, timber wolf.
He had made no noise, yet it ceased from its howling and tried to
sense his presence. Buck stalked into the open, half crouching,
body gathered compactly together, tail straight and stiff, feet
falling with unwonted care. Every movement advertised commingled
threatening and overture of friendliness. It was the menacing
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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 The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton: But Archer paused. Mr. Letterblair had laid his pen-
handle against his big corrugated nose, and was looking
down it with the expression assumed by virtuous
elderly gentlemen when they wish their youngers to
understand that virtue is not synonymous with ignorance.
"My dear sir, I've no wish to extenuate the Count's
transgressions; but--but on the other side . . . I wouldn't
put my hand in the fire . . . well, that there hadn't been
tit for tat . . . with the young champion. . . ." Mr.
Letterblair unlocked a drawer and pushed a folded
paper toward Archer. "This report, the result of discreet
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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 Sanitary and Social Lectures by Charles Kingsley: has a right to say, what we are all tempted to say at times: "How
can I be heroic? This is no heroic age, setting me heroic
examples. We are growing more and more comfortable, frivolous,
pleasure-seeking, money-making; more and more utilitarian; more
and more mercenary in our politics, in our morals, in our
religion; thinking less and less of honour and duty, and more and
more of loss and gain. I am born into an unheroic time. You must
not ask me to become heroic in it."
I do not deny that it is more difficult to be heroic, while
circumstances are unheroic round us. We are all too apt to be the
puppets of circumstances; all too apt to follow the fashion; all
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