| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Aeneid by Virgil: And pierc'd his plated arms, but pass'd along,
And only raz'd the skin. He turn'd, and held
Against his threat'ning foe his ample shield;
Then call'd for aid: but, while he cried in vain,
The chariot bore him backward on the plain.
He lies revers'd; the victor king descends,
And strikes so justly where his helmet ends,
He lops the head. The Latian fields are drunk
With streams that issue from the bleeding trunk.
While he triumphs, and while the Trojans yield,
The wounded prince is forc'd to leave the field:
Aeneid |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from When a Man Marries by Mary Roberts Rinehart: to be small about things, Jimmy."
"It ought to be easy," Jim persisted, ignoring the remark, "for
nine reasonably intelligent people to boil eggs and make coffee,
which is all we need for breakfast, with some fruit."
"Nine of us!" Dallas said wickedly, looking at Tom Harbison, who
was out of earshot, "Why nine of us? I thought Kit here,
otherwise known as Bella, was going to show off her housewifely
skill."
It ended, however, with Mr. Harbison writing out a lot of slips,
cook, scullery-maid, chamber-maid, parlor-maid, furnace-man, and
butler, and as that left two people over--we didn't count Aunt
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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 Ball at Sceaux by Honore de Balzac: her endeavor to remedy the defects her education had encouraged. Was
not this her first homage to love, and a bitter reproach to herself?
She desired to please, and she was enchanting; she loved, and she was
idolized. Her family, knowing that her pride would sufficiently
protect her, gave her enough freedom to enjoy the little childish
delights which give to first love its charm and its violence. More
than once the young man and Mademoiselle de Fontaine walked, tete-a-
tete, in the avenues of the garden, where nature was dressed like a
woman going to a ball. More than once they had those conversations,
aimless and meaningless, in which the emptiest phrases are those which
cover the deepest feelings. They often admired together the setting
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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 The Koran: opened to them a door of the sky and they had mounted up into it all
the while; then also had they said, 'Our eye-sight is only
intoxicated; nay, we are an enchanted people!'
And we have placed in the sky the signs of the zodiac, and have made
them seemly to the beholders; and we have guarded them from every
pelted devil; save from such as steal a hearing, and there follows him
an obvious shooting-star.
And the earth we have stretched out and have thrown on it firm
mountains, and have caused to grow upon it of everything a measured
quantity. And we have made for you means of livelihood therein, and
for those for whom ye have not to provide.
The Koran |
