| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: feelings--and for these, and these only, I live. A sentiment--
what is that but the whole world in a thought? Look at Father
Goriot. For him, his two girls are the whole universe; they are
the clue by which he finds his way through creation. Well, for my
own part, I have fathomed the depths of life, there is only one
real sentiment--comradeship between man and man. Pierre and
Jaffier, that is my passion. I knew Venice Preserved by heart.
Have you met many men plucky enough when a comrade says, 'Let us
bury a dead body!' to go and do it without a word or plaguing him
by taking a high moral tone? I have done it myself. I should not
talk like this to just everybody, but you are not like an
Father Goriot |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Persuasion by Jane Austen: The rest was all tranquillity; till, just as they were moving,
she heard the Admiral say to Mary--
"We are expecting a brother of Mrs Croft's here soon; I dare say
you know him by name."
He was cut short by the eager attacks of the little boys,
clinging to him like an old friend, and declaring he should not go;
and being too much engrossed by proposals of carrying them away
in his coat pockets, &c., to have another moment for finishing
or recollecting what he had begun, Anne was left to persuade herself,
as well as she could, that the same brother must still be in question.
She could not, however, reach such a degree of certainty,
Persuasion |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tarzan the Untamed by Edgar Rice Burroughs: And so Tarzan haunted German headquarters upon many
nights hoping to see her again or to pick up some clew as to
her whereabouts, and at the same time he utilized many an
artifice whereby he might bring terror to the hearts of the
Germans. That he was successful was often demonstrated by
the snatches of conversation he overheard as he prowled
through the German camps. One night as he lay concealed
in the bushes close beside a regimental headquarters he
listened to the conversation of several Boche officers. One of
the men reverted to the stories told by the native troops in
connection with their rout by a lion several weeks before and
Tarzan the Untamed |
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 Golden Threshold by Sarojini Naidu: Rousing the world to labour's various cry,
To tend the flock, to bind the mellowing grain,
From ardent toil to forge a little gain,
And fasting men go forth on hurrying feet,
BUY BREAD, BUY BREAD, rings down the eager street.
When the earth falters and the waters swoon
With the implacable radiance of noon,
And in dim shelters koils hush their notes,
And the faint, thirsting blood in languid throats
Craves liquid succour from the cruel heat,
BUY FRUIT, BUY FRUIT, steals down the panting street.
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