| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Daisy Miller by Henry James: "I'm afraid I can't do that," said Winterbourne.
"I like her extremely."
"All the more reason that you shouldn't help her to make a scandal."
"There shall be nothing scandalous in my attentions to her."
"There certainly will be in the way she takes them.
But I have said what I had on my conscience," Mrs. Walker pursued.
"If you wish to rejoin the young lady I will put you down.
Here, by the way, you have a chance."
The carriage was traversing that part of the Pincian
Garden that overhangs the wall of Rome and overlooks
the beautiful Villa Borghese. It is bordered by a
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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 Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: Live the cardinal!" resounded on every side, and the drums
were beaten in all directions.
In short, the king, impatient, as has been said, had come by
forced marches, and had that moment arrived with all his
household and a reinforcement of ten thousand troops. His
Musketeers proceeded and followed him. D'Artagnan, placed
in line with his company, saluted with an expressive gesture
his three friends, whose eyes soon discovered him, and M. de
Treville, who detected him at once.
The ceremony of reception over, the four friends were soon
in one another's arms.
The Three Musketeers |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from An Inland Voyage by Robert Louis Stevenson: off, but we were no longer the mysterious beings of the night
before. A departure is much less romantic than an unexplained
arrival in the golden evening. Although we might be greatly taken
at a ghost's first appearance, we should behold him vanish with
comparative equanimity.
The good folk of the inn at Pont, when we called there for the
bags, were overcome with marvelling. At sight of these two dainty
little boats, with a fluttering Union Jack on each, and all the
varnish shining from the sponge, they began to perceive that they
had entertained angels unawares. The landlady stood upon the
bridge, probably lamenting she had charged so little; the son ran
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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 Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: sorrel, tawny, white, black, and bay: all gather hastily. And
now the field is quite covered with arms. On either side the
ranks tremble, and a roar rises from the fight. The shock of the
lances is very great. Lances break and shields are riddled, the
hauberks receive bumps and are torn asunder, saddles go empty and
horsemen ramble, while the horses sweat and foam. Swords are
quickly drawn on those who tumble noisily, and some run to
receive the promise of a ransom, others to stave off this
disgrace. Erec rode a white horse, and came forth alone at the
head of the line to joust, if he may find an opponent. From the
opposite side there rides out to meet him Orguelleus de la Lande,
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