| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Desert Gold by Zane Grey: quick, amazed start.
Then he went in search of Mrs. Belding, and found her busy in the
kitchen.
The relation between Gale and Mrs. Belding had subtly and
incomprehensively changed. He understood her less than when at
first he divined an antagonism in her. If such a thing were
possible she had retained the antagonism while seeming to yield
to some influence that must have been fondness for him. Gale
was in no wise sure of her affection, and he had long imagined
she was afraid of him, or of something that he represented. He
had gone on, openly and fairly, though discreetly, with his rather
Desert Gold |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare: I must begin with rudiments of art;
To teach you gamut in a briefer sort,
More pleasant, pithy, and effectual,
Than hath been taught by any of my trade:
And there it is in writing, fairly drawn.
BIANCA.
Why, I am past my gamut long ago.
HORTENSIO.
Yet read the gamut of Hortensio.
BIANCA.
'Gamut' I am, the ground of all accord,
The Taming of the Shrew |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Nana, Miller's Daughter, Captain Burle, Death of Olivier Becaille by Emile Zola: Suddenly the path gave a final turn; the wall ended, and as they
came out on the village square the mansion house stood before them
on the farther side of its grand outer court. All stopped to admire
the proud sweep of the wide steps, the twenty frontage windows, the
arrangement of the three wings, which were built of brick framed by
courses of stone. Henri IV had erewhile inhabited this historic
mansion, and his room, with its great bed hung with Genoa velvet,
was still preserved there. Breathless with admiration, Nana gave a
little childish sigh.
"Great God!" she whispered very quietly to herself.
But the party were deeply moved when Gaga suddenly announced that
|
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 Taras Bulba and Other Tales by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol: the sun glistened with intolerable whiteness. Pipes, rags, shells,
broken and discarded tubs: every one flung whatever was useless to him
into the street, thus affording the passer-by an opportunity of
exercising all his five senses with the rubbish. A man on horseback
could almost touch with his hand the poles thrown across the street
from one house to another, upon which hung Jewish stockings, short
trousers, and smoked geese. Sometimes a pretty little Hebrew face,
adorned with discoloured pearls, peeped out of an old window. A group
of little Jews, with torn and dirty garments and curly hair, screamed
and rolled about in the dirt. A red-haired Jew, with freckles all over
his face which made him look like a sparrow's egg, gazed from a
Taras Bulba and Other Tales |
