| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Juana by Honore de Balzac: husband's peculiar form of incapacity; he was a man unfitted for any
purpose that required continuity of ideas. He could not understand a
consistent part, such as he ought to play in the world; he perceived
it neither as a whole nor in its gradations, and its gradations were
everything. He was in one of those positions where shrewdness and tact
might have taken the place of strength; when shrewdness and tact
succeed, they are, perhaps, the highest form of strength.
Now Diard, far from arresting the spot of oil on his garments left by
his antecedents, did his best to spread it. Incapable of studying the
phase of the empire in the midst of which he came to live in Paris, he
wanted to be made prefect. At that time every one believed in the
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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 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle: brown chest of drawers stood in one corner, a narrow
white-counterpaned bed in another, and a dressing-table on the
left-hand side of the window. These articles, with two small
wicker-work chairs, made up all the furniture in the room save
for a square of Wilton carpet in the centre. The boards round and
the panelling of the walls were of brown, worm-eaten oak, so old
and discolored that it may have dated from the original building
of the house. Holmes drew one of the chairs into a corner and sat
silent, while his eyes travelled round and round and up and down,
taking in every detail of the apartment.
"Where does that bell communicate with?" he asked at last
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Blix by Frank Norris: star, whose radiance they felt but could not see, like a burst of
music whose harmony they felt but could not hear. And as they
stood there alone in all that simple glory of sky and earth and
sea, they knew all in an instant that THEY WERE FOR EACH OTHER,
forever and forever, for better or for worse, till death should
them part. Into their romance, into their world of little things,
their joys of the moment, their happiness of the hour, had
suddenly descended a great and lasting joy, the happiness of the
great, grave issues of life--a happiness so deep, so intense, as
to thrill them with a sense of solemnity and wonder. Instead of
being the end, that New Year's Day was but the beginning--the
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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 Amazing Interlude by Mary Roberts Rinehart: She knew all about Harvey and Sara Lee. She had heard rumors of his
disapproval also. Though she was not a clever nor a very keen woman,
she saw what was coming and braced herself for it.
Harvey had prepared in his mind a summary of his position, and he
delivered it with the rapidity and strength of a blow.
"I know all about the Belgians, Mrs. Gregory," he said. "I'm sorry for
them. So is every one, I suppose. But I want to know if you think a
girl of twenty ought to be over there practically at the Front, and
alone?" He gave her time to reply. "Would you like to have your
daughter there, if you had one?"
"Perhaps not, under ordinary circumstances. But this is war."
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