| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare: Flaming in the phoenix' sight:
Either was the other's mine.
Property was thus appall'd,
That the self was not the same;
Single nature's double name
Neither two nor one was call'd.
Reason, in itself confounded,
Saw division grow together;
To themselves yet either-neither,
Simple were so well compounded.
That it cried how true a twain
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: tenderness. "At last, my child!"
He conducted her to the table. She sank into a chair, a little
wearily, a little nervelessly, but the smile did not leave her face,
not even when she glanced across at Scaramouche. It was only
Leandre, observing her closely, with hungry, scowling stare, who
detected something as of fear in the hazel eyes momentarily seen
between the fluttering of her lids.
Andre-Louis, however, still went on eating stolidly, without so
much as a look in her direction. Gradually the company came to
realize that just as surely as a scene was brooding, just so
surely would there be no scene as long as they remained. It was
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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 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: loquacious on the subject of its fine clothes, its bed, its chest
of drawers, and other appurtenances; but Tom told her to hold her
clamour, that Miss Grey might see his rocking-horse, which, with a
most important bustle, he dragged forth from its corner into the
middle of the room, loudly calling on me to attend to it. Then,
ordering his sister to hold the reins, he mounted, and made me
stand for ten minutes, watching how manfully he used his whip and
spurs. Meantime, however, I admired Mary Ann's pretty doll, and
all its possessions; and then told Master Tom he was a capital
rider, but I hoped he would not use his whip and spurs so much when
he rode a real pony.
Agnes Grey |
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 Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: Lupeaulx wanted to strengthen a precarious position, so that he might
throw off all dependence on his chief. The harrier turned against the
huntsman; the minister gave him cuts with the whip and caresses,
alternately, and set up rivals to him. But des Lupeaulx behaved like
an adroit courtier with all competitors; he laid traps into which they
fell, and then he did prompt justice upon them. The more he felt
himself in danger the more anxious he became for an irremovable
position; yet he was compelled to play low; one moment's indiscretion,
and he might lose everything. A pen-stroke might demolish his civilian
epaulets, his place at court, his sinecure, his two offices and their
advantages; in all, six salaries retained under fire of the law
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