| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Lover's Complaint by William Shakespeare: His real habitude gave life and grace
To appertainings and to ornament,
Accomplish'd in himself, not in his case,:
All aids, themselves made fairer by their place,
Came for additions; yet their purpos'd trim
Pierc'd not his grace, but were all grac'd by him.
'So on the tip of his subduing tongue
All kind of arguments and question deep,
All replication prompt, and reason strong,
For his advantage still did wake and sleep:
To make the weeper laugh, the laugher weep,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lysis by Plato: supposed that he had to offer sacrifice. So he went away, and I asked
Lysis some more questions. I dare say, Lysis, I said, that your father and
mother love you very much.
Certainly, he said.
And they would wish you to be perfectly happy.
Yes.
But do you think that any one is happy who is in the condition of a slave,
and who cannot do what he likes?
I should think not indeed, he said.
And if your father and mother love you, and desire that you should be
happy, no one can doubt that they are very ready to promote your happiness.
Lysis |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: "Is it the old pain, my precious?'
"No, it's a new one, but I can bear it." And Beth tried
to check her tears.
"Tell me all about it, and let me cure it as I often did
the other."
"You can't, there is no cure." There Beth's voice gave
way, and clinging to her sister, she cried so despairingly
that Jo was frightened.
"Where is it? Shall I call Mother?"
"No, no, don't call her, don't tell her. I shall be
better soon. Lie down here and `poor' my head. I'll be
Little Women |
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 Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling: Indian asked me in English if I was hungry. "Oh yes!" I says. I
must have looked a sore scrattel. He opens a door on to a staircase
and leads the way up. We walked into a dirty little room full of
flutes and fiddles and a fat man fiddling by the window, in a smell
of cheese and medicines fit to knock you down. I was knocked
down too, for the fat man jumped up and hit me a smack in the
face. I fell against an old spinet covered with pill-boxes and the
pills rolled about the floor. The Indian never moved an eyelid.
'"Pick up the pills! Pick up the pills!" the fat man screeches.
'I started picking 'em up - hundreds of 'em - meaning to run
out under the Indian's arm, but I came on giddy all over and I sat
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