| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Two Noble Kinsmen by William Shakespeare: Enter Theseus (victor), (Herald and Attendants:) the three
Queenes meete him, and fall on their faces before him.]
1. QUEEN.
To thee no starre be darke.
2. QUEEN.
Both heaven and earth
Friend thee for ever.
3. QUEEN.
All the good that may
Be wishd upon thy head, I cry Amen too't.
THESEUS.
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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 Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: "To Mynheer Peter van Systens, Burgomaster, and President of
the Horticultural Society of Haarlem."
"And now, Rosa, go, go," said Cornelius, "and let us implore
the protection of God, who has so kindly watched over us
until now."
Chapter 23
The Rival
And in fact the poor young people were in great need of protection.
They had never been so near the destruction of their hopes
as at this moment, when they thought themselves certain of
their fulfilment.
 The Black Tulip |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: In fact, he settled in well, and Jerry liked him very much.
45 Jerry's New Year
For some people Christmas and the New Year are very merry times;
but for cabmen and cabmen's horses it is no holiday, though it may be
a harvest. There are so many parties, balls, and places of amusement open
that the work is hard and often late. Sometimes driver and horse
have to wait for hours in the rain or frost, shivering with the cold,
while the merry people within are dancing away to the music. I wonder if
the beautiful ladies ever think of the weary cabman waiting on his box,
and his patient beast standing, till his legs get stiff with cold.
I had now most of the evening work, as I was well accustomed to standing,
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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 Several Works by Edgar Allan Poe: "He is an ignoramus," interrupted my friend, as he stepped
unsteadily forward, while I followed immediately at his heels. In
an instant he had reached the extremity of the niche, and finding
his progress arrested by the rock, stood stupidly bewildered. A
moment more and I had fettered him to the granite. In its surface
were two iron staples, distant from each other about two feet,
horizontally. From one of these depended a short chain, from the
other a padlock. Throwing the links about his waist, it was but
the work of a few seconds to secure it. He was too much astounded
to resist. Withdrawing the key I stepped back from the recess.
"Pass your hand," I said, "over the wall; you cannot help
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