| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Cruise of the Jasper B. by Don Marquis: "if----"
"Silly!" She interrupted him by reaching across the table and
laying a forgiving hand upon his arm. "Don't be so stiff and
formal. Eat your egg before it gets cold and don't say another
work. Of course I know you're not REALLY going to be cross."
And she attacked her breakfast, giving him such a look that he
forthwith forgave himself and forgot that he had had anything to
forgive in her.
"There's going to be a frightful racket around here today," he
said presently. "Maybe you'd like to get away from it for a
while. How'd you like to go for a row?"
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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 Crisis in Russia by Arthur Ransome: few extremists on each side of the barricades so fanatically
desire. If that conflict is indeed inevitable, its consequences
will be less devastating to a Europe cured of her wounds
than to a Europe scarcely, even by the most hopeful, to be
described as convalescent. But the conflict may not be
inevitable after all. No man not purblind but sees that
Communist Europe is changing no less than Capitalist
Europe. If we succeed in postponing the struggle long
enough, we may well succeed in postponing it until the
war-like on both sides look in vain for the reasons of their
bellicosity.
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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 Collected Articles by Frederick Douglass: Agitated though I was while this ceremony was proceeding, still,
externally, at least, I was apparently calm and self-possessed.
He went on with his duty--examining several colored passengers
before reaching me. He was somewhat harsh in tome and peremptory
in manner until he reached me, when, strange enough, and to my surprise
and relief, his whole manner changed. Seeing that I did not readily
produce my free papers, as the other colored persons in the car had done,
he said to me, in friendly contrast with his bearing toward the others:
"I suppose you have your free papers?"
To which I answered:
"No sir; I never carry my free papers to sea with me."
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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 Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: net. Fenella hardly ever saw her grandma with her head uncovered; she
looked strange.
"I shall put on the woollen fascinator your dear mother crocheted for me,"
said grandma, and, unstrapping the sausage, she took it out and wound it
round her head; the fringe of grey bobbles danced at her eyebrows as she
smiled tenderly and mournfully at Fenella. Then she undid her bodice, and
something under that, and something else underneath that. Then there
seemed a short, sharp tussle, and grandma flushed faintly. Snip! Snap!
She had undone her stays. She breathed a sigh of relief, and sitting on
the plush couch, she slowly and carefully pulled off her elastic-sided
boots and stood them side by side.
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