| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Touchstone by Edith Wharton: looking at him. He turned and their eyes met.
He moved across the room and stood before her.
"There's something that I want to say to you," he began in a low
tone.
She held his gaze, but her color deepened. He noticed again, with
a jealous pang, how her beauty had gained in warmth and meaning.
It was as though a transparent cup had been filled with wine. He
looked at her ironically.
"I've never prevented your seeing your friends here," he broke
out. "Why do you meet Flamel in out-of-the-way places? Nothing
makes a woman so cheap--"
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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 Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare: therefore fire. Do thy duty, and have thy duty, for my master and
mistress are almost frozen to death.
CURTIS.
There's fire ready; and therefore, good Grumio, the news?
GRUMIO.
Why, 'Jack boy! ho, boy!' and as much news as thou wilt.
CURTIS.
Come, you are so full of cony-catching.
GRUMIO.
Why, therefore, fire; for I have caught extreme cold.
Where's the cook? Is supper ready, the house trimmed, rushes
The Taming of the Shrew |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy: sliced down the whole length of its tall, straight stem, a
huge riband of bark being apparently flung off. The
other portion remained erect, and revealed the bared
surface as a strip of white down the front. The
lightning had struck the tree. A sulphurous smell
filled the air; then all was silent, and black as a cave
in Hinnom.
"We had a narrow escape!" said Gabriel, hurriedly.
"You had better go down."
Bathsheba said nothing; but he could distinctly hear
her rhythmical pants, and the recurrent rustle of the
Far From the Madding Crowd |
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 Pupil by Henry James: men with foreign titles and English clothes whom Morgan called the
princes and who, on sofas with the girls, talked French very loud -
though sometimes with some oddity of accent - as if to show they
were saying nothing improper. Pemberton wondered how the princes
could ever propose in that tone and so publicly: he took for
granted cynically that this was what was desired of them. Then he
recognised that even for the chance of such an advantage Mrs.
Moreen would never allow Paula and Amy to receive alone. These
young ladies were not at all timid, but it was just the safeguards
that made them so candidly free. It was a houseful of Bohemians
who wanted tremendously to be Philistines.
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