| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Charmides and Other Poems by Oscar Wilde: Is in its extent stiffened, moneyed Greed
For whose dull appetite men waste away
Amid the whirr of wheels and are the seed
Of things which slay their sower, these each day
Sees rife in England, and the gentle feet
Of Beauty tread no more the stones of each unlovely street.
What even Cromwell spared is desecrated
By weed and worm, left to the stormy play
Of wind and beating snow, or renovated
By more destructful hands: Time's worst decay
Will wreathe its ruins with some loveliness,
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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 Koran: blackness or abasement cover their faces! these are the fellows of
Paradise, they shall dwell therein for aye.
But, as for those who have earned ill, the reward of evil is the
like thereof; abasement shall cover them! they shall have none to
defend them against God;- as though their faces were veiled with the
deep darkness of the night; these are the fellows of the Fire, and
they shall dwell therein for aye.
And on the day we gather them all together then we will say to those
who associated other gods (with us), your places, ye and your
associates!' and we will part them; and their associates will say, 'It
was not us ye worshipped.- But God is witness enough between us and
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Cousin Pons by Honore de Balzac: for doing as you did, but the old man is ill, and he is leaving his
property to the only friend left to him. A President of the Court of
Appeal in Paris could say nothing under such circumstances if the will
was made out in due form. But between ourselves, madame, when one has
a right to expect seven or eight hundred thousand francs--or a
million, it may be (how should I know?)--it is very unpleasant to have
it slip through one's fingers, especially if one happens to be the
heir-at-law. . . . But, on the other hand, to prevent this, one is
obliged to stoop to dirty work; work so difficult, so ticklish,
bringing you cheek by jowl with such low people, servants and
subordinates; and into such close contact with them too, that no
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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 Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, etc. by Oscar Wilde: 'I think you might have told me, Alan,' said Hughie sulkily, 'and
not have let me make such a fool of myself.'
'Well, to begin with, Hughie,' said Trevor, 'it never entered my
mind that you went about distributing alms in that reckless way. I
can understand your kissing a pretty model, but your giving a
sovereign to an ugly one - by Jove, no! Besides, the fact is that
I really was not at home to-day to any one; and when you came in I
didn't know whether Hausberg would like his name mentioned. You
know he wasn't in full dress.'
'What a duffer he must think me!' said Hughie.
'Not at all. He was in the highest spirits after you left; kept
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