| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: supports that people didn't understand her, and it was accordingly
a matter of indifference to her that Mrs. Jordan shouldn't; even
though Mrs. Jordan, handed down from their early twilight of
gentility and also the victim of reverses, was the only member of
her circle in whom she recognised an equal. She was perfectly
aware that her imaginative life was the life in which she spent
most of her time; and she would have been ready, had it been at all
worth while, to contend that, since her outward occupation didn't
kill it, it must be strong indeed. Combinations of flowers and
green-stuff, forsooth! What SHE could handle freely, she said to
herself, was combinations of men and women. The only weakness in
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Euthydemus by Plato: That, he said, is as I please.
And do you please?
Yes, he said.
And you will admit that the same is the same, and the other other; for
surely the other is not the same; I should imagine that even a child will
hardly deny the other to be other. But I think, Dionysodorus, that you
must have intentionally missed the last question; for in general you and
your brother seem to me to be good workmen in your own department, and to
do the dialectician's business excellently well.
What, said he, is the business of a good workman? tell me, in the first
place, whose business is hammering?
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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 Little Rivers by Henry van Dyke: Hurrah for us all, who have now taken part
In singing together in do . . re . . mi."
It was very primitive, and I do not suppose that the celebration
was even mentioned in the newspapers of the great world; but, after
all, has not the man who wins such a triumph as this in the hearts
of his own people, for whom he has made labour beautiful with the
charm of art, deserved better of fame than many a crowned monarch
or conquering warrior? We should be wiser if we gave less glory to
the men who have been successful in forcing their fellow-men to
die, and more glory to the men who have been successful in teaching
their fellow-men how to live.
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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 Call of the Wild by Jack London: Chinese lottery. Also, in his gambling, he had one besetting
weakness--faith in a system; and this made his damnation certain.
For to play a system requires money, while the wages of a
gardener's helper do not lap over the needs of a wife and numerous
progeny.
The Judge was at a meeting of the Raisin Growers' Association, and
the boys were busy organizing an athletic club, on the memorable
night of Manuel's treachery. No one saw him and Buck go off
through the orchard on what Buck imagined was merely a stroll.
And with the exception of a solitary man, no one saw them arrive
at the little flag station known as College Park. This man talked
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