| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: of reception, chairs of equal height placed for himself, his
mother, the cardinal, and his uncle and aunt, a disposition
artfully concealed by the semicircular form of the assembly,
Louis XIV. became red with anger, and looked around him to
ascertain by the countenances of those that were present, if
this humiliation had been prepared for him. But as he saw
nothing upon the impassible visage of the cardinal, nothing
on that of his mother, nothing on those of the assembly, he
resigned himself, and sat down, taking care to be seated
before anybody else.
The gentlemen and ladies were presented to their majesties
Ten Years Later |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Main Street by Sinclair Lewis: dusty. Across the track was a pasture of dwarf clover and
sparse lawn cut by earthy cow-paths; beyond its placid narrow
green, the rough immensity of new stubble, jagged with wheat-
stacks like huge pineapples.
Erik talked of books; flamed like a recent convert to any
faith. He exhibited as many titles and authors as possible,
halting only to appeal, "Have you read his last book? Don't
you think he's a terribly strong writer?"
She was dizzy. But when he insisted, "You've been a
librarian; tell me; do I read too much fiction?" she advised
him loftily, rather discursively. He had, she indicated, never
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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 Father Sergius by Leo Tolstoy: he had then met an old man who was bringing a drunken soldier to
him to ask alms; and how he had received HER, it seemed to him
that he had then possessed love also. But now? And he asked
himself whether he loved anyone, whether he loved Sofya Ivanovna,
or Father Seraphim, whether he had any feeling of love for all
who had come to him that day--for that learned young man with
whom he had had that instructive discussion in which he was
concerned only to show off his own intelligence and that he had
not lagged behind the times in knowledge. He wanted and needed
their love, but felt none towards them. He now had neither love
nor humility nor purity.
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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 In the Cage by Henry James: betrothed, or on the decks of steamers that conveyed them, close-
packed items in terrific totals of enjoyment, to the Isle of Wight
and the Dorset coast.
He had a lodging in another house, where he had speedily learned
the importance of keeping his eyes open, and he made no secret of
his suspecting that sinister mutual connivances might spring, under
the roof of his companions, from unnatural sociabilities. At the
same time he fully recognised that as a source of anxiety, not to
say of expense, his future mother-in law would have weighted them
more by accompanying their steps than by giving her hostess, in the
interest of the tendency they considered that they never mentioned,
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