| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Treatise on Parents and Children by George Bernard Shaw: to him and he is too weak to refuse. Give everyone his culture, and
no one will offer him more than his due.
In thus delivering our children from the idolatry of the artist, we
shall not destroy for them the enchantment of art: on the contrary,
we shall teach them to demand art everywhere as a condition attainable
by cultivating the body, mind, and heart. Art, said Morris, is the
expression of pleasure in work. And certainly, when work is made
detestable by slavery, there is no art. It is only when learning is
made a slavery by tyrannical teachers that art becomes loathsome to
the pupil.
"The Machine"
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Beauty and The Beast by Bayard Taylor: Island shore was veiled in a silvery mist. My mind was soothed and
calmed by the influences of the scene, until the moon arose.
Moonlight, you know, disturbs--at least, when one is in love. (Ah,
Ned, I see you understand it!) I felt blissfully miserable, ready
to cry with joy at the knowledge that I loved, and with fear and
vexation at my cowardice, at the same time.
"Suddenly I heard a rustling beside me. Every nerve in my body
tingled, and I turned my head, with a beating and expectant heart.
Pshaw! It was Miss Ringtop, who spread her blue dress on the rock
beside me, and shook back her long curls, and sighed, as she gazed
at the silver path of the moon on the water.
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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 Woman and Labour by Olive Schreiner: differences, enormously greater as they are generally, than any physical
differences between male and female of the same race, which divide the Jew
and the Swede, the Japanese and the Englishman, but even those subtle
physical differences which divide closely allied races such as the English
and German--often appear to be allied with certain subtle differences in
intellectual aptitudes. Yet even with regard to these differences, it is
almost impossible to determine scientifically in how far they are the
result of national traditions, environment, and education, and in how far
the result of real differences in organic conformation. (In thinking of
physical sex differences, the civilised man of modern times has always to
guard himself against being unconsciously misled by the very exaggerated
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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 Cromwell by William Shakespeare: Well said Tom! gramarcies Tom!--
Into your work, knaves; hence, you saucy boy.
[Exit all but young Cromwell.]
CROMWELL.
Why should my birth keep down my mounting spirit?
Are not all creatures subject unto time:
To time, who doth abuse the world,
And fills it full of hodge-podge bastardy?
There's legions now of beggars on the earth,
That their original did spring from Kings:
And many Monarchs now whose fathers were
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