| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Schoolmistress and Other Stories by Anton Chekhov: The strange phenomenon was explained and its fantastic character
vanished. My panic was over and I was able to go on my way.
My third fright came upon me as I was going home from stand
shooting in early spring. It was in the dusk of evening. The
forest road was covered with pools from a recent shower of rain,
and the earth squelched under one's feet. The crimson glow of
sunset flooded the whole forest, coloring the white stems of the
birches and the young leaves. I was exhausted and could hardly
move.
Four or five miles from home, walking along the forest road, I
suddenly met a big black dog of the water spaniel breed. As he
The Schoolmistress and Other Stories |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Treatise on Parents and Children by George Bernard Shaw: adults need protection from them. At present adults are often exposed
to risks outside their knowledge or beyond their comprehension or
powers of resistance or foresight: for example, we have to look on
every day at marriages or financial speculations that may involve far
worse consequences than burnt fingers. And just as it is part of the
business of adults to protect children, to feed them, clothe them,
shelter them, and shift for them in all sorts of ways until they are
able to shift for themselves, it is coming more and more to be seen
that this is true not only of the relation between adults and
children, but between adults and adults. We shall not always look on
indifferently at foolish marriages and financial speculations, nor
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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 Adventure by Jack London: torn and distended ear-lobes that fell to his chest; another, with
the broad flattened nose of Africa, and with withered eyes so
buried under frowning brows that nothing but the sickly, yellowish-
looking whites could be seen; a third, thick-lipped and bearded
with kinky whiskers; and Gogoomy--she had never realized before how
handsome Gogoomy was in his mutinous and obstinate wild-animal way.
There was a primitive aristocraticness about him that his fellows
lacked. The lines of his figure were more rounded than theirs, the
skin smooth, well oiled, and free from disease. On his chest,
suspended from a single string of porpoise-teeth around his throat,
hung a big crescent carved out of opalescent pearl-shell. A row of
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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 Mayflower Compact: In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten,
the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereigne Lord, King James,
by the Grace of God, of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland,
King, Defender of the Faith, &c.
Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of
the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country,
a Voyage to plant the first colony in the Northerne Parts
of Virginia; doe, by these Presents, solemnly and mutually
in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and
combine ourselves together into a civill Body Politick,
for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance
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