| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Works of Samuel Johnson by Samuel Johnson: gallipots; my mother was with difficulty persuaded not
to endanger her life with nocturnal attendance; my
father lamented the loss of the profits of the voyage;
and such superfluity of artifices was employed, as
perhaps might have discovered the cheat to a man
of penetration. But the sailor, unacquainted with
subtilties and stratagems, was easily deluded; and
as the ship could not stay for my recovery, sold
the cargo, and left me to re-establish my health at
leisure.
I was sent to regain my flesh in a purer air, lest it
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tik-Tok of Oz by L. Frank Baum: account."
"But we have an Army," said General Clock,
blusteringly, for he didn't like to be told he was
of no account.
"Where is your Army?" asked the Citizen.
"It's me," said Tik-Tok, his voice sounding a
little rusty. "I'm the on-ly Pri-vate Sol-dier in
the par-ty."
Hearing this, the Citizen rose and bowed
respectfully to the Clockwork Man.
"Pardon me for not realizing your importance
Tik-Tok of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: with any quickened pulsation of his own vanity. It was responsive
admiration of the life she embodied, the young purity and richness
of which appeared to imply that real success was to resemble THAT,
to live, to bloom, to present the perfection of a fine type, not to
have hammered out headachy fancies with a bent back at an ink-
stained table. While her grey eyes rested on him - there was a
wideish space between these, and the division of her rich-coloured
hair, so thick that it ventured to be smooth, made a free arch
above them - he was almost ashamed of that exercise of the pen
which it was her present inclination to commend. He was conscious
he should have liked better to please her in some other way. The
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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 Ruling Passion by Henry van Dyke: The camp, that June, was beside the Rapide des Cedres. A great
ledge stretched across the river; the water came down in three
leaps, brown above, golden at the edge, white where it fell. Below,
on the left bank, there was a little cove behind a high point of
rocks, a curving beach of white sand, a gentle slope of ground, a
tent half hidden among the birches and balsams. Down the river, the
main channel narrowed and deepened. High banks hemmed it in on the
left, iron-coasted islands on the right. It was a sullen, powerful,
dangerous stream. Beyond that, in mid-river, the Ile Maligne reared
its wicked head, scarred, bristling with skeletons of dead trees.
On either side of it, the river broke away into a long fury of
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