| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: enough to make him entertaining; and a man one needn't be ashamed
of anywhere, and would not soon grow tired of; and to confess the
truth, I rather liked him - better even, of late, than Harry
Meltham - and he evidently idolised me; and yet, though he came
upon me all alone and unprepared, I had the wisdom, and the pride,
and the strength to refuse him - and so scornfully and coolly as I
did: I have good reason to be proud of that.'
'And are you equally proud of having told him that his having the
wealth of Sir Hugh Meltham would make no difference to you, when
that was not the case; and of having promised to tell no one of his
misadventure, apparently without the slightest intention of keeping
Agnes Grey |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: thing has been done by these reckless Abolitionists, that our
brethren in Kentucky are very strongly excited, and it seems
necessary, and no more than Christian and kind, that something
should be done by our state to quiet the excitement."
"And what is the law? It don't forbid us to shelter those poor
creatures a night, does it, and to give 'em something comfortable
to eat, and a few old clothes, and send them quietly about their
business?"
"Why, yes, my dear; that would be aiding and abetting, you know."
Mrs. Bird was a timid, blushing little woman, of about four feet
in height, and with mild blue eyes, and a peach-blow complexion,
Uncle Tom's Cabin |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Poems by Oscar Wilde: For none can tell to what red Hell
His sightless soul may stray.
At last the dead man walked no more
Amongst the Trial Men,
And I knew that he was standing up
In the black dock's dreadful pen,
And that never would I see his face
In God's sweet world again.
Like two doomed ships that pass in storm
We had crossed each other's way:
But we made no sign, we said no word,
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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 A Treatise on Parents and Children by George Bernard Shaw: Newton at work is quiet and ought to be quiet. And the child should
spend most of its time at play, whilst the adult should spend most of
his time at work. I am not now writing on behalf of persons who
coddle themselves into a ridiculous condition of nervous feebleness,
and at last imagine themselves unable to work under conditions of
bustle which to healthy people are cheerful and stimulating. I am
sure that if people had to choose between living where the noise of
children never stopped and where it was never heard, all the
goodnatured and sound people would prefer the incessant noise to the
incessant silence. But that choice is not thrust upon us by the
nature of things. There is no reason why children and adults should
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