| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Persuasion by Jane Austen: pretty completely wrong, and to take up a new set of opinions
and of hopes.
There is a quickness of perception in some, a nicety in the discernment
of character, a natural penetration, in short, which no experience
in others can equal, and Lady Russell had been less gifted
in this part of understanding than her young friend. But she was
a very good woman, and if her second object was to be sensible
and well-judging, her first was to see Anne happy. She loved Anne
better than she loved her own abilities; and when the awkwardness
of the beginning was over, found little hardship in attaching herself
as a mother to the man who was securing the happiness of her other child.
Persuasion |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: cannot visit the children again for another year."
"That is true," answered Santa Claus, almost cheerfully;
"Christmas Eve is past, and for the first time in centuries
I have not visited my children."
"The little ones will be greatly disappointed," murmured the Daemon of
Repentance, almost regretfully; "but that cannot be helped now. Their
grief is likely to make the children selfish and envious and hateful,
and if they come to the Caves of the Daemons today I shall get a
chance to lead some of them to my Cave of Repentance."
"Do you never repent, yourself?" asked Santa Claus, curiously.
"Oh, yes, indeed," answered the Daemon. "I am even now repenting that
A Kidnapped Santa Claus |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Oedipus Trilogy by Sophocles: But the proud sinner, or in word or deed,
That will not Justice heed,
Nor reverence the shrine
Of images divine,
Perdition seize his vain imaginings,
If, urged by greed profane,
He grasps at ill-got gain,
And lays an impious hand on holiest things.
Who when such deeds are done
Can hope heaven's bolts to shun?
If sin like this to honor can aspire,
Oedipus Trilogy |
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 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: a-birds'-nesting with the children, a thing that irritated and
annoyed me exceedingly; as, by frequent and persevering attempts, I
flattered myself I had partly shown them the evil of this pastime,
and hoped, in time, to bring them to some general sense of justice
and humanity; but ten minutes' birds'-nesting with uncle Robson, or
even a laugh from him at some relation of their former barbarities,
was sufficient at once to destroy the effect of my whole elaborate
course of reasoning and persuasion. Happily, however, during that
spring, they never, but once, got anything but empty nests, or eggs
- being too impatient to leave them till the birds were hatched;
that once, Tom, who had been with his uncle into the neighbouring
Agnes Grey |
