| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells: zling in a clear sky, and here and there some facet in the
great wilderness of roofs caught the light and glared with
a white intensity.
Northward were Kilburn and Hampsted, blue and crowded
with houses; westward the great city was dimmed; and
southward, beyond the Martians, the green waves of Regent's
Park, the Langham Hotel, the dome of the Albert Hall, the
Imperial Institute, and the giant mansions of the Brompton
Road came out clear and little in the sunrise, the jagged
ruins of Westminster rising hazily beyond. Far away
and blue were the Surrey hills, and the towers of the
War of the Worlds |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: "Afraid of her?"
"I am afraid she 's cleverer than I--that she would be a difficult wife;
that she might do strange things."
"What sort of things?"
"Well, that she might flirt, for instance."
"That 's not a thing for a man to fear."
"Not when he supposes his wife to be fond of him--no. But I don't
suppose that--I have given that up. If I should induce Angela
Vivian to accept me she would do it on grounds purely reasonable.
She would think it best, simply. That would give her a chance
to repent."
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: Thebans themselves formed their own right and the Argives held their
left. While the two armies approached a deep silence prevailed on
either side, but when they were now a single furlong's[7] space apart
the Thebans quickened to a run, and, with a loud hurrah, dashed
forward to close quarters. And now there was barely a hundred yards[8]
between them, when Herippidas, with his foreign brigade, rushed
forward from the Spartan's battle lines to meet them. This brigade
consisted partly of troops which had served with Agesilaus ever since
he left home, with a portion of the Cyreians, besides Ionians,
Aeolians, and their neighbours on the Hellespont. All these took part
in the foward rush of the attack just mentioned, and coming within
|
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 King of the Golden River by John Ruskin: The youngest brother, Gluck, was as completely opposed, in
both appearance and character, to his seniors as could possibly
be imagined or desired. He was not above twelve years old, fair,
blue-eyed, and kind in temper to every living thing. He did not,
of course, agree particularly well with his brothers, or, rather,
they did not agree with HIM. He was usually appointed to the
honorable office of turnspit, when there was anything to roast,
which was not often, for, to do the brothers justice, they were
hardly less sparing upon themselves than upon other people. At
other times he used to clean the shoes, floors, and sometimes the
plates, occasionally getting what was left on them, by way of
|
