| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Faraday as a Discoverer by John Tyndall: He next operated with the powerful permanent magnet of the Royal
Society, and obtained with it, in an exalted degree, all the
foregoing phenomena.
And now he turned the light of these discoveries upon the darkest
physical phenomenon of that day. Arago had discovered, in 1824, that
a disk of non-magnetic metal had the power of bringing a vibrating
magnetic needle suspended over it rapidly to rest; and that on
causing the disk to rotate the magnetic needle rotated along with
it. When both were quiescent, there was not the slightest measurable
attraction or repulsion exerted between the needle and the disk;
still when in motion the disk was competent to drag after it, not
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Ball at Sceaux by Honore de Balzac: meadow."
"He is rich," she reflected. "As to titles, perhaps he only wants to
try me. He has been told that I am mad about titles, and bent on
marrying none but a peer's son. My priggish sisters have played me
that trick."--"I assure you, monsieur," she said aloud, "that I have
had very extravagant ideas about life and the world; but now," she
added pointedly, looking at him in a perfectly distracting way, "I
know where true riches are to be found for a wife."
"I must believe that you are speaking from the depths of your heart,"
he said, with gentle gravity. "But this winter, my dear Emilie, in
less than two months perhaps, I may be proud of what I shall have to
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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 Just Folks by Edgar A. Guest: We keep our friends always about us;
An' here, though storms outside may pelter
Is refuge for our friends, an' shelter.
We've one rule here,
An' that is to be pleasant.
The folks we know are always present,
Or very near.
An' though they dwell in many places,
We think we're talkin' to their faces;
An' that keeps us from only seein'
The faults in any human bein',
Just Folks |
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 Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw: civil, theres no pleasure in talking to you, is there? What do you
want? Money?
THE MAN. How dare you insult me?
TARLETON. Well, what do you want?
THE MAN. Justice.
TARLETON. Youre quite sure thats all?
THE MAN. It's enough for me.
TARLETON. A modest sort of demand, isnt it? Nobody ever had it since
the world began, fortunately for themselves; but you must have it,
must you? Well, youve come to the wrong shop for it: youll get no
justice here: we dont keep it. Human nature is what we stock.
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