| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mansion by Henry van Dyke: luxuries of life, were beneath the notice of a house that had its
foundations in the high finance, and was built literally and
figuratively
in the shadow of St. Petronius' Church.
At the same time there was something self-pleased and
congratulatory in
the way in which the mansion held its own amid the changing
neighborhood.
It almost seemed to be lifted up a little, among the tall
buildings
near at hand, as if it felt the rising value of the land on which
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Woman and Labour by Olive Schreiner: companion to him, as completely as an act of infidelity on her part would
terminate her claim on him; it is not a matter of indifference whether a
body elected to adjudicate on such points as these consists of males
solely, or females solely, or of both combined. As it consists of one, or
the other, or of both, so not only will the answers vary, but, in some
cases, will they be completely diverse. Here we come into that very
narrow, but important, region, where sex as sex manifestly plays its part;
where the male as male and the female as female have each their body of
perceptions and experiences, which they do not hold in common; here one sex
cannot adequately represent the other. It is here that each sexual part
has something radically distinct to contribute to the wisdom of the race.
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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 Dracula by Bram Stoker: nightdress close around her, as though she felt the cold.
I flung the warm shawl over her, and drew the edges tight around
her neck, for I dreaded lest she should get some deadly chill
from the night air, unclad as she was. I feared to wake her
all at once, so, in order to have my hands free to help her,
I fastened the shawl at her throat with a big safety pin.
But I must have been clumsy in my anxiety and pinched
or pricked her with it, for by-and-by, when her breathing
became quieter, she put her hand to her throat again and moaned.
When I had her carefully wrapped up I put my shoes on her feet,
and then began very gently to wake her.
Dracula |
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 Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: were wrapped in coverings of woven grass, and the hair between their
ears was puffed out like a peruke. As they stood quietly eating, they
switched their tails gently to and fro. The proconsul regarded them in
silent admiration.
They were indeed wonderful animals; supple as serpents, light as
birds. They were trained to gallop rapidly, following the arrow of the
rider, and dash into the midst of a group of the enemy, overturning
men and biting them savagely as they fell. They were sure-footed among
rocky passes, and would jump fearlessly over yawning chasms; and,
while ready to gallop across the plains a whole day without tiring,
they would stop instantly at the command of the rider.
Herodias |
