The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Woman and Labour by Olive Schreiner: agonising moments must arise, when the individual, seeing the necessity for
adopting new courses of action, or for accepting new truths, or conforming
to new conditions, will yet be tortured by the hold of traditional
convictions; and the man or woman who attempts to adapt their life to the
new material conditions and to harmony with the new knowledge, is almost
bound at some time to rupture the continuity of their own psychological
existence.
It is these conditions which give rise to the fact so often noticed, that
the art of our age tends persistently to deal with subtle social problems,
religious, political, and sexual, to which the art of the past holds no
parallel; and it is so inevitably, because the artist who would obey the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Love and Friendship by Jane Austen: during the course of my attachment to you, to which I have ever
aspired. Oh! when will you reward me with Yourself?"
"This instant, Dear and Amiable Edward." (replied I.). We were
immediately united by my Father, who tho' he had never taken
orders had been bred to the Church.
Adeiu
Laura
LETTER 7th
LAURA to MARIANNE
We remained but a few days after our Marriage, in the Vale of
Uske. After taking an affecting Farewell of my Father, my Mother
 Love and Friendship |