| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin: a great fright, for the pot was certainly singing! He stood in the
farthest corner of the room, with his hands up and his mouth open,
for a minute or two, when the singing stopped and the voice became
clear and pronunciative.
"Hollo!" said the voice.
Gluck made no answer.
"Hollo! Gluck, my boy," said the pot again.
Gluck summoned all his energies, walked straight up to the
crucible, drew it out of the furnace, and looked in. The gold was
all melted and its surface as smooth and polished as a river, but
instead of reflecting little Gluck's head, as he looked in he saw,
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lady Susan by Jane Austen: continues to exist, between you and the man whose family you robbed of its
peace in return for the hospitality with which you were received into it;
that you have corresponded with him ever since your leaving Langford; not
with his wife, but with him, and that he now visits you every day. Can you,
dare you deny it? and all this at the time when I was an encouraged, an
accepted lover! From what have I not escaped! I have only to be grateful.
Far from me be all complaint, every sigh of regret. My own folly had
endangered me, my preservation I owe to the kindness, the integrity of
another; but the unfortunate Mrs. Mainwaring, whose agonies while she
related the past seemed to threaten her reason, how is SHE to be consoled!
After such a discovery as this, you will scarcely affect further wonder at
Lady Susan |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf: an unknown sea. Hypnotised by the wings of the butterfly,
and awed by the discovery of a terrible possibility in life,
she sat for some time longer. When the butterfly flew away,
she rose, and with her two books beneath her arm returned home again,
much as a soldier prepared for battle.
Chapter XIV
The sun of that same day going down, dusk was saluted as usual
at the hotel by an instantaneous sparkle of electric lights.
The hours between dinner and bedtime were always difficult enough
to kill, and the night after the dance they were further tarnished
by the peevishness of dissipation. Certainly, in the opinion
|
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 Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: another.
Strange faces smiled at Leila--sweetly, vaguely. Strange voices answered,
"Of course, my dear." But Leila felt the girls didn't really see her.
They were looking towards the men. Why didn't the men begin? What were
they waiting for? There they stood, smoothing their gloves, patting their
glossy hair and smiling among themselves. Then, quite suddenly, as if they
had only just made up their minds that that was what they had to do, the
men came gliding over the parquet. There was a joyful flutter among the
girls. A tall, fair man flew up to Meg, seized her programme, scribbled
something; Meg passed him on to Leila. "May I have the pleasure?" He
ducked and smiled. There came a dark man wearing an eyeglass, then cousin
|
