| 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: today to pass away, French fashions with their easeless and grotesque
variations (shaped not for use or beauty, but the attracting of attention)
would die out. And the extent to which any woman today, not herself
belonging to the parasite class and still labouring, attempts to follow
afar off the fashions of the parasite, may be taken generally as an almost
certain indication of the ease with which she would accept parasitism were
its conditions offered her. The tendency of the cultured and
intellectually labouring woman of today to adopt a more rational type of
attire, less shaped to attract attention to the individual than to confer
comfort and abstain from impeding activity, is often spoken of as an
attempt on the part of woman slavishly to imitate man. What is really
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Dreams by Olive Schreiner: And I said to God, "Why is that hand so bloodless?"
And God said, "It is a wine-pressed hand."
And men saw it and started to their feet; and women cried, and ran to the
great wine jars, and threw their arms around them, and cried, "Ours, our
own, our beloved!" and twined their long hair about them.
I said to God, "Why are they frightened of that one small hand?"
God answered, "Because it is so white."
And men ran in a great company towards the curtain, and struggled there. I
heard them strike upon the floor. And when they moved away the curtain
hung smooth and still; and there was a small stain upon the floor.
I said to God, "Why do they not wash it out?"
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