| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Unsocial Socialist by George Bernard Shaw: deer forest of. It is easy enough to make a deer forest, as trees
are not necessary there. You simply drive off the peasants,
destroy their houses, and make a desert of the land. However, my
father did not shoot much himself; he generally let the forest
out by the season to those who did. He purchased a wife of gentle
blood too, with the unsatisfactory result now before you. That is
how Jesse Trefusis, a poor Manchester bagman, contrived to be
come a plutocrat and gentleman of landed estate. And also how I,
who never did a stroke of work in my life, am overburdened with
wealth; whilst the children of the men who made that wealth are
slaving as their fathers slaved, or starving, or in 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 The Koran: Say, 'O my servants who believe fear your Lord! for those who do
well in this world is good, and God's earth is spacious; verily, the
patient shall be paid their hire without count!'
Say, 'Verily, I am bidden to serve God, being sincere in religion to
Him; and I am bidden that I be the first of those resigned.'
Say, 'Verily, I fear, if I rebel against my Lord, the torment of a
mighty day.' Say, 'God do I serve, being sincere in my religion to
Him; serve then what ye will beside Him!' Say, 'Verily, the losers are
those who lose themselves and their families on the resurrection
day. Aye, that is the obvious loss.'
They shall have over them shades of fire, and under them shades;
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: "It's not. Don't you think I've liked it?"
I leaned forward.
"Dear Judy," I said, "very soon it will be over, and we shall go
our several ways once more. And if we don't meet, as the months
and years go by, when other cleverer, better men walk by your
side, and glorious days crowd thick about you, throw a spare
thought to the old time when you were a strolling player, and the
poor fool you gave the honour of your company."
She turned her head away, but she did not speak.
"You'll not forget me, Judy?"
She caught her breath and slipped a hand under her mask for a
The Brother of Daphne |
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 Pierrette by Honore de Balzac: slid on the pond and I pulled you out of the hole in which we were
nearly drowned together.
Adieu, my dear Pierrette; in a few days, if God wills, we shall be
happy. Alas, I dare not tell you the only thing that may hinder
our meeting. But God loves us! In a few days I shall see my dear
Pierrette at liberty, without troubles, without any one to hinder
my looking at you--for, ah! Pierrette, I hunger to see you--
Pierrette, Pierrette, who deigns to love me and to tell me so.
Yes, Pierrette, I will be your lover when I have earned the
fortune you deserve; till then I will be to you only a devoted
servant whose life is yours to do what you please with it. Adieu.
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