| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Life of the Spider by J. Henri Fabre: Grasshopper and many others draw their bow, which is on the right
wing-case, over the sounding apparatus, which is on the left wing-
case. They are right-handed.
When you and I take an unpremeditated turn, we spin round on our
right heel. The left side, the weaker, moves on the pivot of the
right, the stronger. In the same way, nearly all the Molluscs that
have spiral shells roll their coils from left to right. Among the
numerous species in both land and water fauna, only a very few are
exceptional and turn from right to left.
It would be interesting to try and work out to what extent that
part of the zoological kingdom which boasts a two-sided structure
The Life of the Spider |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: little experiments, but will here give only the most striking case: I took
in February three table-spoonfuls of mud from three different points,
beneath water, on the edge of a little pond; this mud when dry weighed only
6 3/4 ounces; I kept it covered up in my study for six months, pulling up
and counting each plant as it grew; the plants were of many kinds, and were
altogether 537 in number; and yet the viscid mud was all contained in a
breakfast cup! Considering these facts, I think it would be an
inexplicable circumstance if water-birds did not transport the seeds of
fresh-water plants to vast distances, and if consequently the range of
these plants was not very great. The same agency may have come into play
with the eggs of some of the smaller fresh-water animals.
On the Origin of Species |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Disputation of the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences by Dr. Martin Luther: 8. [33] Cavendi sunt nimis, qui dicunt venias illas Pape donum
esse illud dei inestimabile, quo reconciliatur homo deo.
9. [34] Gratie enim ille veniales tantum respiciunt penas
satisfactionis sacramentalis ab homine constitutas.
10. [35] Non christiana predicant, qui docent, quod redempturis
animas vel confessionalia non sit necessaria contritio.
11. [36] Quilibet christianus vere compunctus habet remissionem
plenariam a pena et culpa etiam sine literis veniarum sibi
debitam.
12. [37] Quilibet versus christianus, sive vivus sive mortuus,
habet participationem omnium bonorum Christi et Ecclesie etiam
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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 Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: as a result of this postponement, he missed Aggie, who went to a
friend's house for dinner, leaving word for him to follow. For
the first time in his life, Jimmy disobeyed Aggie's orders, and,
later on, when he "trundled off to bed" alone, he again recalled
that it was Zoie Hardy who was always causing hard feeling
between him and his spouse.
Some hours later, when Aggie reached home with misgivings because
Jimmy had not joined her, she was surprised to find him sleeping
as peacefully as a cherub. "Poor dear," she murmured, "I hope he
wasn't lonesome." And she stole away to her room.
The next morning when Aggie did not appear at the breakfast
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