| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin: remarks seem to me rather fanciful. See, also, Burgess (ibid. pp.
69, 134) on the same subject.
Many writers, ancient and modern, have noticed the foregoing movements;
and it has already been shown that the aborigines in various
parts of the world often exhibit their shame by looking
downwards or askant, or by restless movements of their eyes.
Ezra cries out (ch. ix. 6), "O, my God! I am ashamed,
and blush to lift up my head to thee, my God." In Isaiah
(ch. I. 6) we meet with the words, "I hid not my face from shame."
Seneca remarks (Epist. xi. 5) "that the Roman players hang down
their heads, fix their eyes on the ground and keep them lowered,
Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Second Home by Honore de Balzac: permissible in the interests of religion, cloak what was premeditated
purpose under some pretext of her own carelessness or the scarcity in
the market. She would often exculpate herself at the expense of the
cook, and even go so far as to scold him. At that time young lawyers
did not, as they do now, keep the fasts of the Church, the four
rogation seasons, and the vigils of festivals; so Granville was not at
first aware of the regular recurrence of these Lenten meals, which his
wife took care should be made dainty by the addition of teal, moor-
hen, and fish-pies, that their amphibious meat or high seasoning might
cheat his palate. Thus the young man unconsciously lived in strict
orthodoxy, and worked out his salvation without knowing it.
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, etc. by Oscar Wilde: 'And when will that be?' asked Lord Arthur eagerly. 'Will it be
soon?'
'I hope not for a week. I had a very bad time yesterday morning
with it. But one never knows.'
'You are sure to have one before the end of the month then, Lady
Clem?'
'I am afraid so. But how sympathetic you are to-day, Arthur!
Really, Sybil has done you a great deal of good. And now you must
run away, for I am dining with some very dull people, who won't
talk scandal, and I know that if I don't get my sleep now I shall
never be able to keep awake during dinner. Good-bye, Arthur, give
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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 The Crowd by Gustave le Bon: been themselves fascinated first of all by a creed. They are
then able to call up in the souls of their fellows that
formidable force known as faith, which renders a man the absolute
slave of his dream.
The arousing of faith--whether religious, political, or social,
whether faith in a work, in a person, or an idea--has always been
the function of the great leaders of crowds, and it is on this
account that their influence is always very great. Of all the
forces at the disposal of humanity, faith has always been one of
the most tremendous, and the gospel rightly attributes to it the
power of moving mountains. To endow a man with faith is to
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