| 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: nothing suggests to us that it will occur at one place rather than
another.
Moreover, to tell the truth, it is not a dehiscence prepared by
means of some dainty piece of mechanism; it is a very irregular
tear. Somewhat sharply, under the fierce heat of the sun, the
satin bursts like the rind of an over-ripe pomegranate. Judging by
the result, we think of the expansion of the air inside, which,
heated by the sun, causes this rupture. The signs of pressure from
within are manifest: the tatters of the torn fabric are turned
outwards; also, a wisp of the russet eiderdown that fills the
wallet invariably straggles through the breach. In the midst of
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 Of The Nature of Things by Lucretius: Why rouseth he beforehand darkling air
And the far din and rumblings? And O how
Canst thou believe he shoots at one same time
Into diverse directions? Or darest thou
Contend that never hath it come to pass
That divers strokes have happened at one time?
But oft and often hath it come to pass,
And often still it must, that, even as showers
And rains o'er many regions fall, so too
Dart many thunderbolts at one same time.
Again, why never hurtles Jupiter
Of The Nature of Things |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: perfectly awful. It seemed to me that if I didn't resist with all
my might something in me would die on the instant. In the
straight, falling folds of the night-dress she looked cold like a
block of marble; while I, too, was turned into stone by the
terrific clamour in the hall.
"Therese, Therese," yelled Ortega. "She has got a man in there."
He ran to the foot of the stairs and screamed again, "Therese,
Therese! There is a man with her. A man! Come down, you
miserable, starved peasant, come down and see."
I don't know where Therese was but I am sure that this voice
reached her, terrible, as if clamouring to heaven, and with a
The Arrow of Gold |
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 Ursula by Honore de Balzac: Bongrand took Ursula's hand and kissed it.
"Do you know what Madame Minoret came about?" said the justice as soon
as they were in the street.
"What?" asked the priest, looking at Bongrand with an air that seemed
merely curious.
"She had some plan for restitution."
"Then you think--" began the abbe.
"I don't think, I know; I have the certainty--and see there!"
So saying, Bongrand pointed to Minoret, who was coming towards them on
his way home.
"When I was a lawyer in the criminal courts," continued Bongrand, "I
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