| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tales of Unrest by Joseph Conrad: times he got up and whispered to his wife. He accompanied the
strangers across the ravine at the back of the station-ground, and
returned slowly looking very thoughtful. When questioned by the white
men he was very strange, seemed not to understand, seemed to have
forgotten French--seemed to have forgotten how to speak altogether.
Kayerts and Carlier agreed that the nigger had had too much palm wine.
There was some talk about keeping a watch in turn, but in the evening
everything seemed so quiet and peaceful that they retired as usual.
All night they were disturbed by a lot of drumming in the villages. A
deep, rapid roll near by would be followed by another far off--then
all ceased. Soon short appeals would rattle out here and there, then
Tales of Unrest |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The First Men In The Moon by H. G. Wells: the moon from my eyes, and in a state of mind that was, I now recall,
incredibly free from anxiety or any distressful quality, I sat down to
begin a vigil in that little speck of matter in infinite space that would
last until I should strike the earth. The heater had made the sphere
tolerably warm, the air had been refreshed by the oxygen, and except for
that faint congestion of the head that was always with me while I was away
from earth, I felt entire physical comfort. I had extinguished the light
again, lest it should fail me in the end; I was in darkness, save for the
earthshine and the glitter of the stars below me. Everything was so
absolutely silent and still that I might indeed have been the only being
in the universe, and yet, strangely enough, I had no more feeling of
The First Men In The Moon |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. Wells: fools, weaklings, cowards, passionate idiots,--I grant you.
That is the brown cloak side of them, so to speak. But they
are not such fools and so forth that they can't do pretty
well materially if once we hammer out a sane collective
method of getting and using fuel. Which people generally will
understand--in the place of our present methods of snatch and
wrangle. Of that I am absolutely convinced. Some work, some
help, some willingness you can get out of everybody. That's
the red. And the same principle applies to most labour and
property problems, to health, to education, to population,
social relationships and war and peace. We haven't got the
|
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 Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: "It is amazingly; it may well suggest amazement
if they do--for they read nearly as many as women.
I myself have read hundreds and hundreds. Do not imagine
that you can cope with me in a knowledge of Julias
and Louisas. If we proceed to particulars, and engage
in the never-ceasing inquiry of 'Have you read this?'
and 'Have you read that?' I shall soon leave you as far
behind me as--what shall I say?--l want an appropriate
simile.--as far as your friend Emily herself left poor
Valancourt when she went with her aunt into Italy.
Consider how many years I have had the start of you.
Northanger Abbey |
