| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Of The Nature of Things by Lucretius: Rousing a mimic warfare- either side
Strengthened with large auxiliaries and horse,
Alike equipped with arms, alike inspired;
Or save when also thou beholdest forth
Thy fleets to swarm, deploying down the sea:
For then, by such bright circumstance abashed,
Religion pales and flees thy mind; O then
The fears of death leave heart so free of care.
But if we note how all this pomp at last
Is but a drollery and a mocking sport,
And of a truth man's dread, with cares at heels,
Of The Nature of Things |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: to know why Felix appeared so miserable and Agatha so sad.
I thought (foolish wretch!) that it might be in my power to restore
happiness to these deserving people. When I slept or was absent,
the forms of the venerable blind father, the gentle Agatha, and the
excellent Felix flitted before me. I looked upon them as superior
beings who would be the arbiters of my future destiny. I formed in
my imagination a thousand pictures of presenting myself to them,
and their reception of me. I imagined that they would be disgusted,
until, by my gentle demeanour and onciliating words, I should first
win their favour and afterwards their love.
"These thoughts exhilarated me and led me to apply with fresh ardour
Frankenstein |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Life of the Spider by J. Henri Fabre: one more corpse hanging from the wall of the cabin, a proof that
the chase was successfully resumed after my departure.
The Clotho, who is not only nocturnal, but also excessively shy,
conceals her habits from us; she shows us her works, those precious
historical documents, but hides her actions, especially the laying,
which I estimate approximately to take place in October. The sum
total of the eggs is divided into five or six small, flat,
lentiform pockets, which, taken together, occupy the greater part
of the maternal home. These capsules have each their own
partition-wall of superb white satin, but they are so closely
soldered, both together and to the floor of the house, that it is
The Life of the Spider |
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 Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: such multitudes as not to be resisted, or, at least, to come so
many and so often as would quite desolate the island, and starve
them. Will Atkins, therefore, who notwithstanding his wound kept
always with them, proved the best counsellor in this case: his
advice was, to take the advantage that offered, and step in between
them and their boats, and so deprive them of the capacity of ever
returning any more to plague the island. They consulted long about
this; and some were against it for fear of making the wretches fly
to the woods and live there desperate, and so they should have them
to hunt like wild beasts, be afraid to stir out about their
business, and have their plantations continually rifled, all their
Robinson Crusoe |
