| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Rezanov by Gertrude Atherton: ful if he had ever had ten minutes' conversation
with a young girl before, never with one whose face
and form were as arresting as her crystal purity.
He was fascinated, but more than ever on his guard.
As he rode over the sand hills to the Mission she
clung fast to his thoughts and he speculated upon
the woman hidden away in the depths of that lovely
shell like the deep color within the tight Castilian
buds that opened so slowly. He recalled the per-
sonalities of the young officers that surrounded her.
They were charming fellows, gay, kindly, honest;
Rezanov |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy: raised himself, and it seemed to Vasili Andreevich that he said
something.
'Listen to such fools as you! Am I to die like this for
nothing?' exclaimed Vasili Andreevich. And tucking the loose
skirts of his fur coat in under his knees, he turned the horse
and rode away from the sledge in the direction in which he
thought the forest and the forester's hut must be.
VII
From the time he had covered himself with the sackcloth and
seated himself behind the sledge, Nikita had not stirred. Like
all those who live in touch with nature and have known want, he
Master and Man |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther: pontiffs and opinions of our theologians. An infinite number of
souls have been drawn down to hell by these snares, so that you
may recognise the work of antichrist.
In brief, as poverty is imperilled amid riches, honesty amid
business, humility amid honours, abstinence amid feasting, purity
amid pleasures, so is justification by faith imperilled among
ceremonies. Solomon says, "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and
his clothes not be burned?" (Prov. vi. 27). And yet as we must
live among riches, business, honours, pleasures, feastings, so
must we among ceremonies, that is among perils. Just as infant
boys have the greatest need of being cherished in the bosoms and
|
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 1984 by George Orwell: away from him, aware only that it was the memory of some action which he
would have liked to undo but could not.
'You are very young,' he said. 'You are ten or fifteen years younger than
I am. What could you see to attract you in a man like me?'
'It was something in your face. I thought I'd take a chance. I'm good at
spotting people who don't belong. As soon as I saw you I knew you were
against THEM.'
THEM, it appeared, meant the Party, and above all the Inner Party, about
whom she talked with an open jeering hatred which made Winston feel uneasy,
although he knew that they were safe here if they could be safe anywhere.
A thing that astonished him about her was the coarseness of her language.
1984 |
