| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: the withering contempt which flashed from her black eyes was not
lost upon the men-folk in the tent.
Tommy, the English sailor, squirmed, but chivalrous old Dick
Humphries, Cornish fisherman and erstwhile American salmon
capitalist, beamed upon her benevolently as ever. He bore women
too large a portion of his rough heart to mind them, as he said,
when they were in the doldrums, or when their limited vision would
not permit them to see all around a thing. So they said nothing,
these two men who had taken the half-frozen woman into their tent
three days back, and who had warmed her, and fed her, and rescued
her goods from the Indian packers. This latter had necessitated
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A treatise on Good Works by Dr. Martin Luther: faith, which looks for no judgment, but only for pure grace,
favor, kindness and mercy, like David, Psalm xxvi: "Thy loving
kindness is ever before mine eyes, and I have trusted in Thy
truth"; Psalm iv: "The light of Thy countenance is lift up upon
us (that is, the knowledge of Thy grace through faith), and
thereby hast Thou put gladness in my heart"; for as faith trusts,
so it receives.
See, thus are works forgiven, are without guilt and are good, not
by their own nature, but by the mercy and grace of God because
of the faith which trusts on the mercy of God. Therefore we must
fear because of the works, but comfort ourselves because of the
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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 The Duchesse de Langeais by Honore de Balzac: once awaken desire in her, you are safe. But you must drop these
romantic boyish notions of yours. If when once you have her in
your eagle's talons you yield a point or draw back, if you so
much as stir an eyelid, if she thinks that she can regain her
ascendancy over you, she will slip out of your clutches like a
fish, and you will never catch her again. Be as inflexible as
law. Show no more charity than the headsman. Hit hard, and then
hit again. Strike and keep on striking as if you were giving her
the knout. Duchesses are made of hard stuff, my dear Armand;
there is a sort of feminine nature that is only softened by
repeated blows; and as suffering develops a heart in women of
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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 Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake: 'Sweet sleep, come to me,
Underneath this tree;
Do father, mother, weep?
Where can Lyca sleep?
'Lost in desert wild
Is your little child.
How can Lyca sleep
If her mother weep?
'If her heart does ache,
Then let Lyca wake;
If my mother sleep,
Songs of Innocence and Experience |
