| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: Blindness of cave animals
Blyth, Mr., on distinctness of Indian cattle; on striped Hemionus; on
crossed geese
Boar; shoulder-pad of
Borrow, Mr., on the Spanish pointer
Bory St. Vincent, on Batrachians
Bosquet, M., on fossil Chthamalus
Boulders, erratic, on the Azores
Branchiae
Brent, Mr., on house-tumblers; on hawks killing pigeons
Brewer, Dr., on American cuckoo
On the Origin of Species |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Heroes by Charles Kingsley: cruel king hears that a stranger is here.'
But Theseus went up through the town, while the people wept
and prayed, and through the gates of the palace-yard, and
through the piles of bones and skulls, till he came to the
door of Kerkuon's hall, the terror of all mortal men.
And there he saw Kerkuon sitting at the table in the hall
alone; and before him was a whole sheep roasted, and beside
him a whole jar of wine. And Theseus stood and called him,
'Holla, thou valiant wrestler, wilt thou wrestle a fall to-
day?'
And Kerkuon looked up and laughed, and answered, 'I will
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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 Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: It was unconscious, this smile was, though just after
he had said something it got intensified for an instant.
It came at the end of his speeches like a seal applied on
the words to make the meaning of the commonest phrase appear
absolutely inscrutable. He was a common trader, from his youth
up employed in these parts--nothing more. He was obeyed,
yet he inspired neither love nor fear, nor even respect.
He inspired uneasiness. That was it! Uneasiness. Not a
definite mistrust--just uneasiness--nothing more. You have
no idea how effective such a . . . a. . . . faculty can be.
He had no genius for organizing, for initiative, or for order even.
Heart of Darkness |
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 Symposium by Plato: the former instance, he is neither mortal nor immortal, but in a mean
between the two.' 'What is he, Diotima?' 'He is a great spirit (daimon),
and like all spirits he is intermediate between the divine and the mortal.'
'And what,' I said, 'is his power?' 'He interprets,' she replied, 'between
gods and men, conveying and taking across to the gods the prayers and
sacrifices of men, and to men the commands and replies of the gods; he is
the mediator who spans the chasm which divides them, and therefore in him
all is bound together, and through him the arts of the prophet and the
priest, their sacrifices and mysteries and charms, and all prophecy and
incantation, find their way. For God mingles not with man; but through
Love all the intercourse and converse of God with man, whether awake or
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