| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: pained by such tender, such flattering supplication,
could not allow it to influence her. Isabella then
tried another method. She reproached her with having
more affection for Miss Tilney, though she had known her
so little a while, than for her best and oldest friends,
with being grown cold and indifferent, in short,
towards herself. "I cannot help being jealous, Catherine,
when I see myself slighted for strangers, I, who love
you so excessively! When once my affections are placed,
it is not in the power of anything to change them.
But I believe my feelings are stronger than anybody's;
Northanger Abbey |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Octopus by Frank Norris: once more proceed.
Hilma looked from the carry-all, scanning the open plain in front
of the advancing line of the drive.
"Where are the rabbits?" she asked of Annixter. "I don't see any
at all."
"They are way ahead of us yet," he said. "Here, take the
glasses."
He passed her his field glasses, and she adjusted them.
"Oh, yes," she cried, "I see. I can see five or six, but oh, so
far off."
"The beggars run 'way ahead, at first."
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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 Crowd by Gustave le Bon: representations. The entire audience experiences at the same
time the same emotions, and if these emotions are not at once
transformed into acts, it is because the most unconscious
spectator cannot ignore that he is the victim of illusions, and
that he has laughed or wept over imaginary adventures.
Sometimes, however, the sentiments suggested by the images are so
strong that they tend, like habitual suggestions, to transform
themselves into acts. The story has often been told of the
manager of a popular theatre who, in consequence of his only
playing sombre dramas, was obliged to have the actor who took the
part of the traitor protected on his leaving the theatre, to
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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 A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay: head of the ravine. Its walls had still further closed in and,
except at those moments when Branchspell was directly behind them,
they strode along all the time in deep shade; but still it was
disagreeably hot and relaxing. All life had ceased. A beautiful,
fantastic spectacle was presented by the cliff faces, the rocky
ground, and the boulders that choked the entire width of the gorge.
They were a snow-white crystalline limestone, heavily scored by veins
of bright, gleaming blue. The rivulet was no longer green, but a
clear, transparent crystal. Its noise was musical, and altogether it
looked most romantic and charming, but Leehallfae seemed to find
something else in it - aer features grew more and more set and
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