| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from When the World Shook by H. Rider Haggard: have mentioned. Presently it seemed to open out as a courtyard
might at the end of a passage; yes, to open on to some vast place
whereof in that gloom we could not see the roof or the limits.
All we knew was that it must be enormous--the echoes of our
voices and footsteps told us as much, for these seemed to come
back to us from high, high above and from far, far away. Bickley
and I said nothing; we were too overcome. But Bastin remarked:
"Did you ever go to Olympia? I did once to see a kind of play
where the people said nothing, only ran about dressed up. They
told me it was religious, the sort of thing a clergyman should
study. I didn't think it religious at all. It was all about a nun
When the World Shook |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: those who do believe. But those who fear shall be above them on the
resurrection day. God gives provision unto whom He will without
account.
Men were one nation once, and God sent prophets with good tidings
and with warnings, and sent down with them the Book in truth, to judge
between men in that wherein they disagreed; but none did disagree
therein save those who had been given it after that manifest signs had
come to them, through greed amongst themselves; and God guided those
who did believe to that truth concerning which they disagreed by His
permission, for God guides whom He will unto the right path.
Did ye count to enter Paradise, while there had nothing come to
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Herland by Charlotte Gilman: of what I had honestly supposed to be a physiological necessity
was a psychological necessity--or so believed. I found, after my
ideas of what was essential had changed, that my feelings changed also.
And more than all, I found this--a factor of enormous weight--these
women were not provocative. That made an immense difference.
The thing that Terry had so complained of when we first
came--that they weren't "feminine," they lacked "charm," now
became a great comfort. Their vigorous beauty was an aesthetic
pleasure, not an irritant. Their dress and ornaments had not a
touch of the "come-and-find-me" element.
Even with my own Ellador, my wife, who had for a time
Herland |
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 Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy: steam. Then, biting off a tiny bit of sugar, he bowed to his
hosts, said, 'Your health!' and drew in the steaming liquid.
'If somebody would see us as far as the turning,' said Vasili
Andreevich.
'Well, we can do that,' said the eldest son. 'Petrushka will
harness and go that far with you.'
'Well, then, put in the horse, lad, and I shall be thankful to
you for it.'
'Oh, what for, dear man?' said the kindly old woman. 'We are
heartily glad to do it.'
'Petrushka, go and put in the mare,' said the eldest brother.
Master and Man |
