| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay: welcomed it - it relieved his pain and diminished his sense of
crushing weight. The wind had dropped with the rising of the sun.
He now tried to get onto his feet, but succeeded only in kneeling.
He was unable to see far. The mists had no more than partially
dissolved, and all that he could distinguish was a narrow circle of
red sand dotted with ten or twenty bushes.
He felt a soft, cool touch on the back of his neck. He started
forward in nervous fright and, in doing so, tumbled over onto the
sand. Looking up over his shoulder quickly, he was astounded to see
a woman standing beside him.
She was clothed in a single flowing, pale green garment, rather
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott: than an owl is to a cygnet, and so they may carry their black
brows to a farther market."
The entertainment being ended, our travellers, who had still to
measure the longest part of their journey, resumed their horses;
and after the Lord Keeper, the Master, and the domestics had
drunk doch-an-dorroch, or the stirrup-cup, in the liquors
adapted to their various ranks, the cavalcade resumed its
progress.
It was dark by the time they entered the avenue of
Ravenswood Castle, a long straight line leading directly to the
front of the house, flanked with huge elm-trees, which sighed to
The Bride of Lammermoor |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Philebus by Plato: PROTARCHUS: Then now, Socrates, let us proceed to the next point.
SOCRATES: There are certainly many things to be considered in discussing
the generation and whole complexion of pleasure. At the outset we must
determine the nature and seat of desire.
PROTARCHUS: Ay; let us enquire into that, for we shall lose nothing.
SOCRATES: Nay, Protarchus, we shall surely lose the puzzle if we find the
answer.
PROTARCHUS: A fair retort; but let us proceed.
SOCRATES: Did we not place hunger, thirst, and the like, in the class of
desires?
PROTARCHUS: Certainly.
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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 The Koran: Said he, 'My Lord! verily, I have called my people by night and day,
and my call did but increase them in flight; and, verily, every time I
called them, that Thou mightest pardon them, they placed their fingers
in their ears and tried to cover themselves with their garments and
persisted, and were very big with pride. Then I called them openly;
then I published to them and I spoke to them in secret, and I said,
"Ask forgiveness of your Lord, verily, He is very forgiving. He will
send the rain upon you in torrents, and will extend to you wealth
and children, and will make for you gardens, and will make for you
rivers. What ails you that ye hope not for something serious from God,
when He has created you by steps? Do ye not see how God has created
The Koran |
