| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Dawn O'Hara, The Girl Who Laughed by Edna Ferber: rude, nicht wahr? But in me there is a queer vein of
German superstition that disapproves of air castles.
Sich einbilden, we call it."
The lights of the bay pavilion twinkled just ahead.
The green car poked its nose up the path between rows of
empty machines. At last it drew up, panting, before a
vacant space between an imposing, scarlet touring car and
a smart, cream-colored runabout. We left it there and
walked up the light-flooded path.
Inside the great, barn-like structure that did duty
as pavilion glasses clinked, chairs scraped on the wooden
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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 Turn of the Screw by Henry James: "She may be different? She may be free?" I seized her almost with joy.
"Then, in spite of yesterday, you BELIEVE--"
"In such doings?" Her simple description of them required,
in the light of her expression, to be carried no further,
and she gave me the whole thing as she had never done.
"I believe."
Yes, it was a joy, and we were still shoulder to shoulder: if I might
continue sure of that I should care but little what else happened.
My support in the presence of disaster would be the same as it had
been in my early need of confidence, and if my friend would answer
for my honesty, I would answer for all the rest. On the point of
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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 Fantastic Fables by Ambrose Bierce: Spade, and asked him why he was not at work.
"Because," said the Man Leaning on a Spade, "I belong to the
Gravediggers' National Extortion Society, and we have decided to
limit the production of graves and get more money for the reduced
output. We have a corner in graves and propose to work it to the
best advantage."
"My friend," said the Undertaker Who Was a Member of a Trust, "this
is a most hateful and injurious scheme. If people cannot be
assured of graves, I fear they will no longer die, and the best
interests of civilisation will wither like a frosted leaf."
And blowing his eyes upon his handkerchief, he walked away
Fantastic Fables |
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 Pagan and Christian Creeds by Edward Carpenter: by the appearance of an actual and heroic man (or woman)
who supplied a necessary impetus for the new departure,
and gave his name to the resulting movement? OR is it sufficient
to suppose the automatic formation of such nodes or
starting-points without the intervention of any special
hero or genius, and to imagine that in each case the myth-
making tendency of mankind CREATED a legendary and
inspiring figure and worshiped the same for a long period
afterwards as a god?
As I have said before, this is a question which, interesting
as it is, is not really very important. The main thing being
Pagan and Christian Creeds |
