| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Koran: And God has struck out a parable: two men, one of them dumb, able to
do nothing, a burden to his lord; wherever he directs him he comes not
with success; is he to be held equal with him who bids what is just
and who is on the right way?
God's are the unseen things of the heavens and the earth; nor is the
matter of the Hour aught but as the twinkling of an eye, or nigher
still! Verily, God is mighty over all!
God brings you forth out of the wombs of your mothers knowing
naught; and He makes for you hearing, and sight, and hearts,- haply ye
may give thanks!
Do they not see the birds subjected in the vault of the sky?- none
The Koran |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: Staggering moment! Mary blushed until the tears stood in her eyes, but
Miss Meadows was gone back to the music stand; her voice rang through the
music hall.
"Page fourteen. We will begin with page fourteen. 'A Lament.' Now,
girls, you ought to know it by this time. We shall take it all together;
not in parts, all together. And without expression. Sing it, though,
quite simply, beating time with the left hand."
She raised the baton; she tapped the music stand twice. Down came Mary on
the opening chord; down came all those left hands, beating the air, and in
chimed those young, mournful voices:--
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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 Othello by William Shakespeare: If any wretch haue put this in your head,
Let Heauen requit it with the Serpents curse,
For if she be not honest, chaste, and true,
There's no man happy. The purest of their Wiues
Is foule as Slander
Othe. Bid her come hither: go.
Exit aemilia.
She saies enough: yet she's a simple Baud
That cannot say as much. This is a subtile Whore:
A Closset Locke and Key of Villanous Secrets,
And yet she'le kneele, and pray: I haue seene her do't.
Othello |
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 House of Dust by Conrad Aiken: Not through forgetfulness, but more for pleasure--
Pondering much on all you say in it
Of mystic consciousness--divine conversion--
The sense of oneness with the infinite,--
Faith in the world, its beauty, and its purpose . . .
Well, you believe one must have faith, in some sort,
If one's to talk through this dark world contented.
But is the world so dark? Or is it rather
Our own brute minds,--in which we hurry, trembling,
Through streets as yet unlighted? This, I think.
You have been always, let me say, "romantic,"--
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