| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Phaedrus by Plato: are very pleasant. But the lover is not only hurtful to his love; he is
also an extremely disagreeable companion. The old proverb says that 'birds
of a feather flock together'; I suppose that equality of years inclines
them to the same pleasures, and similarity begets friendship; yet you may
have more than enough even of this; and verily constraint is always said to
be grievous. Now the lover is not only unlike his beloved, but he forces
himself upon him. For he is old and his love is young, and neither day nor
night will he leave him if he can help; necessity and the sting of desire
drive him on, and allure him with the pleasure which he receives from
seeing, hearing, touching, perceiving him in every way. And therefore he
is delighted to fasten upon him and to minister to him. But what pleasure
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy: human groups, who had met there for tragedy, comedy, farce;
real enactments of the intensest kind. At Fourways men had stood
and talked of Napoleon, the loss of America, the execution
of King Charles, the burning of the Martyrs, the Crusades,
the Norman Conquest, possibly of the arrival of Caesar.
Here the two sexes had met for loving, hating, coupling, parting;
had waited, had suffered, for each other; had triumphed over
each other; cursed each other in jealousy, blessed each other
in forgiveness.
He began to see that the town life was a book of humanity infinitely
more palpitating, varied, and compendious than the gown life.
Jude the Obscure |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum: might lead us to some place that is more comfortable than this black
pocket we are now in. I suppose the vegetable folk were always
afraid to enter this cavern because it is dark; but we have our
lanterns to light the way, so I propose that we start out and discover
where this tunnel in the mountain leads to."
The others agreed readily to this sensible suggestion, and at once the
boy began to harness Jim to the buggy. When all was in readiness the
three took their seats in the buggy and Jim started cautiously along
the way, Zeb driving while the Wizard and Dorothy each held a lighted
lantern so the horse could see where to go.
Sometimes the tunnel was so narrow that the wheels of the buggy grazed
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz |
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 Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft: MARIA
or
The Wrongs of Woman
by MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT
(1759-1797)
After the edition of 1798
CONTENTS
Preface by William S. Godwin
Author's Preface
Maria
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