| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Chita: A Memory of Last Island by Lafcadio Hearn: Then, if the sea sleeps, it dreams of all these,--faintly,
weirdly,--shadowing them even to the verge of heaven.
Beautiful, too, are those white phantasmagoria which, at the
approach of equinoctial days, mark the coming of the winds. Over
the rim of the sea a bright cloud gently pushes up its head. It
rises; and others rise with it, to right and left--slowly at
first; then more swiftly. All are brilliantly white and
flocculent, like loose new cotton. Gradually they mount in
enormous line high above the Gulf, rolling and wreathing into an
arch that expands and advances,--bending from horizon to horizon.
A clear, cold breath accompanies its coming. Reaching the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: "I must, child."
"You must not;" the other insisted. "Think what it may mean - Richard's
life, perhaps. No, no, Ruth, dear. Go on; go on to Zoyland. I'll
follow you in a few minutes."
"I'll wait for you," said Ruth with firmness.
At that Diana rose, and in rising staggered. "Then we'll push on at
once," she gasped, as if speech itself were an excruciating effort.
"But you are in no case to stand!" said Ruth. "Sit, Diana, sit."
"Either you go on alone or I go with you, but go at once you must. At
any moment Mr. Wilding may go forth, and your chance is lost. I'll not
have Richard's blood upon my head."
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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 Woman and Labour by Olive Schreiner: and intensity of their sexual emotions. And, if possible, with the human
female, the relation between intensity of sexual emotion and high
intellectual gifts has been yet closer. The life of a Sophia Kovalevsky, a
George Eliot, an Elizabeth Browning have not been more marked by a rare
development of the intellect than by deep passionate sexual emotions. Nor
throughout the history of the race has high intelligence and intellectual
power ever tended to make either male or female unattractive to those of
the opposite sex.
The merely brilliantly attired and unintelligent woman, probably never
awakened the same intensity of profound sex emotion even among the men of
her own type, which followed a George Sand; who attracted to herself with
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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 Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker: CHAPTER XIV--BATTLE RENEWED
The consequences of that meeting in the dusk of Diana's Grove were
acute and far-reaching, and not only to the two engaged in it. From
Oolanga, this might have been expected by anyone who knew the
character of the tropical African savage. To such, there are two
passions that are inexhaustible and insatiable--vanity and that
which they are pleased to call love. Oolanga left the Grove with an
absorbing hatred in his heart. His lust and greed were afire, while
his vanity had been wounded to the core. Lady Arabella's icy nature
was not so deeply stirred, though she was in a seething passion.
More than ever she was set upon bringing Edgar Caswall to her feet.
Lair of the White Worm |
