| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving: Such is the general purport of this legendary superstition,
which has furnished materials for many a wild story in that
region of shadows; and the spectre is known at all the country
firesides, by the name of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.
It is remarkable that the visionary propensity I have
mentioned is not confined to the native inhabitants of the
valley, but is unconsciously imbibed by every one who resides
there for a time. However wide awake they may have been before
they entered that sleepy region, they are sure, in a little time,
to inhale the witching influence of the air, and begin to grow
imaginative, to dream dreams, and see apparitions.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Rig Veda: 20 Harness the steeds who draw the car, O Vasu, bring the well-fed
pair.
O Vayu, drink thou of our meath: come unto our drink-offerings.
21 Wonderful Vayu, Lord of Right, thou who art Tvastar's son-in-law,
Thy saving succour we elect.
22 To Tvastar's son-in-law we pray for wealth whereof he hath
control:
For glory we seek vayu, men with juice effused.
23 From heaven, auspicious Vayu, come drive hither with thy
noble
steeds:
The Rig Veda |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: "You mean things get unstuck so on the voyage," murmured Constantia.
"No, lost," said Josephine sharply. "You know there's no post. Only
runners."
Both paused to watch a black man in white linen drawers running through the
pale fields for dear life, with a large brown-paper parcel in his hands.
Josephine's black man was tiny; he scurried along glistening like an ant.
But there was something blind and tireless about Constantia's tall, thin
fellow, which made him, she decided, a very unpleasant person indeed...On
the veranda, dressed all in white and wearing a cork helmet, stood Benny.
His right hand shook up and down, as father's did when he was impatient.
And behind him, not in the least interested, sat Hilda, the unknown sister-
|
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 Seraphita by Honore de Balzac: scene of the preceding evening wholly natural. The celestial truths to
which they had listened were arguments susceptible of examination;
Seraphita was a girl, more or less eloquent; allowance must be made
for the charms of her voice, her seductive beauty, her fascinating
motions, in short, for all those oratorical arts by which an actor
puts a world of sentiment and thought into phrases which are often
commonplace.
"Bah!" said the worthy pastor, making a philosophical grimace as he
spread a layer of salt butter on his slice of bread, "the final word
of all these fine enigmas is six feet under ground."
"But," said Wilfrid, sugaring his tea, "I cannot image how a young
Seraphita |
