| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Middlemarch by George Eliot: of him that in this meeting to which he had come with bitter resolution
he had ended by a confession which might be interpreted into asking
for her fortune. Moreover, it was actually true that he was fearful
of the effect which such confessions might have on Dorothea herself.
She looked at him from that distance in some trouble, imagining that
there might hate been an offence in her words. But all the while
there was a current of thought in her about his probable want
of money, and the impossibility of her helping him. If her uncle
had been at home, something might have been done through him!
It was this preoccupation with the hardship of Will's wanting money,
while she had what ought to have been his share, which led her to say,
Middlemarch |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Woman and Labour by Olive Schreiner: and polished his boots ill; may he not even sharply condemn her, and assure
her she will have to leave unless she works harder and rises earlier? Does
he exclaim to her, "Divine child-bearer! Potential mother of the race!
Why should you clean my boots or bring up my tea, while I lie warm in bed?
Is it not enough you should have the holy and mysterious power of bringing
the race to life? Let that content you. Henceforth I shall get up at dawn
and make my own tea and clean my own boots, and pay you just the same!"
Or, should his landlady, now about to give birth to her ninth child, send
him up a poorly-cooked dinner or forget to bring up his scuttle of coals,
does he send for her and thus apostrophise the astonished matron: "Child-
bearer of the race! Producer of men! Cannot you be contented with so
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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 The Poems of Goethe, Bowring, Tr. by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Far on the breadth of the couch, leaving her hand still in mine
Heartfelt love unites us for ever, and yearnings unsullied,
And our cravings alone claim for themselves the exchange.
One faint touch of the hand, and her eyes so heavenly see I
Once more open. Ah, no! let me still look on that form!
Closed still remain! Ye make me confused and drunken, ye rob me
Far too soon of the bliss pure contemplation affords.
Mighty, indeed, are these figures! these limbs, how gracefully rounded!
Theseus, could'st thou e'er fly, whilst Ariadne thus slept?
Only one single kiss on these lips! Oh, Theseus, now leave us!
Gaze on her eyes! she awakes--Firmly she holds thee embrac'd
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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 A Voyage to Abyssinia by Father Lobo: examined them one by one with a dissatisfied look, and told me that
however he might be pleased with our good attentions, he thought our
present such as could not be offered to a king without affronting
him; and made me a sign with his hand to withdraw, and take back
what I had brought. I obeyed, telling him that perhaps he might
send for it again without having so much. The Chec Furt, who had
been the occasion of all this, coming to us afterwards, blamed us
exceedingly for having offered so little, and being told by us that
the present was picked out by himself, that we had nothing better to
give, and that what we had left would scarce defray the expenses of
our journey, he pressed us at least to add something, but could
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