| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Shadow out of Time by H. P. Lovecraft: In its vast libraries were volumes of texts and pictures holding
the whole of earth's annals-histories and descriptions of every
species that had ever been or that ever would be, with full records
of their arts, their achievements, their languages, and their
psychologies.
With this aeon-embracing knowledge, the Great
Race chose from every era and life-form such thoughts, arts, and
processes as might suit its own nature and situation. Knowledge
of the past, secured through a kind of mind-casting outside the
recognized senses, was harder to glean than knowledge of the future.
In the latter case the course was easier and more material.
Shadow out of Time |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Memorabilia by Xenophon: Athens by comparison with the Boeotians has been lowered, whilst the
spirit of Thebes as against Athens had been correspondingly exalted,
so that those Boeotians who in old days did not venture to give battle
to the Athenians even in their own territory unless they had the
Lacedaemonians and the rest of the Peloponnesians to help them, do
nowadays threaten to make an incursion into Attica single-handed; and
the Athenians, who formerly, if they had to deal with the Boeotians[7]
only, made havoc of their territory, are now afraid the Boeotians may
some day harry Attica.
[6] Lebadeia, 447 B.C.; Delium, 424 B.C. For Tolmides and Hippocrates
see Thuc. i. 113; iv. 100 foll.; Grote, "H. G." v. 471; vi. 533.
The Memorabilia |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: so it would kill the painter's work, and all that that meant.
It would kill the past, and when that was dead, he would be free.
It would kill this monstrous soul-life, and without its hideous warnings,
he would be at peace. He seized the thing, and stabbed the picture
with it.
There was a cry heard, and a crash. The cry was so horrible
in its agony that the frightened servants woke and crept
out of their rooms. Two gentlemen, who were passing in
the square below, stopped and looked up at the great house.
They walked on till they met a policeman and brought him back.
The man rang the bell several times, but there was no answer.
The Picture of Dorian Gray |
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 Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: CHASUBLE. Admirably! Admirably! [Takes out watch.] And now,
dear Mr. Worthing, I will not intrude any longer into a house of
sorrow. I would merely beg you not to be too much bowed down by
grief. What seem to us bitter trials are often blessings in
disguise.
MISS PRISM. This seems to me a blessing of an extremely obvious
kind.
[Enter CECILY from the house.]
CECILY. Uncle Jack! Oh, I am pleased to see you back. But what
horrid clothes you have got on! Do go and change them.
MISS PRISM. Cecily!
|
