| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay: moist and sensitive that it resembled another kind of kiss. He saw
who it was that embraced him - a pale, beautiful girl. Yet, oddly
enough, he experienced neither voluptuousness nor sexual pride. The
love expressed by the caress was rich, glowing, and personal, but
there was not the least trace of sex in it - and so he received it.
She removed her tentacle, placed her two arms on his shoulders and
penetrated with her eyes right into his very soul.
"Yes, I wish to be pure," he muttered. "Without that what can I ever
be but a weak, squirming devil?"
Joiwind released him. "This we call the 'magn,' " she said,
indicating her tentacle. "By means of it what we love already we
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Tanach: Hosea 1: 5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.'
Hosea 1: 6 And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And He said unto him: 'Call her name Lo-ruhamah; for I will no more have compassion upon the house of Israel, that I should in any wise pardon them.
Hosea 1: 7 But I will have compassion upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, nor by horses, nor by horsemen.' Hosea 1: 8 Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.
Hosea 1: 9 And He said: 'Call his name Lo-ammi; for ye are not My people, and I will not be yours.'
Hosea 1: 10 (2:1) Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass that, instead of that which was said unto them: 'Ye are not My people', it shall be said unto them: 'Ye are the children of the living God.'
Hosea 1: 11 (2:2) And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and shall go up out of the land; for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
Hosea 2: 1 (2:3) Say ye unto your brethren: 'Ammi'; and to your sisters, 'Ruhamah.'
The Tanach |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Snow Image by Nathaniel Hawthorne: memory, and, standing on tiptoe in the crowd, with his white
apron over his head, he beheld the courteous little innkeeper.
And lastly, there sailed over the heads of the multitude a great,
broad laugh, broken in the midst by two sepulchral hems; thus,
"Haw, haw, haw,--hem, hem,--haw, haw, haw, haw!"
The sound proceeded from the balcony of the opposite edifice, and
thither Robin turned his eyes. In front of the Gothic window
stood the old citizen, wrapped in a wide gown, his gray periwig
exchanged for a nightcap, which was thrust back from his
forehead, and his silk stockings hanging about his legs. He
supported himself on his polished cane in a fit of convulsive
The Snow Image |
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 War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells: When his eyes were clear again he saw the monster had
passed and was rushing landward. Big iron upperworks rose
out of this headlong structure, and from that twin funnels
projected and spat a smoking blast shot with fire. It was the
torpedo ram, THUNDER CHILD, steaming headlong, coming to
the rescue of the threatened shipping.
Keeping his footing on the heaving deck by clutching the
bulwarks, my brother looked past this charging leviathan at
the Martians again, and he saw the three of them now close
together, and standing so far out to sea that their tripod
supports were almost entirely submerged. Thus sunken, and
War of the Worlds |
