| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Z. Marcas by Honore de Balzac: abundant and the most favorable to the success of our plans. He
indicated what should be the goal of our studies; he bid us make
haste, explaining to us that time was precious, that emigration would
presently begin, and that its effect would be to deprive France of the
cream of its powers and of its youthful talent; that their
intelligence, necessarily sharpened, would select the best places, and
that the great thing was to be first in the field.
Thenceforward, we often sat late at work under the lamp. Our generous
instructor wrote some notes for our guidance--two pages for Juste and
three for me--full of invaluable advice--the sort of information which
experience alone can supply, such landmarks as only genius can place.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Land that Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs: to experience its like; but at last, as is the way of happiness,
it terminated. We descended to the compound, and I walked with Lys
to the door of her quarters. There again she kissed me and bade
me good night, and then she went in and closed the door.
I went to my own room, and there I sat by the light of one of the
crude candles we had made from the tallow of the beasts we had
killed, and lived over the events of the evening. At last I
turned in and fell asleep, dreaming happy dreams and planning for
the future, for even in savage Caspak I was bound to make my girl
safe and happy. It was daylight when I awoke. Wilson, who was
acting as cook, was up and astir at his duties in the cook-house.
The Land that Time Forgot |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from To-morrow by Joseph Conrad: get."
He extended his hand. "No fear! I haven't
forgotten a single one of you in the world. Some
gave me more than money--but I am a beggar now
--and you women always had to get me out of my
scrapes."
He swaggered up to the parlour window, and in
the dim light filtering through the blind, looked at
the coin lying in his palm. It was a half-sovereign.
He slipped it into his pocket. She stood a little on
one side, with her head drooping, as if wounded;
To-morrow |
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 Great God Pan by Arthur Machen: adamant, began to melt and dissolve.
"I know that the body may be separated into its
elements by external agencies, but I should have refused to
believe what I saw. For here there was some internal force, of
which I knew nothing, that caused dissolution and change.
"Here too was all the work by which man had been made
repeated before my eyes. I saw the form waver from sex to sex,
dividing itself from itself, and then again reunited. Then I
saw the body descend to the beasts whence it ascended, and that
which was on the heights go down to the depths, even to the
abyss of all being. The principle of life, which makes
The Great God Pan |
