| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Several Works by Edgar Allan Poe: "'Tis some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door--
Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door;
This it is and nothing more."
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"--here I opened wide the door--
Darkness there and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Dreams by Olive Schreiner: of his fellow-men, if he will; and what his eye lusts for, his hand will
have. He shall not know 'I want.'" And the child lay still like lead.
And another said, "Let me touch him: I am Fame. The man I touch, I lead
to a high hill where all men may see him. When he dies he is not
forgotten, his name rings down the centuries, each echoes it on to his
fellows. Think--not to be forgotten through the ages!"
And the mother lay breathing steadily, but in the brain-picture they
pressed closer to her.
"Let me touch the child," said one, "for I am Love. If I touch him he
shall not walk through life alone. In the greatest dark, when he puts out
his hand he shall find another hand by it. When the world is against him,
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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 Golden Threshold by Sarojini Naidu: Who once wert empress of the sovereign Past.
THE ROYAL TOMBS OF GOLCONDA
I muse among these silent fanes
Whose spacious darkness guards your dust;
Around me sleep the hoary plains
That hold your ancient wars in trust.
I pause, my dreaming spirit hears,
Across the wind's unquiet tides,
The glimmering music of your spears,
The laughter of your royal brides.
In vain, O Kings, doth time aspire
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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 The Symposium by Xenophon: [12] Critobulus, Hermogenes, Antisthenes, Charmides. See "Mem."
A happy chance brings me across your path, just when I am about to
entertain Autolycus and his father at a feast. The splendour of the
entertainment shall be much enhanced, I need not tell you, if my
hall[13] should happily be graced by worthies like yourselves, who
have attained to purity of soul,[14] rather than by generals and
cavalry commanders[15] and a crowd of place-hunters.[16]
[13] Or, "dining-room." See Becker, "Charicles," 265.
[14] See Grote, "H. G." viii. 619 foll. Cf. Plat. "Rep." 527 D;
"Soph." 230 E.
[15] Lit. Strategoi, Hipparchs.
The Symposium |
