| 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: say.
But what I have to tell is more than this. Two years ago,
when I was prospecting about 500 miles east in the desert, I came
on a lot of queer pieces of dressed stone perhaps 3 X 2 X 2 feet
in size, and weathered and pitted to the very limit.
At first
I couldn't find any of the marks the blackfellows told about,
but when I looked close enough I could make out some deeply carved
lines in spite of the weathering. There were peculiar curves,
just like what the blackfellows had tried to describe. I imagine
there must have been thirty or forty blocks, some nearly buried
Shadow out of Time |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne: vessel like the Susquehanna. In thirty-six hours she had covered
that distance; and on the 14th of December, at twenty-seven
minutes past one at night, she entered the bay of San Francisco.
At the sight of a ship of the national navy arriving at full speed,
with her bowsprit broken, public curiosity was greatly roused.
A dense crowd soon assembled on the quay, waiting for them
to disembark.
After casting anchor, Captain Blomsberry and Lieutenant
Bronsfield entered an eight-pared cutter, which soon brought
them to land.
They jumped on to the quay.
From the Earth to the Moon |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: of clay, nor had she the power to quicken them to life. Ever must
they lie thus until dominated by the cold, heartless brain of the
kaldane. The girl sighed in pity even as she shuddered in disgust
as she picked her way over and among the sprawled creatures
toward the flier.
Quickly she and Ghek mounted to the deck after the latter had
cast off the moorings. Tara tested the control, raising and
lowering the ship a few feet within the walled space. It
responded perfectly. Then she lowered it to the ground again and
waited. From the open doorway came the sounds of conflict, now
nearing them, now receding. The girl, having witnessed her
The Chessmen of Mars |
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 Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: saith, `I remembered God and was glad.'
"But when the adversary, seeking another fashion of war,
proposeth high and arrogant thoughts, and suggesteth the glory of
the kingdom of this world, which thou hast forsaken, and all its
lures, hold out, as a shield before thee, the saving word that
saith, `When ye shall have done all those things which are
commanded you, say, "We are unprofitable servants, for we have
done that which was our duty to do."' And, indeed, which of us
is able to repay the debt that we owe our Master, for that he,
though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we
through his poverty might become rich, and, being without
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