| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: the lad had gathered on the banks of Lake Grant, enabled them to make some
refreshing drinks, which they gave him without his taking any notice of it.
His fever was extremely high, and all that day and night passed without his
becoming conscious.
Herbert's life hung on a thread, and this thread might break at any
moment. The next day, the 12th of November, the hopes of Harding and his
companions slightly revived. Herbert had come out of his long stupor. He
opened his eyes, he recognized Cyrus Harding, the reporter, and Pencroft.
He uttered two or three words. He did not know what had happened. They told
him, and Spilett begged him to remain perfectly still, telling him that his
life was not in danger, and that his wounds would heal in a few days.
The Mysterious Island |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin: was convenient for geologizing. The house where we slept
was situated at the foot of a mountain, on the summit of
which are the mines of S. Pedro de Nolasko. Sir F. Head
marvels how mines have been discovered in such extraordinary
situations, as the bleak summit of the mountain of S.
Pedro de Nolasko. In the first place, metallic veins in this
country are generally harder than the surrounding strata:
hence, during the gradual wear of the hills, they project
above the surface of the ground. Secondly, almost every
labourer, especially in the northern parts of Chile, understands
something about the appearance of ores. In the great
The Voyage of the Beagle |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from De Profundis by Oscar Wilde: what to do, so I flung myself on my knees, and bowed my head, and
wept, and said, 'The body of a child is as the body of the Lord: I
am not worthy of either.' That moment seemed to save me. I saw
then that the only thing for me was to accept everything. Since
then - curious as it will no doubt sound - I have been happier. It
was of course my soul in its ultimate essence that I had reached.
In many ways I had been its enemy, but I found it waiting for me as
a friend. When one comes in contact with the soul it makes one
simple as a child, as Christ said one should be.
It is tragic how few people ever 'possess their souls' before they
die. 'Nothing is more rare in any man,' says Emerson, 'than an act
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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 Smalcald Articles by Dr. Martin Luther: us, like Sodom and Gomorrah, because we so wantonly mock Him
with the Council.
Besides such necessary ecclesiastical affairs, there would be
also in the political estate innumerable matters of great
importance to improve. There is the disagreement between the
princes and the states; usury and avarice have burst in like a
flood, and have become lawful [are defended with a show of
right]; wantonness, lewdness, extravagance in dress, gluttony,
gambling, idle display, with all kinds of bad habits and
wickedness, insubordination of subjects, of domestics and
laborers of every trade, also the exactions [and most
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