| 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: chamber. When Maskull attempted to plumb the chasm with his eyes, he
saw nothing but black obscurity.
"What is at the bottom?" he asked.
"Death for you, if you go to look for it."
"We know that. I mean, is there any kind of life down there?"
"Not that I have ever heard of," said Oceaxe, "but of course all
things are possible."
"I think very likely there is life," he returned thoughtfully.
Her ironical laugh sounded out of the gloom. "Shall we go down and
see?"
"You find that amusing?"
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne: servant, said I, skipping out of it, and pulling off my hat. - We
were wondering, said one of them, who, I found was an INQUISITIVE
TRAVELLER, - what could occasion its motion. - 'Twas the agitation,
said I, coolly, of writing a preface. - I never heard, said the
other, who was a SIMPLE TRAVELLER, of a preface wrote in a
DESOBLIGEANT. - It would have been better, said I, in a VIS-A-VIS.
- AS AN ENGLISHMAN DOES NOT TRAVEL TO SEE ENGLISHMEN, I retired to
my room.
CALAIS.
I PERCEIVED that something darken'd the passage more than myself,
as I stepp'd along it to my room; it was effectually Mons. Dessein,
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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 Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: "Felix is right," said Phellion; "that journal is to be trusted. On
this occasion I think the government has acted very properly."
"But, my dear commander, I repeat to you that the truth of the affair
has got wind, and your son is shown to be a most admirable fellow. To
put his own discovery to the credit of his old professor so as to
obtain for him the recognition and favor of the authorities--upon my
word, in all antiquity I don't know a finer trait!"
"Felix!" said Phellion, beginning to show some emotion, "these immense
labors to which you have devoted so much time of late, these continual
visits to the Observatory--"
"But, father," interrupted Felix, "Monsieur Minard has been
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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 Taras Bulba and Other Tales by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol: sleep and pull his coverlet over his nose. Scarcely was the sky
touched with the first faint gleams of dawn than he pushed Yankel with
his foot, saying: "Rise, Jew, and give me your count's dress!"
In a moment he was dressed. He blackened his moustache and eyebrows,
put on his head a small dark cap; even the Cossacks who knew him best
would not have recognised him. Apparently he was not more than
thirty-five. A healthy colour glowed on his cheeks, and his scars lent
him an air of command. The gold-embroidered dress became him extremely
well.
The streets were still asleep. Not a single one of the market folk as
yet showed himself in the city, with his basket on his arm. Yankel and
Taras Bulba and Other Tales |
