| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne: "No doubt," said my uncle; "and inhabited too."
"To be sure," said I; "and why should not these waters yield to us
fishes of unknown species?"
"At any rate," he replied, "we have not seen any yet."
"Well, let us make some lines, and see if the bait will draw here as
it does in sublunary regions."
"We will try, Axel, for we must penetrate all secrets of these newly
discovered regions."
"But where are we, uncle? for I have not yet asked you that question,
and your instruments must be able to furnish the answer."
"Horizontally, three hundred and fifty leagues from Iceland."
Journey to the Center of the Earth |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: seems to me that I have decided well and righteously." Thus, by
her own arguments she succeeds in discovering justice, reason,
and common sense, how that there is no cause for hating him; thus
she frames the matter to conform with her desire, and by her own
efforts she kindles her love, as a bush which only smokes with
the flame beneath, until some one blows it or stirs it up. If
the damsel should come in now, she would win the quarrel for
which she had been so reproached, and by which she had been so
hurt. And next morning, in fact, she appeared again, taking the
subject up where she had let it drop. Meanwhile, the lady bowed
her head, knowing she had done wrong in attacking her. But now
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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 Royalty Restored/London Under Charles II by J. Fitzgerald Molloy: catholics were cast into prison; houses were daily searched for
arms and treasonable documents; and in good time merciless
executions filled up the sum of bitter persecutions.
One of the first victims of this so-called plot was William
Staley, a catholic banker of fair renown. The manner in which
his life was sacrificed will serve as an example of the injustice
meted to those accused. One day, William Staley happened to
enter a pastrycook's shop in Covent Garden, opposite his bank,
where there chanced to stand at the time a fellow named
Carstairs; one of the infamous creatures who, envious of the
honours and riches heaped on Oates and Bedlow, resolved to make
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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 Records of a Family of Engineers by Robert Louis Stevenson: his mother, as her husband, who was a seaman, had for three
years past been confined to a French prison, and the deceased
was the chief support of the family. In order in some measure
to make up the loss to the poor woman for the monthly aliment
regularly allowed her by her late son, it was suggested that a
younger boy, a brother of the deceased, might be taken into
the service. This appeared to be rather a delicate
proposition, but it was left to the landing-master to arrange
according to circumstances; such was the resignation, and at
the same time the spirit, of the poor woman, that she readily
accepted the proposal, and in a few days the younger Scott was
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