| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft: was little short of miraculous. Though few or none of their first
cities seem to have remained beyond the Archaean Age, there was
no interruption in their civilization or in the transmission of
their records. Their original place of advent to the planet was
the Antarctic Ocean, and it is likely that they came not long
after the matter forming the moon was wrenched from the neighboring
South Pacific. According to one of the sculptured maps the whole
globe was then under water, with stone cities scattered farther
and farther from the antarctic as aeons passed. Another map shows
a vast bulk of dry land around the south pole, where it is evident
that some of the beings made experimental settlements, though
At the Mountains of Madness |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Prince of Bohemia by Honore de Balzac: dramatic authors. We were obliged to go out again; but before we
started he went to Claudine's room, knocked, as he always does, and
asked for leave to enter.
" 'We live in grand style,' said he, smiling; 'we are free. Each is
independent.'
"We were admitted. Du Bruel spoke to Claudine. 'I have asked a few
people to dinner to-day--"
" 'Just like you!' cried she. 'You ask people without speaking to me;
I count for nothing here.--Now' (taking me as arbitrator by a glance)
'I ask you yourself. When a man has been so foolish as to live with a
woman of my sort; for, after all, I was an opera dancer--yes, I ought
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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 Riverman by Stewart Edward White: First of all, the entire crew set itself, by means of its peavies,
to rolling the lower logs into the current, where they were rapidly
borne away. As the waters were now at flood, this was a quick and
easy labour. Occasionally some tiers would be stuck together by
ice, in which case considerable prying and heaving was necessary in
order to crack them apart. But forty men, all busily at work, soon
had the river full. Orde detailed some six or eight to drop below
in order that the river might run clear to the next section, where
the next crew would take up the task. These men, quite simply,
walked to the edges of the rollway, rolled a log apiece into the
water, stepped aboard, leaned against their peavies, and were swept
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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 Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: "It is indeed a cruel thing," replied her friend; "but as we cannot
help it, we must suffer patiently, and not let the sorrows of others
disturb our happiness. But, dear sisters, see you not how high
the sun is getting? I have my locks to curl, and my robe to prepare
for the evening; therefore I must be gone, or I shall be brown as
a withered leaf in this warm light." So, gathering a tiny mushroom
for a parasol, she flew away; Daisy soon followed, and Violet was
left alone.
Then she spread the table afresh, and to it came fearlessly the busy
ant and bee, gay butterfly and bird; even the poor blind mole and
humble worm were not forgotten; and with gentle words she gave to all,
Flower Fables |
