| 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: is probably weathering. Most edges crumbled and rounded off as
if exposed to storms and climate changes for millions of years.
"Parts, especially upper parts, seem to be of lighter-colored
rock than any visible strata on slopes proper, hence of evidently
crystalline origin. Close flying shows many cave mouths, some
unusually regular in outline, square or semicircular. You must
come and investigate. Think I saw rampart squarely on top of one
peak. Height seems about thirty thousand to thirty-five thousand
feet. Am up twenty-one thousand, five hundred myself, in devilish,
gnawing cold. Wind whistles and pipes through passes and in and
out of caves, but no flying danger so far."
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 Life in the Iron-Mills by Rebecca Davis: need to tire you with the long years of sunshine, and fresh air,
and slow, patient Christ-love, needed to make healthy and
hopeful this impure body and soul. There is a homely pine
house, on one of these hills, whose windows overlook broad,
wooded slopes and clover-crimsoned meadows,--niched into the
very place where the light is warmest, the air freest. It is
the Friends' meeting-house. Once a week they sit there, in
their grave, earnest way, waiting for the Spirit of Love to
speak, opening their simple hearts to receive His words. There
is a woman, old, deformed, who takes a humble place among them:
waiting like them: in her gray dress, her worn face, pure and
Life in the Iron-Mills |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Horse's Tale by Mark Twain: found fault fourteen times in fifteen minutes; then she looked up
at me with her big brown eyes that can plead so, and said in that
odd little foreign way that goes to your heart,
"'Please, mammy, make me a compliment."
"And of course you did it, you old fool?"
"Marse Tom, I just grabbed her up to my breast and says, 'Oh, you
po' dear little motherless thing, you ain't got a fault in the
world, and you can do anything you want to, and tear the house
down, and yo' old black mammy won't say a word!'"
"Why, of course, of course - I knew you'd spoil the child."
She brushed away her tears, and said with dignity:
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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 Tanach: 1_Chronicles 10: 1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
1_Chronicles 10: 2 And the Philistines followed hard after Saul and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
1_Chronicles 10: 3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was in anguish by reason of the archers.
1_Chronicles 10: 4 Then said Saul unto his armour-bearer: 'Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and make a mock of me.' But his armour-bearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it.
1_Chronicles 10: 5 And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died.
1_Chronicles 10: 6 So Saul died, and his three sons; and all his house died together.
1_Chronicles 10: 7 And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
1_Chronicles 10: 8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
1_Chronicles 10: 9 And they stripped him, and took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry the tidings unto their idols, and to the people.
The Tanach |
