| 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: companion and then at himself, Maskull noticed that their skin and
clothing were coated by a kind of green hoarfrost.
The land was now completely solid. About half a mile, in front of
them, against a background of dark fog, a moving forest of tall
waterspouts gyrated slowly and gracefully hither and thither. They
were green and self-luminous, and looked terrifying. Tydomin
explained that they were not waterspouts at all, but mobile columns
of lightning.
"Then they are dangerous?"
"So we think," she answered, watching them closely.
"Someone is wandering there who appears to have a different opinion."
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling: 'Now a ship coming in to land men must furl her sail. If
you wait till you see her men gather up the sail's foot,
your catapults can jerk a net of loose stones (bolts only cut
through the cloth) into the bag of it. Then she turns over,
and the sea makes everything clean again. A few men
may come ashore, but very few ... It was not hard work,
except the waiting on the beach in blowing sand and
snow. And that was how we dealt with the Winged Hats
that winter.
'Early in the spring, when the East winds blow like
skinning-knives, they gathered again off Segedunum
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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 Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne: I've taken good care to say nothing about it to Mr. Fogg."
"He knows nothing, then?"
"Nothing," replied Passepartout, again emptying his glass.
The detective passed his hand across his forehead, hesitating before
he spoke again. What should he do? Passepartout's mistake seemed sincere,
but it made his design more difficult. It was evident that the servant
was not the master's accomplice, as Fix had been inclined to suspect.
"Well," said the detective to himself, "as he is not an accomplice,
he will help me."
He had no time to lose: Fogg must be detained at Hong Kong,
so he resolved to make a clean breast of it.
Around the World in 80 Days |
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 Rig Veda: 1. JOY, Mightiest Indra, known and marked, sprung most from
Soma-draughts, wherewith
Thou smitest down the greedy fiend, for that we long.
2 Wherewith thou bolpest Adhrigu, the great Dasagva, and the
God
Who stirs the sunlight, and the sea, for that we long.
3 Wherewith thou dravest forth like cars Sindhu and all the
mighty
floods
To go the way ordained by Law, for that we long.
4 Accept this laud for aid, made pure like oil, thou Caster
The Rig Veda |
