| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: I repeatedly sat up till I didn't know when; I selected moments when my
roommate unmistakably slept, and, stealing out, took noiseless turns
in the passage and even pushed as far as to where I had last met Quint.
But I never met him there again; and I may as well say at once
that I on no other occasion saw him in the house. I just missed,
on the staircase, on the other hand, a different adventure.
Looking down it from the top I once recognized the presence of a woman
seated on one of the lower steps with her back presented to me,
her body half-bowed and her head, in an attitude of woe, in her hands.
I had been there but an instant, however, when she vanished without
looking round at me. I knew, nonetheless, exactly what dreadful face
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Pocket Diary Found in the Snow by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: his eyes, for he wore smoked glasses.
"Did you notice anything peculiar about his face?"
"No, nothing except that his beard was ver heavy and almost covered
his face."
"Could you see his cheeks at all?"
"No, or else I didn't notice."
"Did he leave nothing that might enable us to find
him?"
"No, sir, nothing. Or yes, perhaps, but I don't suppose that will
be any good."
"What was it? What do you mean?"
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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 Case of the Golden Bullet by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: The train arrived and departed a few moments later. Kniepp must
have really gone to the city, for although the man behind the
pillar waited for some little time, the Councillor did not return
- a contingency that the peddler had not deemed improbable.
About half an hour after the departure of the train the watcher came
out of his hiding place and walked noisily past the gate. What he
expected, happened. The dog rushed up to the bars, barking loudly,
but when the peddler had taken a silk muffler from the pack on his
back and held it out to the animal, the noise ceased and the dog's
anger turned to friendliness. Tristan was quite gentle, put his
huge head up to the bars to let the stranger pat it, and seemed not
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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 Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne: mists, like breakers emerging in the heavens.
Often these chains of barren rocks made a dip towards the sea, and
encroached upon the scanty pasturage: but there was always enough
room to pass. Besides, our horses instinctively chose the easiest
places without ever slackening their pace. My uncle was refused even
the satisfaction of stirring up his beast with whip or voice. He had
no excuse for being impatient. I could not help smiling to see so
tall a man on so small a pony, and as his long legs nearly touched
the ground he looked like a six-legged centaur.
"Good horse! good horse!" he kept saying. "You will see, Axel, that
there is no more sagacious animal than the Icelandic horse. He is
Journey to the Center of the Earth |
