| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from King James Bible: shall be set in gold in their inclosings.
EXO 28:21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of
Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a
signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve
tribes.
EXO 28:22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends
of wreathen work of pure gold.
EXO 28:23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold,
and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
EXO 28:24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two
rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.
King James Bible |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: through his terrors and miseries.
The indignation of the soldiers, restrained so long as he was
speaking, broke forth like a tempest; they were going to massacre the
guards together with the Suffet. A few interposed, saying that they
ought to hear him and know at least whether they should be paid. Then
they all cried: "Our money!" Hanno replied that he had brought it.
They ran to the outposts, and the Suffet's baggage arrived in the
midst of the tents, pressed forward by the Barbarians. Without waiting
for the slaves, they very quickly unfastened the baskets; in them they
found hyacinth robes, sponges, scrapers, brushes, perfumes, and
antimony pencils for painting the eyes--all belonging to the guards,
Salammbo |
| 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: again, and lost no time in knocking down two of his long-gowned
adversaries with his fists and a vigorous application of his toes;
then, rushing out of the pagoda as fast as his legs could carry him,
he soon escaped the third priest by mingling with the crowd in the streets.
At five minutes before eight, Passepartout, hatless, shoeless,
and having in the squabble lost his package of shirts and shoes,
rushed breathlessly into the station.
Fix, who had followed Mr. Fogg to the station, and saw that he
was really going to leave Bombay, was there, upon the platform.
He had resolved to follow the supposed robber to Calcutta,
and farther, if necessary. Passepartout did not observe the
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 Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso: As he for shame could see, or she could show.
LXI
"So in the twilight does sometimes appear
A nymph, a goddess, or a fairy queen,
And though no siren but a sprite this were
Yet by her beauty seemed it she had been
One of those sisters false which haunted near
The Tyrrhene shores and kept those waters sheen,
Like theirs her face, her voice was, and her sound,
And thus she sung, and pleased both skies and ground:
LXII
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