| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: great peak far to the westward, with the clouds cutting off its
top; and said that it was a mighty giant, the brother of the
Evening Star, who held up the sky upon his shoulders, in the midst
of the Fortunate Islands, the gardens of the daughter of the
Evening Star, full of strange golden fruits; and that Perseus had
turned him into stone, when he passed him with the Gorgon's Head.
But you will see, too, that most of these red and black dots run
in crooked lines; and that many of the clusters run in lines
likewise.
Look at one line: by far the largest on the earth. You will
learn a good deal of geography from it.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from At the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs: Here man has but reached a stage analogous to the Stone
Age of our own world's history, but for countless millions
of years these reptiles have been progressing. Possibly it
is the sixth sense which I am sure they possess that has
given them an advantage over the other and more frightfully
armed of their fellows; but this we may never know.
They look upon us as we look upon the beasts of our fields,
and I learn from their written records that other races
of Mahars feed upon men--they keep them in great droves,
as we keep cattle. They breed them most carefully,
and when they are quite fat, they kill and eat them."
At the Earth's Core |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum: cannot hurt us, because all our insides are gold-lined."
"Gold-lined!"
"To be sure. Our throats and stomachs are lined with solid gold, and
we find the thistles nourishing and good to eat. As a matter of fact,
there is nothing else in our country that is fit for food. All around
the City of Thi grow countless thistles, and all we need do is to go
and gather them. If we wanted anything else to eat, we would have to
plant it, and grow it, and harvest it, and that would be a lot of
trouble and make us work, which is an occupation we detest."
"But tell me, please," said the Wizard, "how does it happen that your
city jumps around so, from one part of the country to another?"
The Lost Princess of Oz |
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 A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne: nearer a prospect; - and as walking backwards and forwards in the
saloon, without a soul to commune with, was for the time as bad as
being in the Bastile itself, I instantly went back to my remise,
and bid the coachman drive me to the CORDON BLEU, which was the
nearest hotel.
I think there is a fatality in it; - I seldom go to the place I set
out for.
LE PATISSIER. VERSAILLES.
BEFORE I had got half way down the street I changed my mind: as I
am at Versailles, thought I, I might as well take a view of the
town; so I pull'd the cord, and ordered the coachman to drive round
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