| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: coach could now travel full speed without any possibility of
injury to the tulip.
He arrived next morning at Haarlem, fatigued but triumphant;
and, to do away with every trace of the theft, he
transplanted the tulip, and, breaking the original
flower-pot, threw the pieces into the canal. After which he
wrote the President of the Horticultural Society a letter,
in which he announced to him that he had just arrived at
Haarlem with a perfectly black tulip; and, with his flower
all safe, took up his quarters at a good hotel in the town,
and there he waited.
The Black Tulip |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from King James Bible: CH2 18:18 Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the
LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his
right hand and on his left.
CH2 18:19 And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that
he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this
manner, and another saying after that manner.
CH2 18:20 Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and
said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith?
CH2 18:21 And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the
mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and
thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so.
King James Bible |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson: ropes, and got the SARAH round with an incredible swiftness. One
fellow fell on the rum barrel, which stood broached upon the deck,
and rolled it promptly overboard. On my part, I made for the Jolly
Roger, struck it, tossed it in the sea; and could have flung myself
after, so vexed was I with our mismanagement. As for Teach, he
grew as pale as death, and incontinently went down to his cabin.
Only twice he came on deck that afternoon; went to the taffrail;
took a long look at the king's ship, which was still on the horizon
heading after us; and then, without speech, back to his cabin. You
may say he deserted us; and if it had not been for one very capable
sailor we had on board, and for the lightness of the airs that blew
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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 Bickerstaff-Partridge Papers by Jonathan Swift: bubbies that now appear about town, or how to roll out the short
dapper fellows into well-siz'd women.
This great conjunction will begin to operate on Saturday the 29th
instant. Accordingly, about eight at night, as Senezino shall
begin at the Opera, si videte, he shall be observ'd to make an
unusual motion; upon which the audience will be affected with a
red suffusion over their countenance: And because a strong
succession of the muscles of the belly is necessary towards
performing this great operation, both sexes will be thrown into a
profuse involuntary laughter. Then (to use the modest terms of
Anaximander) shall negative quantity be turn'd into positive,
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