| 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: inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as
Moses the servant of the LORD gave them;
JOS 13:9 From Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the
city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto
Dibon;
JOS 13:10 And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which
reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;
JOS 13:11 And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and
Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;
JOS 13:12 All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth
and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did
King James Bible |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche: ascend high mountains to behold such growths?
At thy tree, O Zarathustra, the gloomy and ill-constituted also refresh
themselves; at thy look even the wavering become steady and heal their
hearts.
And verily, towards thy mountain and thy tree do many eyes turn to-day; a
great longing hath arisen, and many have learned to ask: 'Who is
Zarathustra?'
And those into whose ears thou hast at any time dripped thy song and thy
honey: all the hidden ones, the lone-dwellers and the twain-dwellers, have
simultaneously said to their hearts:
'Doth Zarathustra still live? It is no longer worth while to live,
Thus Spake Zarathustra |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: "But it is a mass of granite!" observed Spilett.
"Well," replied Cyrus Harding, "I will blow up the granite, and the water
escaping, will subside, so as to lay bare this opening--"
"And make a waterfall, by falling on to the beach," added the reporter.
"A fall that we shall make use of!" replied Cyrus. "Come, come!"
The engineer hurried away his companion, whose confidence in Harding was
such that he did not doubt the enterprise would succeed. And yet, how was
this granite wall to be opened without powder, and with imperfect
instruments? Was not this work upon which the engineer was so bent above
their strength?
When Harding and the reporter entered the Chimneys, they found Herbert
The Mysterious Island |
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: Left aught but rocks and crags, by kind there placed;
She in her coach which two old serpents drew,
Sate down, and as she used, away she flew.
LXX
She broke the clouds, and cleft the yielding sky,
And bout her gathered tempest, storm and wind,
The lands that view the south pole flew she by,
And left those unknown countries far behind,
The Straits of Hercules she passed, which lie
Twixt Spain and Afric, nor her flight inclined
To north or south, but still did forward ride
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