| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: Long she journeyed through the pathless ocean, with no friends
to cheer her, save the white sea-birds who went sweeping by, and
only stayed to dip their wide wings at her side, and then flew
silently away. Sometimes great ships sailed by, and then with
longing eyes did the little Spirit gaze up at the faces that looked
down upon the sea; for often they were kind and pleasant ones, and
she gladly would have called to them and asked them to be friends.
But they would never understand the strange, sweet language that
she spoke, or even see the lovely face that smiled at them above the
waves; her blue, transparent garments were but water to their eyes,
and the pearl chains in her hair but foam and sparkling spray; so,
Flower Fables |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Off on a Comet by Jules Verne: that the captain ventured to speak upon the matter that was ever
uppermost in his mind.
"I do not mean," he began timidly, "to cast the least imputation
of inaccuracy upon any of your calculations, but would you
allow me, my dear professor, to suggest that you should revise
your estimate of the duration of Gallia's period of revolution.
It is so important, you know, so all important; the difference
of one half minute, you know, would so certainly mar the expectation
of reunion with the earth--"
And seeing a cloud gathering on Rosette's face, he added:
"I am sure Lieutenant Procope would be only too happy to render
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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 Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin: power of distinct vision lay only in the anterior and basa
part of each eye. This bird is commonly called the jackas
penguin, from its habit, while on shore, of throwing its hea
backwards, and making a loud strange noise, very like th
braying of an ass; but while at sea, and undisturbed, its not
is very deep and solemn, and is often heard in the night-time
In diving, its little wings are used as fins; but on the land,
as front legs. When crawling, it may be said on four legs
through the tussocks or on the side of a grassy cliff, it move
so very quickly that it might easily be mistaken for a
quadruped. When at sea and fishing, it comes to the surface fo
The Voyage of the Beagle |
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 Miracle Mongers and Their Methods by Harry Houdini: or 19 degrees below the freezing point of water, so
that if a little water be dropped into the acid,
it will immediately freeze and the pellet of
ice may be dropped into the hand from the
still red-hot disk. Even mercury can be frozen
in this way by a combination of chemicals.
Through the action of this principle it is
possible to dip the hand for a short time into
melted lead, or even into melted copper, the
moisture of the skin supplying a vapor which
prevents direct contact with the molten metal;
Miracle Mongers and Their Methods |
