| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H. P. Lovecraft: workmen in that horrible gulf rent out of the rock in the hill
pass north of Inquanok, for such was its size that a man on its
threshold stood even as air out on the steps of earth's loftiest
fortress. The pshent of unknown stars above the myriad domed turrets
glowed with a sallow, sickly flare, so that a kind of twilight
hung about the murky walls of slippery onyx. The pallid beacon
was now seen to be a single shining window high up in one of the
loftiest towers, and as the helpless army neared the top of the
mountain Carter thought he detected unpleasant shadows flitting
across the feebly luminous expanse. It was a strangely arched
window, of a design wholly alien to earth.
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from King James Bible: led them with him to Babylon;
EZE 17:13 And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with
him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the
land:
EZE 17:14 That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself
up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.
EZE 17:15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into
Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he
prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the
covenant, and be delivered?
EZE 17:16 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the
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 Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: true; so he brought a large basket of rusk or biscuit, and three
jars of fresh water, into the boat. I knew where my patron's case
of bottles stood, which it was evident, by the make, were taken out
of some English prize, and I conveyed them into the boat while the
Moor was on shore, as if they had been there before for our master.
I conveyed also a great lump of beeswax into the boat, which
weighed about half a hundred-weight, with a parcel of twine or
thread, a hatchet, a saw, and a hammer, all of which were of great
use to us afterwards, especially the wax, to make candles. Another
trick I tried upon him, which he innocently came into also: his
name was Ismael, which they call Muley, or Moely; so I called to
Robinson Crusoe |
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 Where There's A Will by Mary Roberts Rinehart: wasn't up to him--only for heaven's sake not to cry about it.
And then he wiped Mrs. Dicky's eyes and kissed her, she being, as
he explained, his sister-in-law now and much too pretty for him
to scold.
And when the Dickys found they were not going to be separated we
had more coffee all around and everybody grew more cheerful.
Oh, we were very cheerful! I look back now and think how
cheerful we were, and I shudder. It was strange that we hadn't
been warned by Mr. Pierce's square jaw, but we were not. We sat
around the fire and ate and laughed, and Mr. Dick arranged that
Mr. Pierce should come out to him every evening for orders about
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