| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: In morning hush, each rock and bush
Stands hard, and high, and raw:
Then give the Call: "Good rest to all
That keep The Jungle Law!"
Now horn and pelt our peoples melt
In covert to abide;
Now, crouched and still, to cave and hill
Our Jungle Barons glide.
Now, stark and plain, Man's oxen strain,
That draw the new-yoked plough;
Now, stripped and dread, the dawn is red
The Second Jungle Book |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: and Catherine found herself hurried away by Miss Tilney
in such a manner as convinced her that the strictest
punctuality to the family hours would be expected at Northanger.
Returning through the large and lofty hall,
they ascended a broad staircase of shining oak, which,
after many flights and many landing-places, brought them
upon a long, wide gallery. On one side it had a range
of doors, and it was lighted on the other by windows
which Catherine had only time to discover looked
into a quadrangle, before Miss Tilney led the way
into a chamber, and scarcely staying to hope she would
Northanger Abbey |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Silas Marner by George Eliot: demands to divert energy from vain regret or superfluous scruple.
There was one main thread of painful experience in Nancy's married
life, and on it hung certain deeply-felt scenes, which were the
oftenest revived in retrospect. The short dialogue with Priscilla
in the garden had determined the current of retrospect in that
frequent direction this particular Sunday afternoon. The first
wandering of her thought from the text, which she still attempted
dutifully to follow with her eyes and silent lips, was into an
imaginary enlargement of the defence she had set up for her husband
against Priscilla's implied blame. The vindication of the loved
object is the best balm affection can find for its wounds:--"A
Silas Marner |
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 Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot: trees. This tension sufficed to produce a spark 4 inches in
length. It is not surprising that the establishment of the
electric equilibrium by contact with the trees, which produced
such a spark should fire the hydrogen inflation charge. In fact
the heat generated was so intense that the aluminium metallic
framework was fused. The measurements which were made proved
that the gas was consumed within 15 seconds and the envelope
destroyed within 20 seconds.
As a result of this disaster endeavours were made to persuade
Count Zeppelin to abandon the use of aluminium for the framework
of his balloon but they were fruitless, a result no doubt due to
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