| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft: assailed almost simultaneously by a very curious intensification
of the strange prevailing fetor, now quite plainly mixed with
the nameless stench of those others which had gone before. The
light of the second torch left no doubt of what the obstructions
were, and we dared approach them only because we could see, even
from a distance, that they were quite as past all harming power
as had been the six similar specimens unearthed from the monstrous
star-mounded graves at poor Lake’s camp.
They were, indeed,
as lacking - in completeness as most of those we had unearthed
- though it grew plain from the thick, dark green pool gathering
At the Mountains of Madness |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: bring them into the world, and they send you out of it. No, they
will not come. I have known that these ten years. Sometimes I
have told myself so, but I did not dare to believe it."
The tears gathered and stood without overflowing the red sockets.
"Ah! if I were rich still, if I had kept my money, if I had not
given all to them, they would be with me now; they would fawn on
me and cover my cheeks with their kisses! I should be living in a
great mansion; I should have grand apartments and servants and a
fire in my room; and THEY would be about me all in tears, and
their husbands and their children. I should have had all that;
now--I have nothing. Money brings everything to you; even your
Father Goriot |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tales and Fantasies by Robert Louis Stevenson: they call the Vale of Thyme Railway. It was now nearly half
an hour past noon, the down train had just gone by, and there
would be no more traffic at the junction until half-past
three, when the local train comes in to meet the up express
at a quarter before four. The stationmaster had already gone
off to his garden, which was half a mile away in a hollow of
the moor; a porter, who was just leaving, took charge of the
phaeton, and promised to return it before night to Naseby
House; only a deaf, snuffy, and stern old man remained to
play propriety for Dick and Esther.
Before the phaeton had driven off, the girl had entered the
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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 Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians by Martin Luther: commandments, in fact they sin against the whole Law. For God requires
above all that we worship Him in spirit and in faith. In observing the Law
for the purpose of obtaining righteousness without faith in Christ these
law-workers go smack against the Law and against God. They deny the
righteousness of God, His mercy, and His promises. They deny Christ and
all His benefits.
In their ignorance of the true purpose of the Law the exponents of the Law
abuse the Law, as Paul says, Romans 10:3, "For they, being ignorant of
God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."
In their folly our opponents rush into the Scriptures, pick out a sentence
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