They told you not to. They really did tell you not to.

Each individual shrine has a voice; if you come to close, they'll attempt to trick you, either by convincing you that they can somehow give you powers (woe, woe the poor guy convinced by the air shrine that he could fly) or by trying to talk you into hitting them with some power or object made of their element.

Please don't hit them with their element. There are actual (albeit weak) demons locked inside, here. And they always lie.