Arranged Books In My Rooms..

06.06.2020 | sometimes i do colourful notes, but most of the times i don’t. too lazy.

Mars in Astrology

The God of War in Roman mythology went by mars.  Second in power to the one and only Jupiter. Many of the myths surrounding Mars tie in with the Greek’s own warrior, Ares. Mars, however, was much more impulsive and aggressive than Ares. Mars was also viewed as more noble and virtuous than his Greek counterpart because he was the defender of Rome and the city’s borders. In astrology, if Venus is your femininity, then Mars would be your masculinity. Venus is the cooperative part of yourself that makes people want to like you. She’s charismatic, charming, and knows how to win people over. Mars, on the other hand, is that part of you that drives you to fight and protect. He’s aggressive, impolite, defensive, and intimidating. Mars represents your drive, anger, motivation, and how you defend yourself. Mars shows how you go out and chase down what you want. He’s motivated, always productive, moving forward. Venus is harmonious. Mars is destructive. Venus pleases others, Mars pleases himself above all else, therefore, this is where our violent tempers and selfish behaviors come from. Venus knows how to say things to win people over, painting her words wisely so that everything comes out sounding charming and considerate. Everything Mars says, on the other hand, comes out blunt, on the spot, and can be rude and inconsiderate. Does Mars care? No. Mars is ruled jointly by Aries and Scorpio, being exalted in Capricorn. He’s in detriment in Taurus and Libra, and then falling in Cancer.

The glyph we use for Mars (♂) is the alchemy symbol for iron, but it’s better known as the symbol for males. It’s a combination of an arrow atop a circle, symbolizing someone being driven forwards towards their desire. It’s speculated to depict both a phallic symbol and a violent one.

Rulership/Exaltation/Detriment/Fall

Mars is ruled by Aries and Scorpio combined. Aries is the warrior, making Scorpio the assassin. Aries represents the tactless, explosive half of Mars. Aries is the half of Mars that destroys cities and countries at the snap of a finger. Impulsive, aggressive, and angry, Aries takes thrill in fighting and battles. When Aries is mad, you know. Aries makes their intentions known and handles it promptly. Scorpio, on the other hand, is more tactful and secretive; the silent killer. You never really know where you stand with Scorpio. They hide how they’re really feeling until they’ve truly planned out how they’re going to strike, and then, look out, because when they sting you, it’s hard to recover. Both of these signs radiate a lot of yang-energy. They’re both driven, ambitious, dominant, aggressive, and intimidating. Capricorn is where Mars is exalted, something that’s often forgotten. Capricorn isn’t necessarily outwardly aggressive, but the sign entirely encompasses drive in and of itself. Capricorn is truly a goat, always climbing up the mountain, never stopping, always trying to succeed and do better. Capricorn is the part of Mars that will trample over someone else just for their own success.

Taurus and Libra are where the God of War is weakened and lost. His yang-energy become suppressed and overwhelmed by the submissive yin-energy of these two signs. Libra is too worried about what other people think of them to call people out, afraid of making a scene. Libra is also very independent and needs to learn and practice independence. Libra also tries to rationalize everything and make excuses for even the most inexcusable things. Taurus, on the other hand, is driven but is very reluctant to change and is very stubborn. They don’t really have angry outbursts; they just prefer to keep everything inside until they explode. Both need to prioritize their own sanity before that of everyone else. Cancer is where Mars has fallen. Cancer’s nature is nurturing and connecting. Mars’ nature is to destroy and burn bridges. When Mars is in Cancer, we see civil wars and dysfunctional families. I kind of envision this placement trying to cook something and burning the entire house down because they were impatient and wanted to speed up the process.

Astrological Meaning

I mentioned earlier in the article that if Venus is your femininity, then Mars would be your masculinity. Venus wants people to like her. Mars doesn’t care who does or doesn’t like him. He is a warrior through and through. Astrologically, Mars represents how you chase after what you want. Mars is very self-oriented, in opposition to Venus’ relationship-oriented nature. Venus shows how you attract; Mars shows how you fight for what you want. Mars represents your temper, your desire, and your motivation. Mars shows how you please yourself, but it’s different from self-care. Mars shows how you find personal power within yourself and use it to conquer whatever obstacles you may encounter. However, it’s literally infamous at this point that when you set boundaries with people, they often cause conflict. Where Mars lies in your natal chart is where conflict erupts. At Mars’ core, the planet represents who you become when you free yourself of the constriction of societal pressure and are yourself, regardless of if people like it or not. Mars is blunt, straightforward, and doesn’t give a damn what people think. He doesn’t care if he comes off as inconsiderate, he just says it and moves on. Mars is also the embodiment of a competitive spirit. When you channel Mars energy in conflict, you use your words or your fists to rip someone apart and tear their ego limb from limb. When and how you release all of this aggressive energy is entirely dependent upon your sign and the house placement.

A healthy Mars is brave, confident, outspoken, and chooses battles wisely. When Mars is in balance, you think before you speak. You recognize the weight of your words and actions, as well as the possibility of saying or doing something that’s irreversible and unforgivable. You fight for what you believe in and you have the courage to defend yourself and others against opponents and tyrants. You use Mars to survive and keep moving every day. If you think about it, just taking the first step to get out of bed every morning is Mars energy in a simplistic form. We use Mars to wage wars, fight for our rights, climb the corporate ladder, and defeat tyrannical overlords. However, because his energy is so powerful, and humans naturally crave power, it’s easy to overdose on. With Mars comes the urge to overbear, destroy, and dominate everything around you.

When Mars is too prominent in your chart, you’re hyper-masculine (regardless of gender), and you become entitled, selfish, and rude. You’re overwhelming to be around and erratic. You lack self-control because you’re so numb to everybody else’s feelings. It’s one thing to not care what other people think, but it’s another thing to just be plain old rude and insensitive for the hell of it. When Mars is overly rampant in your chart, you’re impulsive and jump onto every whim that stirs up even a tiny bit of excitement. You don’t care about how your actions affect everybody else. You’re also probably violent and will fight just to show your power over everyone else. You scare people just because feeling like you have power over people fills a void. When Mars is too heavy in your chart, you become a bully.

When Mars is too weak in your chart, you’re cowardly and insecure. You become a doormat for everyone to just trample over. You have no drive, no motivation, and no boundaries. You don’t know how to call people out when they’re abusing their power, and you don’t want to because you don’t want to rock the boat. You lie awake at night, fearful of what other people think of you. You need to become more self-assured and recognize your own personal power. When your power is stripped away from you, you’re likely to become bitter and resentful, and still end up lashing out on other people as an overcompensation for how lost you feel. Neither Mars extreme is good for anyone.

Correspondences:

Signs: Aries, Scorpio

Color: Red

Crystals: Red Jasper, Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet

Element: Fire

Day of The Week: Tuesday

Deities: Mars, Ares, Odin

Mars Throughout the Signs

Aries: goes after something regardless of if they can actually have it or not, believes in themselves very heavily, very confident, other people’s doubts in their ability don’t affect them, challenges are dealt with promptly, doesn’t appreciate authority figures, impatient, selfish, volcanic, independent

Taurus: hard-working, dependable, takes their time, like a bull when angry, admirable work ethic, strong willpower, stubborn, committed to any task, accomplishes more than anybody who’s more fast-paced, often gets too comfortable, passive, doesn’t know how to handle obstacles, no stranger to burnout, doesn’t give themselves a break

Gemini: gets distracted very easily, fickle, easily bored, the attention span of a horsefly, chases too many things at once, scattered, erratic, very intelligent, excellent problem solver, a master of manipulation, runs the risk of being a compulsive liar

Cancer: doesn’t really try to go after or control anything directly, tackles things indirectly, passive, tenacious, knows their goals, uses subtle manipulation, guilt tripping extraordinare, anger comes in waves until it transforms into a huge tsunami, very scary when angered

Leo: loud, assertive, dramatic, a force to be reckoned with, fierce, a natural born leader, knows how to rally people around them, constant need to be in the spotlight, will be the loudest and most known in a revolution, hungry for power, when insecure they may pick fights or arguments just for the sake of having attention and being self-righteous, desires public adoration

Virgo: very hard-working, excellent planners, perfectionist attitude, never satisfied, always beating themselves up, constantly worried about how they could’ve done things better, you’d never know about their self-doubt because they want to be seen as responsible and composed, often finds petty crusades to complain about, annoyed easily, nitpicky

Libra: always trying to find a peaceful resolution, constantly saying that they understand both sides of the situation, oftentimes become monkey in the middle, wants all parties to walk away happy, doesn’t want to put themselves first, hates conflict, strong desire for justice, love to argue and debate

Scorpio: understands that you cannot be loud and demanding all the time in pursuit of achievement, is subtle and tactful about their approach to things, cunning, intelligent, manipulative, clever, sly, might view people as pawns in their little game, adept in getting people to do their bidding, probably business people and politicians

Sagittarius: optimistic, can’t stick to goals, starts things with lots of enthusiasm but accomplishes very little because they get bored so easily when things don’t line up with their expectations, impatient, needs self-discipline, needs to plan better, in desperate need of a reality check

Capricorn: so much ambition, wants to be powerful, wants to have everything in their hands, wants to reach the top of the mountain, achieves goals through realism, discipline, commitment, and hard work, doesn’t like authority, wants to be the authority, stressed out, battles with insecurity/anxiety/depression, needs to learn how to steal the spotlight, eyes are always on the prize, doesn’t take the easy way out

Aquarius: disciplined, motivated, hard-working, stubborn, intellectual, comes up with a formula for success and sticks with it, has a bit of a superiority complex, thinks that their way is the best and everybody else needs to comply, chases their dreams with ambition, rebellious and hates authority, needs to open up a door for change to come in

Pisces: manipulative, doesn’t like direct confrontation, tries to drop subtle hints in the face of conflict rather than just spilling their guts, emotionally powerful, ambitious deep down, has huge dreams and grandiose ideals, afraid of failure, master procrastinators

Back to School: How to Get an A*/8 or 9 in an English Lit Essay!

Happy September, everyone!

As we all get our gears in motion to start a new year, I thought I would share my top tips for scoring the highest marks in English Literature essays. 

(P.S. Lots of these tips are applicable to other subjects too)

1. Don’t write about the character as if they are real

Unfortunately, this is a common error in English Lit essays. It is absolutely imperative to remember that a character is not a person, but is a construct of the writer in order to present an idea or theme. No matter the question, you should be linking your answer back to the writer’s ideas and theme of the text, even if it doesn’t seem obvious what the theme is on the first inspection of the question. Using the author’s name frequently in your essay will demonstrate that you recognise the character is not a real person - ‘Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as a tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle as…’

2. Don’t analyse the plot

Avoid analysing the plot or when things happen in the text. Don’t write ‘When X happens it makes us think Y’. Instead:

Analyse the writer’s use of language, structure and form to create meaning

Do a close language analysis of specific words/phrases, including a sound analysis (plosives, assonance, etc.)

Do a structural analysis of what happens when and why that’s important (Freytag’s pyramid)

Do an analysis of form (stage directions, dramatic monologue, etc.)

3. Keep your answer relevant throughout

You need to be explicitly answering the question - not going off on a tangent nor trying to change the question to suit an answer that you want to write. One way of avoiding this is by starting each paragraph with a topic sentence, summarising what that paragraph is going to be about and how it answers the question. Another method is simply by rewording the question into your answer at the start and end of every paragraph. At least. For greater impact, include synonyms of the word, which can also help with the readability of your answer.

4. Avoid PEE/PEEL/etc. where you can

Thousands of students are taught the same, basic Point-Evidence-Explain (or variant) analytical paragraph structure. If you want to stand out, show academic strength, and achieve the highest marks then you must break free from the chains of PEE! (This also applies for your introduction format. ‘In this essay, I will argue…’ gets pretty dull after reading it 100 times)

For my students, I will be teaching them to write What-How-Why paragraphs:

WHAT has the writer done?

HOW have they done it?

WHY have they done it/is it effective?

This way, your focus is always on why the writer has chosen to use that specific language/structure/form, but it allows you to be creative in crafting your response. Being able to discuss the ‘why’ of literature is the key to unlocking the highest grades. Reading through examiners’ reports this summer has made one thing clear - it is not enough to merely spot linguistic devices or structural features. You must explain why the writer has chosen them and why that is an effective choice (or not).

5. Avoid sweeping statements about context

The main advice here is to only include comments about the context of the text if it adds to the analytical point that you are making. They should not be a bolt-on sentence, but they should enhance your answer.

Further, sweeping claims like ‘All Jacobean women were oppressed by society’ is far too vague. On the other hand, a comment like ‘Lady Macbeth is a disturbing example of womanhood because she denies her gender at a time where the role of a woman was clear-cut, even patriarchal, in Jacobean society’ suggests that you have a greater understanding of how context can influence the writer’s choices.

6. A plan is your best friend

Always, always make time to plan your answer. A method I recommend is, first, circling the key words in the question (character/theme, what you are asked to do, where in the text you are asked to look, etc.). Secondly, write all of your ideas down onto the page, highlighting parts from the extract if you have that in front of you. Finally, select a judicious number of points that you are going to talk about (quality not quantity here) and number the order in which you are going to make them.

If you are writing a comparative essay, each paragraph must start and end with a comparative point about whatever it is you are comparing (characters/themes/etc.) I suggest the following format:

‘X is presented in both text A and text B. However, in A the author uses device 1 and 2 to demonstrate X. On the other hand, in B, the author demonstrates X via use of device 2 and 3.’ Then write one paragraph for each text. Repeat this again for another similarity. And again for a third - if you think that is appropriate.

Click HERE if you want more top tips/resources/essay advice/study motivation!!

Click HERE if you want more top tips/resources/essay advice/study motivation!!

Photo credit @eintsein 🌻

100 Days of Productivity | 2020

Day 3 of 100

10-12th Feb 2020

Finishing some interesting pre-readings, going on even more interesting class field trips (and completing some successful dorm meal prep) has made for a great few days! 

Currently reading: Circe by Madeline Miller (and am loving it!)

Insta @ isthisnametakenyet

Goodreads @ isthisnametakenyet

YouTube @ isthisnametakenyet

hey guys just uploaded a new video! hope you all check it out! enjoy your day!

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the vastness of things I want to be, do and achieve.

I want to be the girl reading Anna Karenina in a dimly lit cafe and losing herself in poetry and philosophy every night. Yet, I also want to be sharp and analytical and save lives with a scalpel in my hand. I want to travel the world and surprise people with how many languages I can speak - drink wine and watch ballet in France, explore abandoned castles in Scotland, feel the centuries of history in Italy and Greece, learn to surf in Hawaii or Australia. I want to have an attic studio where I can make art and laugh with my lover about the funny-looking portrait as I can never get the face proportions quite right. I want a house away from the city and a horse so that I can roam the fields. But I also want to live right in the middle of the city and admire the skyline and the skyscrapers every night. And the list goes on and on…

They say follow your passion but which one do I follow if there are only 24 hours in a day? I know I won’t be able to do all of the things I dream of but I personally object to having to limit myself.

this is how i spent all of autumn break. in my dads mock-studio which is just a bright room in our summer house (honestly the light in there is magical). studying economics until my eyes bled. 

AUG 24 / 20 

good morning have a great monday !!

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Grammar Lesson 2: 는/은

여러분!  오늘 어땠어요?

Everyone! How was your day? Here’s my second Korean grammar lesson! Let’s learn the subject particle ‘는/은’! If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a message or leave a reply down below! Hope you enjoy~

┌─          ･｡ﾟ: ∘◦☾◦｡ﾟ.           ─┐

       L e s s o n   2  : 는/은

└─         ･｡ﾟ: ∘◦☾◦｡ﾟ.            ─┘

A l l i   s a y s : Here are the rules. All you have to add 는 after the object if the last letter of the last syllable is a vowel and 은 if the last letter of the last syllable is a consonant.

Here’s some examples:

v o w e l : 저 → 저는 (I)  👧

v o w e l : 친구 → 친구는 (friend) 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

c o n s o n a n t : 이름 → 이름은 (name) 📛

c o n s o n a n t : 학생 → 학생은 (student) 👩‍🎓📚

                                        ══════ ∘◦❁◦∘ ═══════

V o c a b u la r y   f o r   t h i s   l e s s o n :

는/은 = subject particle

친구 = friend

선생님 = teacher

학생 = student

이름 = name

나 = I (informal)

너 = you (informal)

네 = yes, agreeing with the statement.

아니 = no (informal)

S a m p l e   S e n t e n c e s :

이름은 뭐예요? = What is your name?

저는 X 입니다 = I am X.

학생이에요? = Are you a student?

아니요, 저는 선생님이에요.  = No (formal), I am a teacher.

아, 네. = Ah, I see.

If you’re new, I’m Alli and I make my own infographics to help you learn Korean with ease! If you’re interested in more of these types of lessons, visit my blog here! <3

Regarding the Amazon Rainforest

I barely have followers here, but here we go:

The Amazon Rainforest has been burning for the last 16 days straight. The Brazilian government says the wildfire is caused by the winter itself, since it doesn't rain a lot there... in a rainforest. It is actually, partially true. Winter is indeed a dry season and wildfires may happen, specially close to the Cerrado (a brazilian biome similar to the african Savanna), but what they're not telling us is that:

The deforestation has increased 80% since last year

The native peoples and animals are being slaughtered for their lands (legally protected green areas)

The government is hiding and lying about scientific data, saying that environmentalists and NGOs are communists trying to destroy the nation. They are brainwashing people to think that sustainability is terrible for the economy

Our Minister of Environment is couldn't care less about the environment and is only there to support the livestock producers and give them what they want. The President and his Minister won't put a single dollar on environmental safety

The wildfires are just so huge that its black smoke and ashes reached the skies of São Paulo, a state over 2.000 kilometers away from the Amazon.

We are hostages or our own government

I could just keep going all night about how our environment is being threatened by this new government. We need every single help we can possibly can.

Please don't let this go unseen. Search for yourself, talk to people about it, make noise, be angry and be scared. Let the world know about it and demand action. This is not about Brazil, is about the planet. The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most important biomes in the world, being responsible for the climate, rains, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and life itself.