BTS - Dionysus!!!

One of my majors is english, so I do a lot of reading. Having to read an entire novel each week is rough, but it really helped me refine my annotating methods. Here is how I annotate fiction and nonfiction books! 

FICTION

1. MAKE USE OF THE BLANK PAGES IN THE FRONT OF THE BOOK 

I’m someone who has a lot of trouble with keeping track of characters, especially if there are a lot of them. To remedy this, I use one of the blank pages in the front of the book to make a list of each of the characters, and sometimes I’ll write something about them so I can place a name to a character. Here’s a quick example: 

2. USE HIGHLIGHTERS AND ASSIGN MEANING TO THE COLORS

If you aren’t someone who likes to actually write in the book, you can obviously use different colored post-its for this instead. I typically use three different colors when highlighting, and this is what the colors mean for me:

Pink - Character introductions: I use pink to highlight any time a character is introduced for the first time. You will often be asked to write about characters’ personalities, so this makes it easier to find descriptions of characters later. 

Green - Important plot points: I use green to highlight any important things that happen that I think I’ll need to look back at. 

Yellow - quotes: I use yellow for important quotes, or anything that is important but doesn’t fit any other category. 

Extra - Purple: After you finish reading a book, your teacher will usually point out important passages too. When this happens, I use purple to highlight those sections to denote that my professor found them important, because this probably means they’re worth talking about in an essay. 

3. WRITE A SUMMARY AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER

To make sure you really understood what you just read, it is a good idea to write down a brief summary on the last page of the chapter. This helps with remembering what you read, and it also makes it much easier to go back and find events in the plot that you want to talk about.

4. POST-ITS FOR ESSAY IDEAS

I’ve pretty much had to write an essay on virtually every book I’ve had to read in both high school and college, so I’ve made a habit of using post it notes to bookmark pages with content that would be helpful in making arguments in an essay. Make a short note on the post it so you remember what point you were planning on making with that passage. *This is especially helpful for timed essays during which you’re allowed to use the book as a resource. That way, you can have essentially your entire argument planned out ahead of time. 

NONFICTION 

I use similar methods when annotating nonfiction, but instead of paying attention to plot points, I try to focus on main arguments and ideas. 

1. USE A BLANK PAGE FOR SUMMARIZING

Like with fiction, I like to use a blank page at the front of the book to summarize different sections of the book. This makes it easy to remember all the main ideas without having to flip back through the entire book.

2. HIGHLIGHTING AND WRITING

When I read nonfiction, I care much less about color-coding my annotations. I typically just use whatever I have around me at the time. What really matters about nonfiction is making sure you really understand the content, so I write down summaries in the margins on nearly every other page. 

As you can see, there’s a lot of different colors going on. They mean nothing. Honestly, my yellow highlighter was just going dead so I was going back and forth between that and my purple one. The red pen was the one I was using during my initial read-through, and the second time I read these pages, I just happened to have a blue pen, so don’t worry about the colors.

Anyway, what is really important about this is my short summaries in the margins. Doing this not only helps you dismantle the arguments being made, but it also forces you to become an active reader. 

3. ACTIVE READING

Like i just mentioned, engaging with the book by writing summaries frequently makes you an active reader. It is difficult to get anything out of a book if you aren’t actively engaging with the material, especially if it’s nonfiction. To fully understand the ideas being presented in the book, you need to find a way to actively engage with it. You can do this by using my ‘writing summaries in the margins’ method, or you can do whatever it is that makes you really focus on the content of the book. Anyone can zone out and look at words on a page, but if you want that A, you need to really dive into the book! 

frankly? ban all plastics. require all public buildings to be solar powered. public community gardens in every neighborhood. ban all pesticides. ban fossil fuels. put wind turbines on every sky scraper. gardens on every rooftop. tax cars and fund public transportation. build bike lanes across every city. train/railroad infrastructure across the country (tear down highways). every state mandated to have a certain percentage of land be a wildlife preserve. local/organic farms get huge tax breaks. raise the minimum wage. aquaponics farms in every city. every family has chickens in their backyard. community composting. jeff bezos’s body for fertilizer. i have a clear idea of what i want the world to look like and i want it now. hire me

Such a cutieeeee!

He had a busy day

2003... 'climate change denier'...

i just found out merriam webster has a time traveler feature that tells you some of the words that were “born” the same year as you. it’s pretty neat yall should do this

this is probably an unpopular opinion but i’m excited for bangtan’s collab with halsey.

she’s supported them for a long time now and i don’t think she’s using them for clout like previous western artists have.

i know she’s been problematic in the past and it’s not my place to tell people how they should feel about that, but she’s human and i believe she’s grown from her mistakes.

as a mixed, openly bisexual female artist who has spoken out about her experiences being bipolar and who continuously and consistently writes meaningful songs regarding her own personal struggles with relationships, fame, and her own self-image, i’m excited for what she and bts can bring to the table.

i just get annoyed at how quickly certain bts fans “cancel” other celebrities (especially female celebrities) at the tiniest whiff of something problematic and then bash bighit’s collab choices.

we’ve already established that members of bts have done problematic things in the past, but we forgive them because we recognize that they’ve matured and learned from their mistakes. but y’all can’t do that for halsey? ok.

listen to her less mainstream music and get back to me on how she only writes stupid tumblr teeny-bopper songs. songs of hers such as gasoline, control, hurricane, empty gold, and selfie have really helped me through hard times and i believe at her core, halsey is an artist who puts a lot of care and meaning into her songs, and who is also interested in being an advocate for her communities.

hearing bad at love on the radio?? where halsey openly sings about having dated men and women?? on the RADIO?? MY BISEXUAL ASS WAS SHAKING!!

but some of y’all are so caught up in bashing her that you can’t even recognize her good qualities, huh?

My school finly started back... though we're online, so this is a peek of my timetable and my workspace.

My bujo spread is already running out of space 😭.

But we're pushing throughhhhhh.

🎶TAEMIN- Criminal 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

he’s literally rigging the election and next to nothing’s being done about it what the actual fucking living hell

moody ~ don’t forget to follow me on insta @jaidsalema

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

small ideas to adopt

drink more water - I know everyone goes on about it but i honestly don’t drink enough

meditate - try apps like ‘stop breathe think’ or headspace

change your sheets/make your bed

stretch or workout - just move your muscles tbh

get some sunlight

listen to some new music

get dressed - even if you’re not going out

journal

pay attention to what you’re eating

look people in the eye - it gets easier with practice

wear suncream

pack your bag the night before

aim for 8 hours sleep

reply to texts/emails you’ve been ignoring

compliment others - also accept compliments

read more and read widely

MOISTURIZE - especially in winter

This is mainly a reminder to myself tbh