#reading lessons

[loxosceleslolo]

Call It Magic

my Elden Ring brainrot is so severe that I have yet another AU longfic in the works. This one involves both the Heart Stolen "ending" and the question: "what if Ansbach met us at the First Step instead of Varre?" (this was crossposted to AO3 if you prefer to read there)

“Can you teach me how to do that, Sir Ansbach?” 

Sir Ansbach looked up from the book in his hand, the crease between his snowy brows deepening slightly like a furrow in freshly fallen snow. His eyes, sharp as a winter morning, met Folly’s eager gaze.

Folly pointed to the book, her finger trembling slightly with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. “That. Readin’. Writin’, too, if you could. Please.” Her words tumbled out in a rush, like water over stones.

“You never learned?” 

“Can’t say that book learning was a real priority out there in the Badlands. Not with the sellswords I worked for, neither.” Folly tossed her black hair, obsidian waves catching the light, and squared her shoulders, almost daring Ansbach to say something about her history.

“What makes you interested in reading, if I may ask?” Ansbach's tone was gentle, coaxing.

“It’s magic. It’s magic I can learn, even.”

“How so?” Ansbach leaned forward slightly.

Folly leaned over Ansbach’s shoulder, close enough that the warmth of her breath ghosted across his cheek. She traced a letter with her fingertip, the touch reverent. The scent of ink and vellum clung to him, an intoxicating mixture that made her heart beat a little faster, like a caged bird. “You draw these symbols…”

She traced another word, her finger dancing across the page. “…and you can convey your thoughts across any distance. Across years, or centuries even, if the book holds up. It’s as close to real magic as anything, I reckon.” Her voice was hushed, filled with awe at the power contained in those simple marks.

Ansbach smiled, the expression transforming his stern features. Bright, genuine smiles from him were a rare and precious thing, like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. “Was that the only reason?” His eyes twinkled with knowing amusement.

Folly’s cheeks burned, a rosy hue spreading across her face like wildfire. Of course it wasn’t. She’d take any excuse to be close to the older man, to bask in his presence like a sunflower turning towards the Erdtree. Not that she would admit it. 

“If I’m going to be the Elden Ring’s steward until our Divinity and Luminary awaken, I should know how to read and write, shouldn’t I? I’d much rather do it myself than trust a scribe.” The words came out in a rush, a thin veil over her true motivations.

“Fair enough.” Ansbach gently closed the book, the soft thud resonating in the quiet air. He set it on his bedroll with careful reverence, then picked up a stick, its rough texture a stark contrast to the smooth pages of the book. “We’ll begin with learning the letters.”

Folly picked up a stick herself, mimicking Ansbach’s posture. She traced the marks he made, her brow furrowed in concentration. “Like this?”

He laughed, full and hearty, the sound warming Folly from the inside out. “You’re as quick a study with that stick as you are with a blade, dear Folly!”

Dear Folly.

Those two words set Folly’s skin ablaze, as if she’d been touched by the sun itself. They left her feeling as if an entire swarm of butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach, their wings beating in time with her racing heart.

Words were magic, indeed. And in that moment with the warmth of Ansbach’s praise enveloping her, Folly felt as if she had discovered the most powerful spell of all.

[judgingbooksbycovers]

Reading Lessons: The Books We Read at School, the Conversations They Spark and Why They Matter

By Carol Atherton.

[ijustkindalikebooks]

Review: Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton.

In her twenty-five years as a secondary school English teacher, Carol Atherton has taught students of all abilities, from all walks of life. But the common thread to her lessons has been the books which have appeared on syllabuses year after year. But what is it about these books that sparks conversations? And why do they still matter? From Macbeth to Lord of the Flies, and from An Inspector Calls to Noughts and Crosses, each chapter invites us to take a fresh look at the novels, plays and poems we studied at school, revealing how they have shaped our beliefs, our values, and how we interact as a society.

As someone who still takes in the works from their time at school be that the work of Thomas Hardy, the poetry of Maya Angelou and the plays of Priestley which is covered in this book I was intrigued by this book as I fondly recall the books I enjoyed during my time in education and this book certainly took me back and made me think about what we take except subtext from the books we study.

Short essays that cover a range of books that are traditionally covered in classrooms, this book certainly gives you pause for thought and reminds you something is never 'just something'. There is thoughts, ideas and meaning in words and this is made clear from the first essay, 'My Last Duchess' which is definitely a poem I never got to study but now want to go and read because that seems something that I missed out on.

Atherton's own personal experience fusing with the ideas brought to light by these stories are a revelatory and brilliantly delivered, leaving you wanting to read more books right there and then but also wanting to take your time to take in every word. I appreciated also being able to read about books my parents got to take in in school as well, for example 'A Kestrel for A Knave'.

A fascinating read that delives into high school english classes with a new perspective, I really enjoyed this book about books.

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!)

[kalira]

Lessoning

G; 785 words Kei & Sho

Comfort and closeness can be a delicate balance with Sho, but . . . Kei's little one wants it so deeply, given the chance, and he blooms under the new attention and affection.

[lazylittledragon]

i said that gale and cyra have disaster romcom energy and now it's all i can think about

[utilitycaster]

There are actually only two genres of high fantasy:

Once there were more dragons and more magic in this land, but those days have passed; perhaps the dragons shall return some day and bring a new era.

How the FUCK do we get rid of these fucking dragons

[its-no-biggie]

my favourite genre of media fr

bonus:

[peach-22]

[merakirf]

I don’t have any energy to ask or argue about your ignoring anymore.

[multidimensionalguidance]

Female and Male Celebrities with a Similar Type of Beauty:

Today I saw a post in Reddit about female and male celebrities that have the same type of beauty, so I decided to pick a few and researched their charts for similarities in ASC, Moon, Sun, and nakshatras.

1. Megan Fox and Ian Somerhalder

They both have their Moon in water signs. Both have Mercury nakshatras in luminaries and Mars in Sagittarius.

Megan has her Moon in Cancer, and Ian in Pisces. She has her Moon in a Mercury nakshatra, and he has it on his Sun.

There’s definitely a type of alluring, siren-like, and mysterious beauty that water signs possess, especially when it falls in their Moon. Then, when it comes to Mercury nakshatras they have a certain mischievous and youthful appearance.

2. Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt

They both have their luminaries nakshatras ruled by the nodes and their ASC are in water signs. They also have their Venus in earth signs.

Again, water signs keep on appearing when it comes to these types of ethereal beauties. In this case, they both have it in their ASC.

Margot has her Moon’s nakshatra ruled by Rahu, while Brad has his Sun ruled by Ketu. The nodes in general have a sort out of this world or foreign beauty that attracts a lot of attention their way.

They both have Venus in feminine earth signs, which is comfortable for the planet. These individuals tend to have sharp features on their faces and a natural sort of beauty.

3. Brooke Shields and Tom Cruise

They don’t have many similarities in their charts, but both of their Moons and Venus are in signs where both planets are comfortable (Taurus and Cancer). They also have Mercury in Taurus.

Having the Moon and Venus in comfortable signs will definitely enhance someone’s natural beauty, regardless of malefic aspects. The Taurus and Cancer mix will definitely give an innocent and sensual appeal to someone's appearance.

4. Miranda Kerr and Leonardo DiCaprio

They both their Moon ruled by feminine signs, and also on their 1st house. Venus is also sitting in its own signs on both charts.

Miranda has her Moon in Cancer and Leo in Virgo, which are both signs that appear a lot in natives that have a strong feminine energy. Their Venus is comfortable which gives elegant and harmonious features. I’ve also noticed that natives with the Moon in their 1st house are really popular, and their bodies are on the curvier side as well. In terms of beauty, the Moon gives soft faces and the eyes are usually on the lighter shades.

5. Angelina Jolie and Henry Cavill

They both have Moon nakshatras in their luminaries. Mercury is also sitting in Taurus for the both of them. Very interesting that their ASC are in the Cancer/Capricorn axis.

In general, the axis mentioned above is quite common with individuals that have a strong feminine beauty, so again, very symmetrical, etc. Also, both of the planets that fall in their 1st house carry the same energy.

Angelina has her Sun in a Moon nakshatra and Henry has his Moon there as well. These natives tend to have full cheeks or noticeable cheekbones. Lips tend to be fuller, but in this case its more noticeable on Angelina than Henry's.

6. Alexis Bledel and Jared Leto

They both have their Moon in Aries, specifically Ashwini nakshatra. Also, their Mars nakshatra is ruled by Saturn as well.

The elephant in the room is definitely their Moon signs being the exact same one. Their Nakshatra according to Claire Nakti possesses "a youthful and neotenous overall appearance". The nodes gives the natives striking eyes and looks that stand out from the rest. They'll look like foreigners in some way.

7. Dianna Agron and Jensen Ackles 

The only similarity I found in their charts was Aquarius, Dianna having a stellium and Jensen his Jupiter.

Dianna has a lot of Venus and Moon nakshatras, which is a lot of yin energy, and as mentioned above attracts a lot of attention easily due to their grace, inviting, youthful, and overall beautiful nature.

Jensen has Rahu nakshatras which is also another denominator for appearances that attract fame, and simply seem delicate yet “exotic” in some way.

BONUS:

A very kind reader clarified that who I initially thought was Amber Heard, was actually Dianna Agron. I was quite shocked because I genuinely thought it was the exact same person. Now guess what? I looked at both of their charts, noticed they were born 8 days apart, and that even their Moon’s are in earth signs.

Anyways, hope this analysis and observations were a fun and insightful read! If you’d like to know further information/details on your type of beauty, feel free to book with me via DM 🦋✨

[oldbutchdaniel]

FREAKING AWESOME BEST GUY EVER I LOVE YOU.

[felineandhustle]

[kalki-tarot]

How to NOT read tarot pacs :

Do not constantly check up on your person's "current feelings" you can do it like once or twice a month, but almost everyday is a big no! Trust me.

Do not peek into someone's private life especially people who do not know you, like celebrities, crushes etc.

Do not think that whatever a reading says is FIXED and you can't do anything about it. Your life is in your control, tarot just reads your current energy and it can change the moment you decide.

Do not consider every other crush of yours, a twinflame or a soulmate. Give yourself and them a while, don't categorize love or attraction until you both are really close and in a relationship of some kind.

Mindlessly scrolling into 50-60 pacs a day is also a big NO!

Feel free to add more <3

Thanks for reading, stay safe 🙏 🧿

[garden-of-thoughts-fruit-of-lips]

When recognizing a mistake, don't you instinctively strive for improvement? Similarly, when life knocks someone down, don't they inherently seek to rise stronger than before?

Our inner light is the greatest source of guidance. Is it not fitting that celebrities are called stars, shining bright? When we close our eyes, darkness fades, revealing our own radiant potential. Didn't the dragon's tail sweep away a third of the stars and hurled them to earth, reminding us God's Word is our eternal illumination?

Please pick a color to read. Or read them all 📚

Revelation 18:1

Revelation 21:23

Ezekiel 43:2

Genesis 2:1

Genesis 1:26

John 1:4

John 1:5

Revelation 12:1

Romans 12:2

Revelation 22:5

John 8:12

John 5:35

Isaiah 60:2

Psalms 36:9

Psalms 119:105

Matthew 5:16

Proverbs 4:18

Proverbs 6:23

2 Corinthians 4:4

Revelation 12:4

2 Corinthians 11:14

[kaiserouo]

Tired Ghost

[palatinewolfsblog]

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Alvin Toffler.