starchild

02.02.19✨

February monthly spread 💕🤗

I don’t know. Based on:

you do. You need it.

A badass bisexual Chinese-Vietnamese American superhero written by a badass bisexual Chinese-Vietnamese American superhero?

Plus, it’s the coolest, most original superhero world I’ve ever seen in a novel. 

And the girl gets the girl and none of the queer bbies die.

I’m just sayin. 

You need The Thing.

Immediately.

(You also need the sequel, NOT YOUR VILLAIN, which spotlights the trans boy MC from the first book. He’s a Bean and he’s never done anything wrong in his life and I want him and my trans boy superhero Adrian to be best friends and I’m having feelings okay go read these books baiiiii.)

If you are on the search, you’ve come to the right place! First, have you seen my extensive tumblr post of queer books?  Check that out. Now, some faves. I will put a * next to the ones with POC leads, and feel free to message me about any titles! Are you looking for…

…Soft contemporary romance vibes?

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (gay mc, m/m)

Coffee Boy by Austin Chant (trans guy mc, m/m)

Knit One, Girl Two by Shira Glassman (lesbian mc, f/f)

Chord by Chelsea M. Cameron (queer girl mcs, f/f)

Style by Chelsea M. Cameron (lesbian mcs, f/f)

Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger (gay mcs, m/m)

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde (multiple POV, one half is a bisexual girl with f/f)*

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate (bisexual girl MC, m/f)*

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann (biromantic ace girl mc, m/f)*

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour (lesbian mc, f/f)*

The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angeles) by Amy Spalding (lesbian mc, f/f)

…More intense/emotional contemporary vibes?

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera (lesbian mc)*

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan (all queer guy mcs, lots of m/m)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (gay mc, m/m)*

Nevada by Imogen Binnie (trans woman mc)

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren (bisexual guy mc, m/m)

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (lesbian mc)

How To Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake (bisexual girl mc, f/f)

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo (trans girl mc, m/f)

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by emily m. danforth (lesbian mc)

Radical by E.M. Kokie (lesbian mc)

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman (bisexual girl mc, gay demisexual side)*

…Sprawling historical fiction vibes?

The Color Purple by Alice Walker (lesbian mc, f/f)*

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (bisexual woman mc, f/f & m/f)*

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg (subtle f/f)

All Out: The No Longer Secret Stories of Queer Teens Through the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell (every story is narrated by a queer teen!)

…Sci-Fi & fantasy vibes?

The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie (lesbian mc, f/f)*

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst (multiple POV both queer girls, f/f)

Caroline’s Heart by Austin Chant (multiple POV, both trans m/f)

Axiom: The Last Hope by R.M. Pearcy (lesbian mc, f/f)

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee (bisexual girl mc, f/f)*

Not Your Villain by C.B. Lee (sequel to above, trans guy mc)*

More Than This by Patrick Ness (gay mc)

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle (multiple POV, more than half the cast are queer girls, f/f & m/f)*

…Fantastical retelling vibes?

Peter Darling by Austin Chant (trans guy mc, m/m)

Ash by Malinda Lo (lesbian mc, f/f)*

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (multiple POV, one half is queer girl mc with f/f)

…Honestly just super bizarre vibes?

Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly (gay mc, m/m)

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson (gay mc, m/m)

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (ace girl mc, trans guy side - and this whole series is full of other queer characters)

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore (bisexual girl mc, f/f & m/f)

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (multiple POV, multiple queer guy characters, m/m)

…Looking for graphic novels?

Goldie Vance by Hope Larson (queer girl mc, f/f)*

Spinning by Tillie Walden (memoir, lesbian mc)

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (memoir, lesbian mc)

Power & Magic:The Queer Witch Comics Anthology edited by Joamette Gil (all queer narrators)*

No matter what path you follow as in witchcraft are, chances are you have some sort of sacred space. If you are a witch whose practice is part of your religious beliefs, this might be a place to communicate with your deities. If you work with spirits, this could be a place where honor your ancestors. Non-religious witches like myself often use altars as a space where they can connect with their magical and spiritual sides. Even though we all share this desire to have a place all our own dedicated to our craft. 

That doesn’t mean we all need the same type of space. Whether you are a new witch who can’t show off your craft publicly (we’ve all been there) or just a witch who isn’t really into the more standard altar table setup, there are plenty of options for customizing and creating an altar space that meets your needs.

Window Altars

One easy way to create an altar is to take up a windowsill. Depending on the arrangement of the room you’re using, your personal preference, and the space available, the size of this type of altar varies. 

This generally small altar space can be good for witches in the broom closet and green witches who like to keep their altars populated with plant friends. Because it is literally a window to the outside, these altars are also great places for charging things like crystals, spells, and water under the light of the moon. 

Benefits:

Good for altars that are heavily planted (hello, sunlight!)

Generally discreet

Keeps your altar space contained (for all us witches that do not know when to quit)

Garden Altars

While pretty much any altar can include plants, there is something else to say for an altar that is almost completely plants. If you have some space indoors, why not design a witch’s garden that doubles as an altar space?

A small tray planted with succulents with offering bowls and candle dishes set into the soil and crystals scattered around can be a unique, and even moveable altar! You could also use potted plants so that you can change the arrangement or plants out whenever you need a refresh.

Benefits:

Deeply connected to nature and the earth

Pluck herbs for spells right off your altar

Generally pretty moveable

Bath Altars

If you love bath magic as much as I do, you’re a water witch, or your bathroom is one of your most sacred places (self-care anyone?), a bath altar could be the perfect thing to give your craft a physical home.

We’ve all seen those pictures of wooden tray tables for baths surrounded by eucalyptus and candles. Add a statue of your deity (or a symbol of something important to your craft), some crystals (check how your crystals are affected by water and humidity first!), and some jars of your favorite things to mix into bath spells, and your bath altar is set.

Benefits:

The perfect place to combine witchcraft and self-care

Perfect for witches that incoroporate the water element in their craft a lot

Magic really does belong in every room in the house

Travel Altars

If you tend to practice on a whim rather than waiting to be in a specific place or if you need to be able to stash your altar quickly, a travel altar is perfect. These altars can be fit into matchboxes, Altoids tins, jewelry boxes, and even hollowed out books! If you can carry it with you and find supplies small enough to fit, anything goes. (I’ve even seen locket altars!)

Some witches will create multiple travel altars for different purposes or focuses, but don’t feel like you need to collect them if that’s not your thing.

Benefits:

Small and discreet, it’s hard to make a mess with these

Very customizable (and easy to have multiples of!)

Perfect for witches in the broom closet

Virtual Altars

Tech witches, I haven’t forgotten you. If you’ve been following me for a bit, then you might know that I threw out the idea a while ago about a altar lockscreen/wallpaper for your phone/tablet/etc. Now that I’ve talked to some tech witches, I know this is actually a pretty sound idea! 

Whether you commision an artist or design one yourself, a lock screen wallpaper for an electronic device (you could even go as big as a laptop with a touch screen!) could make the perfect altar for a tech witch. Even if you decide not to use it as a wallpaper, designing an image that serves as an altar and opening it in GIMP or Photoshop where you can create additional layers for placing other virtual elements could be useful.

Benefits:

Travel friendly

Can be synced across devices, so your altar is always with you

Easy to change and “redecorate” throughout the year

Paper Altars

(This incredible paper altar was created by Stella Witchcraft! Please click here to check out their full post and their blog!)

Similar to a virtual altar, a paper altar is a portable, customizable altar. Many witches choose to include paper altar setups in their grimoires, but there’s nothing stopping you from making larger paper altars with poster paper that can be rolled up and stored away.

If paper altars are attractive to you, don’t be deterred if you aren’t an artist! Minimallism in paper altars is perfectly fine. You can always outline your altar with symbols or even words alone. If you’re happy with it, it is perfect. You don’t have to meet and requirements for aesthetic or any other witch’s expectations.

Please do not reblog if:

you’re a terf

you’re racist

you’re sexist

you’re homophobic

you’re transphobic

Colour coding is a simple method of helping you learn and memorise material. When used effectively, it not only helps with your understanding but looks pretty! Setting up a colour code that works for all your subjects and can suit highlighters is often tricky, but these are my tips for creating and utilising your own personalised system! 

Don’t over complicate! You don’t need to have 20 different colours but around 7 or 8 so it’s still easy to remember. Identifying what areas you want to highlight (for general and subject specific) is a great way to start. This can include terms, formulas, dates, etc!

Gather your supplies. Obviously you’ll need an assorted pack of coloured pens to start your system. I use Staedtler Stick 432 Ice Ballpoint Pens and Stabilo Swing Cool Highlighters since the colours are very similar and therefore work for both writing and highlighting. You could also use coloured post-it notes for annotating!

Use examples to sort your own code! Seeing what other people are doing and applying your own twist is good way to get started. My colour code was created for general use but mainly for business and legal studies. My system is as follows:

Black - for general notes.

Yellow (highlighter only) - for important information that outlines the point.

Light blue (pen and highlighter) - for terms and their definitions/synonyms.

Red (pen only) - for sentence points and key ideas in my study notes (usually not class notes). 

Dark blue (pen and highlighter) - for businesses, agencies, legislation, etc. 

Light green (pen and highlighter) - for quotes, case studies.

Dark green (pen only) - for people’s names or important dates.

Purple (pen and highlighter) - for books titles, publications, reports. 

Pink (pen and highlighter) - for statistics. 

Orange - for examples.

Avoid over-doing-it. Write mostly in black. It is easiest to keep your general notes in a dull colour so the important parts stand out. Try not to make your page a rainbow! You only want certain parts to stand out so limit what you’re writing or highlighting. Also, changing pens every minute is a waste of time, so keeping everything brief and minimal is the best way!

Finally, remember your code! Write down somewhere the meaning behind each colour. This could be on your phone, in a planner or at the beginning of each notebook - whatever works for you! After a while you’ll just know what the colours means and that will make finding material and information much easier.

↝ you’re an active studyblr

↝ you love making new friends

↝ your followers are always welcome to message you!

Alectromancy: by observation of a rooster pecking at grain

Astrology: by the movements of celestial bodies.

Astromancy: by the stars.

Augury: by the flight of birds.

Bazi or four pillars: by hour, day, month, and year of birth.

Bibliomancy: by books; frequently, but not always, religious texts.

Cartomancy: by playing cards, tarot cards, or oracle cards.

Ceromancy: by patterns in melting or dripping wax.

Cheiromancy: by the shape of the hands and lines in the palms.

Chronomancy: by determination of lucky and unlucky days.

Clairvoyance: by spiritual vision or inner sight.

Cleromancy: by casting of lots, or casting bones or stones.

Cold reading: by using visual and aural clues.

Crystallomancy: by crystal ball also called scrying.

Extispicy: by the entrails of animals.

Face Reading: by means of variations in face and head shape.

Feng shui: by earthen harmony.

Gastromancy: by stomach-based ventriloquism (historically).

Geomancy: by markings in the ground, sand, earth, or soil.

Haruspicy: by the livers of sacrificed animals.

Horary astrology: the astrology of the time the question was asked.

Hydromancy: by water.

I Ching divination: by yarrow stalks or coins and the I Ching.

Kau cim by means of numbered bamboo sticks shaken from a tube.

Lithomancy: by stones or gems.

Necromancy: by the dead, or by spirits or souls of the dead.

Numerology: by numbers.

Oneiromancy: by dreams.

Onomancy: by names.

Palmistry: by lines and mounds on the hand.

Parrot astrology: by parakeets picking up fortune cards

Paper fortune teller: origami used in fortune-telling games

Pendulum reading: by the movements of a suspended object.

Pyromancy: by gazing into fire.

Rhabdomancy: divination by rods.

Runecasting or Runic divination: by runes.

Scrying: by looking at or into reflective objects.

Spirit board: by planchette or talking board.

Taromancy: by a form of cartomancy using tarot cards.

school is just around the corner, and i know that once school starts, i’ll have less and less time to study languages. as students, we can’t avoid crazy schedules, especially with all the lectures, labs, and extracurricular activities interrupting our perfect duolingo streaks! but there are ways you can still keep up with learning a language, even when you’re busy! here are some tips to keep up with a new language.

squeeze language practice into your every day schedule - even just 5 minutes a day! you don’t need to spend an hour everyday on learning languages. you can practice for as little 5 minutes a day, as long as you do it everyday. 5 minutes before you go to bed, on your transit to school or work, when you’re eating lunch, before classes start - you can always find at least 5 minutes to work on duolingo practices or refresh memrise vocab lists. for duolingo and memrise, make sure to set a daily goal - this will motivate you to maintain those streaks, encouraging you to practice everyday!

don’t overestimate how much you’ll be able to accomplish each day. i used to set my duolingo daily goal super high, and when i don’t meet the goal for that day or miss a streak, it’s easy to feel discouraged. AVOID OVER-REACHING. set practical, realistic goals for yourself. you can always overachieve those smaller goals and feel better about yourself. don’t be afraid to take it slow!

treat language studying as a class and block a schedule for yourself in your routine. if you’re super motivated into learning languages, treat it more as class than as a hobby. this means you have to get organized. like you would for a class, set a designated time block to study the language. for example, twice a week tuesday and thursday, 30 minutes each after lunch. in those designed time blocks, you can focus on sharpening those language skills by learning more in-depth grammar points, reading a short piece, listening to dialogues, or watching a short video in your target language. doing this will make sure you’re not just scratching the surface - you will actually progress.

engage in passive learning. this is perfect for when you’re busy. listen to music in your target language, listen to podcasts when you’re exercising, watch movies or tv shows (even with subtitles is ok!), switch your phone and other devices into your target language. 

do something fun with your target language to spark continuous interest. once in a while, come up with fun and interesting projects you can do with your target language! for example, if there’s a song you love, translate the lyrics! watched a good movie recently? look at the screenplay and analyze your favorite dialogues, and make sure to break down new vocabs and grammar. transform your favorite quotes into an artwork and hang it in your room! get creative and do something you’ll enjoy.

record your progress and your accomplishments! this is super helpful for organizing your studying progress, seeing how far you’ve gone, and celebrating your accomplishments. 

set long term goals to keep motivated. you can scratch the surface with that 5 minutes per day routine, but to truly get anywhere with a new language, make sure you’re setting long term goals! that is, by the end of the year, what will you want to be able to do? do you want to read harry potter entirely in your target language? be able to hold a conversation with a native speaker? watch movies without subtitles? travel to the country? these are the type of questions you should ask yourself.

1. read up, learn more about this particular subject/topic/skill

2. practice, practice, practice !!!

3. scream

4. cry

5. repeat steps 2-4 until you’re good at said subject/topic/skill

october 19, 2018 - warmth, version 2

shibas are wonderful. i’d love to have one someday.

shiba pup photo credit goes to @se_jin9999 on instagram.