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laurange · 02-18-2020, 03:37 PM

SPOILER!!: GD2204

Quote:

Originally Posted by GD2204

Even as he walked across the classroom, he knew this whole joke of a situation wasn’t over. He wouldn’t just be able to walk out of the classroom, slam the door and then just go somewhere else without anyone around staring at him. There may have been those who were trying to get him to stay but they would have had to tried a lot harder to break through to him (Chloe). Sure, he knew there were several sets of eyes on him but he didn’t care. They didn’t matter and neither did the house points. It was all just white noise.

That was, until he found someone’s hand on his shoulder. They may not have meant to snap him out of his rage filled stupor but they had. “Yes mate. Why should I stay?” his question totally valid and relevant at this second. Why should he? Obviously, the Professor didn’t care why he was in a bad mood, just that he had apparently ‘set a bad example’ because that’s all that’s important. Not his wellbeing. Nope. Heaven forbit he put his head down on the table and not say hello to a teacher. It was clearly just as bad.

“Well, Professor, I’m not debating the fact that I ‘broke the rules’ if you can call it that, I’m stating that your approach was flawed and could use a little tweaking. So, by all means, give me detention for disagreeing with you and walking out” shaking off Minjae’s hand now, he gave the Hufflepuff a small smile, appreciating the effort to try and get him to stay but he was done with this. He wasn’t going to stay and just sit there when he wasn’t going to take a word of what she was going to say in. It was pointless. Anybody with a brain cell could see him leaving now was the best decision. “And actually Professor, I didn’t say your teaching was terrible. You’re a pretty good teacher actually so let’s not make out what I’m doing is much worse than what it actually is” Was he testing her on purpose? Not really. He was trying to help her if anything. And also, he was trying to help himself because he just wasn’t in the mood for this today and what good was there in him sitting there but not actually being there mentally? None.

And just like that, the door was closed and he was the other side of it, away from the gawking stares of his fellow students and away from Professor Sandhu. Sure, some of the Ravenclaws would dislike him but all of their complaints would be carefully filed in the bin where they belonged.

Simran's nostrils flared as the insolence simply got worse, but even in her state, figured that additional point loss might cause a riot, which was best avoided. Words would be had with Professor Schmoe and the Headmaster, of course. She would not tolerate such disrespect from a prefect.

"Yes, Master Jones, I certainly am calling it a violation of the rules and expectations," she said. "And as you admit to it, the point loss stands." His utter inconsistency with regards to whether or not she was a good teacher went without being dignified with a response other than a raised eyebrow, and as he walked out, she turned to the rest of them.

"Anyone else want to question my methods?"

No?

She was moving on before her blood pressure went through the roof.

SPOILER!!: PassionRising

Simran smiled as Carsyn gave her well-thought-through response that was pretty elegantly worded response, and nodded. "Very well put, Miss Rose," she said.

"The planets can influence us, and Astrology is primarily a prediction of that influence. Arithmancy is also a divination method based on seemingly arbitrary quantities, but it's got a reputation for being more accurate simply because anyone with an abacus can do it."

SPOILER!!: Nordic Witch

Simran nodded approvingly at Cole's answer, fists unclenching somewhat as she attempted to shake the tension out of her shoulders. She needed some tea. Or a mug of hot chocolate with more marshmallows than liquid. It was even a little tempting to cancel the lesson and see herself to the kitchens to eat some of her feelings. But no, she was a professional.

"Very good, Master Vance. Astrology can indeed be a good tool to help in understanding ourselves and the people around us."

SPOILER!!: Weasley174

Simran smiled, the simplicity of the answer, and how entirely off-base it was. "I believe you're referring to Astronomy, dear, which while a delightful subject, is not the one at hand." It was very cute, though, and she wasn't quite that angry anymore. "We are currently discussing Astrology, which is the intersection of Divination and Astronomy."

"A very common mistake," she said, winking. "Many people, wizard and muggle alike, struggle to see the difference."

SPOILER!!: love-for-HP

"The constellations themselves, perhaps not," she said, nodding in agreement. "However, the recurrence of the signs does point us towards an idea of where we are in space, which does have an impact on our magical ability, among other things."

"You're very right, though. The sun and moon do certainly have a large impact on these things." Maybe she would plan a lesson on the topic sometime.

[COLOR=BanaBatGirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BanaBatGirl

Merlin's beard, what was wrong with everyone today?! Was there a full moon out or something else going on in a s t r o l o g y that would have everyone so testy? Bernie was about to tell Claudine that the secret to her energy was napping and cookies, but while she was running around the room like a madwoman, some Ravenclaw prefect decided to get short with the professor.

"Heavens!" the second year murmured, her eyes wide as she watched this interaction. Did Claudine see this?! Ravenclaw was TOTALLY out of the running for the House Cup now, heh heh. One simply did not get smart with the Gryffindor head of house, no siree. Gryffindors, much like their founder, did NOT take sass lying down. Bernie thought Sandhu's response was apt, so she took to copying down notes without another peep. Just the girl's raised eyebrows indicated her surprise at this outburst from a prefect, that was all.

Anddddddd moving on. "Well, I think astrology can be used to kind of predict one's mood and ah, energy," Bernie supplied with hand raised. "I mean, even Muggles think that when we have a full moon, people here on Earth tend to act rather crazy." She couldn't help but let her eyes trail over to where the Ravenclaw prefect had just been sitting before his dramatic exit, and then back to the professor. Kids these days, amirite?!

[/SPOILER]

Simran saw what Bernie was getting at, and, well, she didn't disagree. She shrugged a little, and nodded. "That also happens to be precisely where the word "lunacy" comes from."

So.

Do with that knowledge what you will.

SPOILER!!: DuckyLinJi

"Yes, Master Yoon," she nodded, now highly amused. "We are, indeed, discussing Astrology. The one with the horoscopes in the Prophet. Not all Astronomers think it's total hogwash."

"Perhaps not exactly the same, but tending towards the same results, with an inclination towards similar reactions may or may not be likely," she smiled. "It is also difficult work, for astrologers at large publications, to try to accurately predict the day or week of a large group of people."

"Personalised work tends to be the most accurate, as more factors can be taken into consideration for a more accurate reading, but this is true for just about all forms of Divination."

SPOILER!!: FebruaryLover19

OH HO HO. What a question.

"Well, yes, but I certainly put more stock in it than my parents did," she smiled, chuckling. "They were Muggle academics, so like most highly educated people, they insisted quite strongly that such things cannot be read from an arbitrary viewing of celestial objects."

"I think there is subtlety to every form of Divination, and that interpretation tends to be key. Astrology, in turn, is less a set of hard facts than a tendency of the universe towards ordered chaos."

SPOILER!!: AnnaBanana

Oh, there was a reason she asked what they thought, Isla. Never fear. Part of the reason was, of course, that there was very little (if any) hard evidence pointing in the direction that Astrology was accurate. But the same could be said for just about any form of magic, much less Divination. Astrology just got a bad rep.

"Very well put," she nodded. "As your Divination professor would probably tell you, the future is not set in stone. Anything can influence it, but there is a natural tendency, which can be interpreted many ways."

SPOILER!!: MatchMadeWithMalfoy

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatchMadeWithMalfoy

Uhhhhh…. Heath blinked in shock and confusion at the exchange between Sandhu and his house prefect (Ewan). And where did that older girl (Whitney) come from with that comment? He couldn’t for the life of him understand why his housemates were being so mean to Professor Sandhu! Didn’t they know she was one of the nicest professors at this school? Were it not for his shyness, he might’ve pointed that out, but he held his tongue. This was not the kind of drama he wanted to be involved in!

Heath’s heart sank at the massive points loss. How many was that? He ran through the numbers in his mind. Three, then two, then another ten, then fifty (!!!), then one… if his maths skills served him right, that was sixty-six points gone in a matter of moments. Gee, thanks a lot, guys, he thought angrily. Now he was going to have to work twice as hard to earn those points back. Not that he minded hard work because he loved astronomy… but still, he found himself wishing for what wouldn’t be the first time (or probably the last) that he wasn’t a Ravenclaw.

Heath shook his head, refocusing his attention on the board as he copied down notes on the constellations he hadn’t identified before class and the forms of magic associated with them. He wanted to show Professor Sandhu that there was at least one Ravenclaw here who wouldn’t cause trouble! The problem was the next question had him totally lost. He had no idea what to think of astrology, and even if he had, he was really not good at expressing his opinions. Still, he knew he had to try to say something, or else it would look like he wasn’t paying attention!

He raised his hand, albeit less enthusiastically than for the last question, and said, “I think astrology, like most things, is a subject worth learning, but I’m afraid I don’t understand how constellations relate to people’s personalities. I mean, everyone is different, so there’d have to be some people that don’t fit the traits associated with their sign, right?” Like himself, for example. He didn’t think he was much like a typical Virgo.

Simran smiled. "It takes a good deal of courage to admit you don't understand a subject. Now, while the zodiac signs derive their names from physical constellations, they don't actually have much to do with them aside from that."

Confusing? That's fine.

"And, of course, there will always be people who defy every expectation. Cosmic or otherwise."

Addressing the rest of the group once more, Simran rubbed her hands together in a way not entirely different from a stereotypical cartoon villain. "Common misconception is that Astrology has very much to do with actual constellations. This is, however, not really the case."

"The zodiac wheel is carefully and mathematically calculated, from as far back as the Babylonian Empire. They began by first splitting our sky into four sections designated by the yearly equinoxes and solstices (the turning points of the four yearly seasons). Each of these four sections of sky were further split into 3 sections measuring 30 degrees each."

"Each 30-degree section is one zodiac sign, for a total of 12 zodiac signs, and a total of 360 degrees."

"Zero degrees traditionally assignes Aries to the Vernal Equinox, and so on and so forth. This wheel, called the Tropical Zodiac, is still accurate and in use today because we always align/begin it, as the ancients Greeks did, with the first day of Spring. This not a mistake, and no, the Wheel is not misalligned. It is recalibrated every so often to remain accurate."

"As a handy convenience, and also likely out of necessity, they used the star constellations that appeared in the general area of each zodiac sign as markers. These constellations were named after the zodiac signs they represent, not the converse!"

"As time progressed, these observations were fine-tuned to give us the Birth Chart. In fact, logarithms were developed FOR this. Basically, the planets are always moving, making different angles to each other. This means that no two people have the same planetary configurations; your horoscope is as unique as your fingerprint."

"Today, I've got a selection of Almanacs for the years corresponding to your births. Your task will be to fill out your own birth charts!" A useful life skill, it was, being able to read and extrapolate data regarding planetary allignments at specific times in history.

Were they excited? She was! "Please come forward and select the appropriate book. Under your desks, you will find a blank birth chart for you to fill, along with instructions on how to read the almanac on the back."

She would fill one for herself on the blackboard. Just for reference.

OOC: OOF. That's a lot of text. Your characters will be filling in their astrological birth charts based on the western zodiac. THIS link may be of assistance to you, but you may of course use a different website if you prefer.

We'll be moving the lesson in about 48 hours, but I'll be checking in from time to time in between to check in on questions. Title your posts if your character needs assistance!

02-18-2020, 03:37 PM	#35 (permalink)
laurange DERP & DMLE Ramora Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kita's pocket Posts: 5,227 Hogwarts RPG Name: Aslan Archer Slytherin Second Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Rose Woods Gryffindor Third Year x9 x6	½ of Lauralie \| Koala \| The being in Ern's pocket \| Baby Smurf \| Prouf member of The Flock SPOILER!!: GD2204 Quote: Originally Posted by GD2204 Even as he walked across the classroom, he knew this whole joke of a situation wasn’t over. He wouldn’t just be able to walk out of the classroom, slam the door and then just go somewhere else without anyone around staring at him. There may have been those who were trying to get him to stay but they would have had to tried a lot harder to break through to him (Chloe). Sure, he knew there were several sets of eyes on him but he didn’t care. They didn’t matter and neither did the house points. It was all just white noise. That was, until he found someone’s hand on his shoulder. They may not have meant to snap him out of his rage filled stupor but they had. “Yes mate. Why should I stay?” his question totally valid and relevant at this second. Why should he? Obviously, the Professor didn’t care why he was in a bad mood, just that he had apparently ‘set a bad example’ because that’s all that’s important. Not his wellbeing. Nope. Heaven forbit he put his head down on the table and not say hello to a teacher. It was clearly just as bad. “Well, Professor, I’m not debating the fact that I ‘broke the rules’ if you can call it that, I’m stating that your approach was flawed and could use a little tweaking. So, by all means, give me detention for disagreeing with you and walking out” shaking off Minjae’s hand now, he gave the Hufflepuff a small smile, appreciating the effort to try and get him to stay but he was done with this. He wasn’t going to stay and just sit there when he wasn’t going to take a word of what she was going to say in. It was pointless. Anybody with a brain cell could see him leaving now was the best decision. “And actually Professor, I didn’t say your teaching was terrible. You’re a pretty good teacher actually so let’s not make out what I’m doing is much worse than what it actually is” Was he testing her on purpose? Not really. He was trying to help her if anything. And also, he was trying to help himself because he just wasn’t in the mood for this today and what good was there in him sitting there but not actually being there mentally? None. And just like that, the door was closed and he was the other side of it, away from the gawking stares of his fellow students and away from Professor Sandhu. Sure, some of the Ravenclaws would dislike him but all of their complaints would be carefully filed in the bin where they belonged. Simran's nostrils flared as the insolence simply got worse, but even in her state, figured that additional point loss might cause a riot, which was best avoided. Words would be had with Professor Schmoe and the Headmaster, of course. She would not tolerate such disrespect from a prefect. "Yes, Master Jones, I certainly am calling it a violation of the rules and expectations," she said. "And as you admit to it, the point loss stands." His utter inconsistency with regards to whether or not she was a good teacher went without being dignified with a response other than a raised eyebrow, and as he walked out, she turned to the rest of them. "Anyone else want to question my methods?" No? She was moving on before her blood pressure went through the roof. SPOILER!!: PassionRising Quote: Originally Posted by PassionRising Why was everyone else so sleepy?? Honestly, 9pm was relatively early compared to on nights when she had prefect patrol, which went as late as midnight on weekends. And what in Merlin Beards had Ewan's knickers in a wad, honestly?? Carsyn shrugged it all off though because apparently Sandhu wanted them to do two laps around the observatory to wake up. Eh, that was nothing, compared to her under seventeen practices, which honestly meant the gryffindor was done relatively quickly. And back in her seat to take note of the constellations on the board. "Aren't the zodiac or sun signs commonly associated with divination?" Wait, was that what she meant by area of magic? Was that too generic? What did she think of Astrology though?? Hmm.... Uhhh ... oh, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully at Sandhu, she eyed Ewan casually at the door and willed him to come sit down again. Maybe. Cause she wasn't sure what was bothering him, but obviously something was and she, being the nosy gryffindor that she was, was curious. "Kind of how gravity pulls us to the Earth, Astrology has a pull for each of us towards certain behaviors. Depending on when certain planets might be in retrograde, might be cause for stranger behaviors than normal, for instance." Wait, was that why Ewan was acting weird? Was it the planets fault? Simran smiled as Carsyn gave her well-thought-through response that was pretty elegantly worded response, and nodded. "Very well put, Miss Rose," she said. "The planets can influence us, and Astrology is primarily a prediction of that influence. Arithmancy is also a divination method based on seemingly arbitrary quantities, but it's got a reputation for being more accurate simply because anyone with an abacus can do it." SPOILER!!: Nordic Witch Quote: Originally Posted by Nordic Witch Professor Sandhu seemed off somehow. Whatever had put her in a bad mood? Cole was going to do his best to keep out of trouble for now. He'd do everything asked and hopefully if he had any luck their professor would smile at the end of class. He wasn't feeling sleepy so he didn't see why he'd need to run two laps around the observatory, but Cole got up with the others and ran around and around in a speed pulse rising pace like a good student. Back in his seat next to Naya he breathed quickly for a few moments before he regained his cool. Looking up at the board at the constellations he immediatley identified one of them by heart. Raising his hand Cole said "The constellation on the top to the left is pisces. I remember because I always thinks it looks like a flower with a long stalk and my stepmother has her birthday then." Cole watched and heard with some shock how Ewan adressed Professor Sandhu. He wasn't normally one to raise his voice or do anything out of line. Now he was losing his house many points, earning himself a detention by attacking Professor Sandhu's teaching methods and as it looked even walking out of class. What on earth was wrong with him? Surely it was something more significant than say losing his backpack in the loo. Thinking it was best not meddle in this he focused on the next question asked not really sure what Professor Sandhu was getting at. Anyway after some thought Cole raised his hand to say "I like astrology and think it's very important when learning about our each individual personalities and what makes each of us tick. The constellation signs in astrology are interconnected with our birthdates and that shows in our behaviour and actions. Like people born under the pisces sign are often compassionate and patient people." Simran nodded approvingly at Cole's answer, fists unclenching somewhat as she attempted to shake the tension out of her shoulders. She needed some tea. Or a mug of hot chocolate with more marshmallows than liquid. It was even a little tempting to cancel the lesson and see herself to the kitchens to eat some of her feelings. But no, she was a professional. "Very good, Master Vance. Astrology can indeed be a good tool to help in understanding ourselves and the people around us." SPOILER!!: Weasley174 Quote: Originally Posted by Weasley174 Tom looked at the Professor and smiled, he then raised his hand and smiled "I personally think that it is an amazing subject and it's very interesting." Tom stopped to take a breath and then he continued. "You get to find out all about the planets and you never know one day maybe we'll find life somewhere out there." Tom had watched Star Wars and Star Trek when he was younger. Simran smiled, the simplicity of the answer, and how entirely off-base it was. "I believe you're referring to Astronomy, dear, which while a delightful subject, is not the one at hand." It was very cute, though, and she wasn't quite that angry anymore. *"We are currently discussing Astrology, which is the intersection of Divination and Astronomy."* "A very common mistake," she said, winking. "Many people, wizard and muggle alike, struggle to see the difference." SPOILER!!: love-for-HP Quote: Originally Posted by love-for-HP Blake thought for a minuet. He had always liked astrology, learning the planets and their moons, studying the constellations, but did he put much stock into the zodiac signs? Not really ... he found it rather hard to believe that being born a certain time made you more prone to a temper or prone to compassion? I guess that's the debate about nature versus nurture that had been going in for the entire test of time. "Well, honestly, I don't know if the constellations have so much to do about people's personalities, but obviously the sun and moon have a lot to do with how we live, they control the tides and seasons and such." There ... hopefully he hadn't offended the Professor, what with the Ravenclaw prefect going AWOL already .. Blake was lead to believe that things weren't going to be super peachy for everyone today. "The constellations themselves, perhaps not," she said, nodding in agreement. "However, the recurrence of the signs does point us towards an idea of where we are in space, which does have an impact on our magical ability, among other things." "You're very right, though. The sun and moon do certainly have a large impact on these things." Maybe she would plan a lesson on the topic sometime. [COLOR=BanaBatGirl] Quote: Originally Posted by BanaBatGirl Merlin's beard, what was wrong with everyone today?! Was there a full moon out or something else going on in a s t r o l o g y that would have everyone so testy? Bernie was about to tell Claudine that the secret to her energy was napping and cookies, but while she was running around the room like a madwoman, some Ravenclaw prefect decided to get short with the professor. "Heavens!" the second year murmured, her eyes wide as she watched this interaction. Did Claudine see this?! Ravenclaw was TOTALLY out of the running for the House Cup now, heh heh. One simply did not get smart with the Gryffindor head of house, no siree. Gryffindors, much like their founder, did NOT take sass lying down. Bernie thought Sandhu's response was apt, so she took to copying down notes without another peep. Just the girl's raised eyebrows indicated her surprise at this outburst from a prefect, that was all. Anddddddd moving on. "Well, I think astrology can be used to kind of predict one's mood and ah, energy," Bernie supplied with hand raised. "I mean, even Muggles think that when we have a full moon, people here on Earth tend to act rather crazy." She couldn't help but let her eyes trail over to where the Ravenclaw prefect had just been sitting before his dramatic exit, and then back to the professor. Kids these days, amirite?! [/SPOILER] Simran saw what Bernie was getting at, and, well, she didn't disagree. She shrugged a little, and nodded. "That also happens to be precisely where the word "lunacy" comes from." So. Do with that knowledge what you will. SPOILER!!: DuckyLinJi Quote: Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi Minjae had expected it but he still felt a bit disappointed when Ewan brushed off his hand. He couldn't come up with a reason as to why the Prefect had to stay and before he knew it he watched him walk out of the door. What on earth just happened? Whatever was troubling Ewan it had to be serious if he just got up and left over a little argument. Walking back to his seat, the Hufflepuff sat down. He had completely missed the tight smile that the professor had given him and tried to focus on the lesson for now. His smile was gone though. He did not like it when people got upset. What did he think of Astrology? "I like reading my horoscope in the Daily Prophet" he said after raising his hand up. "I don't believe it though cause if it were true then everyone sharing my horoscope will have the exact same day" which seemed ridiculous. "Wait, that is Astrology right?" or was he mixing things up again? "Yes, Master Yoon," she nodded, now highly amused. "We are, indeed, discussing Astrology. The one with the horoscopes in the Prophet. Not all Astronomers think it's total hogwash." "Perhaps not exactly the same, but tending towards the same results, with an inclination towards similar reactions may or may not be likely," she smiled. "It is also difficult work, for astrologers at large publications, to try to accurately predict the day or week of a large group of people." "Personalised work tends to be the most accurate, as more factors can be taken into consideration for a more accurate reading, but this is true for just about all forms of Divination." SPOILER!!: FebruaryLover19 Quote: Originally Posted by FebruaryLover19 The Snakette could only look on in fascination at the exchange between Sandhu and Ewan. Given her thoughts about how Sandhu had handled things regarding the students who were tired, Claudine was inclined to take Ewan’s side. A small smirk crossed her features. Had she been one to be reckless and risk her House’s chances with the Cup, she would have spoken up in favour of the prefect. But shrewd was what she was so she chose to keep quiet. “Indeed they are,’’ she confirmed to Bernie. “But I do agree with Ewan.’’ She spoke very quietly from her position at the back of the room. Her thoughts on Astrology? “What Blake said,’’ Claudine responded when Sandhu called on her. “Isn’t Astrology important in your culture also, professor?” Did this mean that Sandhu believed in it as well? Or did she distance herself from astrology unlike some Indians? OH HO HO. What a question. "Well, yes, but I certainly put more stock in it than my parents did," she smiled, chuckling. "They were Muggle academics, so like most highly educated people, they insisted quite strongly that such things cannot be read from an arbitrary viewing of celestial objects." "I think there is subtlety to every form of Divination, and that interpretation tends to be key. Astrology, in turn, is less a set of hard facts than a tendency of the universe towards ordered chaos." SPOILER!!: AnnaBanana Quote: Originally Posted by Anna Banana Isla just smiled at the professor when her answer was acknowledged, but umm...yeah, she had no idea about any of that water bearer stuff either. She'd always thought that finding a shape in a constellation seemed like a stretch anyway. She watched as her answer magic'ed itself next to its corresponding stars. She tilted her head a little, but all she kept seeing was that uppercase E. This lesson seemed hard to follow, but Isla tried to browse down the list of whatever that was the professor had displayed across the board. Then there was a whole bunch of "..." "..." "..." followed by a question Isla actually understood. 'What do you think about Astrology?' The first year perked up and looked deep in thought for a second or two. She was kind of distracted by the Ravenclaw prefect. At this point, she didn't even know what he'd done or what he was saying he didn't do. She just couldn't think with the background discussion going on. Raising her hand, she said, "I don't really know about Astrology... I mean, on one hand, I think it's good to have it as a guide, but on the other hand, I think it could just all amount to a bunch of nothing in regards to our personal lives," she said. The professor did ask what they thought, and seeing as Isla had no real background in the subject, there it was in all its glory...her thoughts. Oh, there was a reason she asked what they thought, Isla. Never fear. Part of the reason was, of course, that there was very little (if any) hard evidence pointing in the direction that Astrology was accurate. But the same could be said for just about any form of magic, much less Divination. Astrology just got a bad rep. "Very well put," she nodded. *"As your Divination professor would probably tell you, the future is not set in stone. Anything can influence it, but there is a natural tendency, which can be interpreted many ways."* SPOILER!!: MatchMadeWithMalfoy Quote: Originally Posted by MatchMadeWithMalfoy Uhhhhh…. Heath blinked in shock and confusion at the exchange between Sandhu and his house prefect (Ewan). And where did that older girl (Whitney) come from with that comment? He couldn’t for the life of him understand why his housemates were being so mean to Professor Sandhu! Didn’t they know she was one of the nicest professors at this school? Were it not for his shyness, he might’ve pointed that out, but he held his tongue. This was not the kind of drama he wanted to be involved in! Heath’s heart sank at the massive points loss. How many was that? He ran through the numbers in his mind. Three, then two, then another ten, then fifty (!!!), then one… if his maths skills served him right, that was sixty-six points gone in a matter of moments. Gee, thanks a lot, guys, he thought angrily. Now he was going to have to work twice as hard to earn those points back. Not that he minded hard work because he loved astronomy… but still, he found himself wishing for what wouldn’t be the first time (or probably the last) that he wasn’t a Ravenclaw. Heath shook his head, refocusing his attention on the board as he copied down notes on the constellations he hadn’t identified before class and the forms of magic associated with them. He wanted to show Professor Sandhu that there was at least one Ravenclaw here who wouldn’t cause trouble! The problem was the next question had him totally lost. He had no idea what to think of astrology, and even if he had, he was really not good at expressing his opinions. Still, he knew he had to try to say something, or else it would look like he wasn’t paying attention! He raised his hand, albeit less enthusiastically than for the last question, and said, “I think astrology, like most things, is a subject worth learning, but I’m afraid I don’t understand how constellations relate to people’s personalities. I mean, everyone is different, so there’d have to be some people that don’t fit the traits associated with their sign, right?” Like himself, for example. He didn’t think he was much like a typical Virgo. Simran smiled. "It takes a good deal of courage to admit you don't understand a subject. Now, while the zodiac signs derive their names from physical constellations, they don't actually have much to do with them aside from that." Confusing? That's fine. "And, of course, there will always be people who defy every expectation. Cosmic or otherwise." Addressing the rest of the group once more, Simran rubbed her hands together in a way not entirely different from a stereotypical cartoon villain. "Common misconception is that Astrology has very much to do with actual constellations. This is, however, not really the case." "The zodiac wheel is carefully and mathematically calculated, from as far back as the Babylonian Empire. They began by first splitting our sky into four sections designated by the yearly equinoxes and solstices (the turning points of the four yearly seasons). Each of these four sections of sky were further split into 3 sections measuring 30 degrees each." "Each 30-degree section is one zodiac sign, for a total of 12 zodiac signs, and a total of 360 degrees." "Zero degrees traditionally assignes Aries to the Vernal Equinox, and so on and so forth. This wheel, called the Tropical Zodiac, is still accurate and in use today because we always align/begin it, as the ancients Greeks did, with the first day of Spring. This not a mistake, and no, the Wheel is not misalligned. It is recalibrated every so often to remain accurate." "As a handy convenience, and also likely out of necessity, they used the star constellations that appeared in the general area of each zodiac sign as markers. These constellations were named after the zodiac signs they represent, not the converse!" "As time progressed, these observations were fine-tuned to give us the Birth Chart. In fact, logarithms were developed FOR this. Basically, the planets are always moving, making different angles to each other. This means that no two people have the same planetary configurations; your horoscope is as unique as your fingerprint." "Today, I've got a selection of Almanacs for the years corresponding to your births. Your task will be to fill out your own birth charts!" A useful life skill, it was, being able to read and extrapolate data regarding planetary allignments at specific times in history. Were they excited? She was! "Please come forward and select the appropriate book. Under your desks, you will find a blank birth chart for you to fill, along with instructions on how to read the almanac on the back." She would fill one for herself on the blackboard. Just for reference. OOC: OOF. That's a lot of text. Your characters will be filling in their astrological birth charts based on the western zodiac. THIS link may be of assistance to you, but you may of course use a different website if you prefer. We'll be moving the lesson in about 48 hours, but I'll be checking in from time to time in between to check in on questions. Title your posts if your character needs assistance! __________________ Last edited by laurange; 02-18-2020 at 03:42 PM.