What is astrology?

w i t h e v e l y n a n d j i n g y i

It's Evelyn and Jing, and we ’ re super excited to have a permanent astrology column in the Rumble!

Now, we would guess that most, if not all of you guys have heard of the term astrology, whether it be from horoscopes (we won ’t be doing horoscopes, unfortunately, because most of the time it’ s incredibly inaccurate, speaking from personal experience), birth charts, or even just your own star sign.

A brief INTROduction to its history & the signs

Today we will be talking about the history and origins of astrology and a basic introduction to the 12 signs, as there is quite a bit of information to cover with astrology, although it might not seem like it. When it comes to modern astrology used today, there are three major types: Western/Tropical, Vedic and Chinese. In our entries, we will be mainly discussing Western/Tropical astrology, although if you do find our submissions spark an interest in you, you are most welcome to do research in your spare time on the other types of astrology and use the different types in combination.

Although we will mainly focus on Western/Tropical astrology, it is important to acknowledge that astrology did originate from different places in the world. For example, in Ancient China, noblemen looked at eclipses or sunspots as portents of good or bad times for their emperor, though it’ s thought that those signs had less application to the lives of other individuals.

By the middle of the second millennium BC, The Sumerians and Babylonians, had the idea that watching planets and stars was a way to keep track of where gods were in the sky, tracing back to the Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa, a tablet, which tracked the motion of Venus: one of the earliest pieces of Babylonian planetary omens. The ancient Egyptians also contributed the idea that patterns of stars made up constellations, through which the sun appears to “ move ” at specific times throughout the year.

These ideas, along with several others, are thought to have come together when Alexander the Great conquered Egypt around 330 BC, when exchange of ideas got the Greeks on board with divination using planets. Because the Greeks were advanced in mathematics and logic, they worked out a lot of the rules for divination using planets. Imagine a straight line drawn from Earth through the Sun and beyond our solar system where the stars lie. This was most likely what the ancient Greeks pictured when they were working out the basics of astrology. Then, picture Earth following its orbit around the Sun. This imaginary line would rotate, pointing to different stars throughout one year. All the stars that lie close to the imaginary flat disk swept out by this imaginary line are said to be in the zodiac, forming the 12 signs: Aries (woohoo), Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius (woohoo), Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Now we won ’t delve into the characteristics of each zodiac as a person isn ’t defined by just their sun signs, and two, for example, Scorpios won ’t act the same as each other. Thus, in our next entry, we will go deeper into the birth chart and how it reflects one ’ s character.

If you have read this far, thank you so much for staying with us and we hope that you are just as excited as we are for the next submission!

Hidden features on your iPhone!

Jen Vu + Stella Eom Yr 11

Most people who own a phone usually only consider usual features such as taking photos or recording videos.

Even if you use your iPhone every day, you have probably neglected quite a few tricks that can be done with this device.

1. Unlock with Face ID while still wearing a mask Being mandated to wear a mask most of the time, people often lament that "Face ID doesn 't work while wearing a mask" . However, we can resolve this by opening Face ID Settings, then covering the left and right face parts with a piece of paper respectively until Face ID is complete. You can then unlock with your face, even with the mask on.

2. Increase the volume for the speaker Even though you have raised the iPhone volume to the maximum, you still feel the need for a louder speaker. Go to Settings -> enter the word EQ in the search box -> choose Trebel Booster.

3. Convert almost any unit in Spotlight: You can use Spotlight to instantly convert anything such as currency denominations between countries by typing commands like "20 AUD in USD" or quickly converting unfamiliar units such as inches into metres.

4. Call Siri by a different name We often say "Hey Siri" to open virtual assistance. Surprisingly, we can open the virtual assistant with the command "Hey Celia " . You can use this command with peace of mind, as everything will work in the usual way.

5. Quick movement of multiple apps like an Android phone To quickly move a series of apps on the iPhone, press and hold any application until a custom mode appears, select the apps to move while still holding onto the first chosen one. Immediately, all of them will cluster into one unit, helping you organise your phone in less than two seconds.

Perfectly Perplexing Puzzles

Evidently, jigsaw puzzles do appear like they rightfully belong to the left side of the history timeline! In fact, that is correct! Puzzles were originally created for educational purposes, but now, they are almost equivalent to an IQ test. Being able to match random pieces to create a coherent image, takes concentration and problem-solving skills. Here are some recommended tips for success:

Recommended tips for puzzle-constructing: 1. Turn all the pieces over to the picture side before beginning.

2. Start from the perimeter and work your way in.

3. Choose a space which will ensure no puzzle pieces get lost.

Also, be mindful not to vacuum the room while you are constructing!

4. Want another purpose for the book cover you bought for school supplies at the start of the year? You can use this to preserve your creations, especially the amazing 1000/2000 piece puzzles that you simply can ’t demolish! i) Initially, start your puzzle on a piece of cardboard or corrugated plastic according to length dimensions of the puzzle + 5cm. (white corrugated plastic is easier to cut) ii) When it is completed, carefully cut around the cardboard so the puzzle exactly fits. iii) Press the book cover onto the front. The puzzle piece will stick to the adhesive side. (Use a ruler and start from one end, slowly ‘laminating ’ the puzzle and gradually taking off the backing paper until the other side.) iv) Cut a diagonal from each corner of the cover to meet each corner of the puzzle. v) Stick the 4 parts (made by the cuts) onto the back of the cardboard, turning it over (holding the puzzle and the cardboard) so that the front of the puzzle is facing the ground. Cut off the triangle-shaped excess book cover.

5. Focus on one element at a time or group different colours and work on those first. Another Recommendation: Ravensburger & Clementoni are great puzzle brands!

Shruthi Dorai Yr 7