Carl Sagan famously stated, “A galaxy is formed of gas and dust and stars — billions upon billions of stars.”

As an Air Force airlift navigator in the mid 60’s, I especially enjoyed flying over one of our oceans at night.  No lights below—just a black void.  But above?  A windshield full of stars.

Don’t know how a navigator could be an atheist, considering the absolute order and everlasting nature of the universe. So much order, that those “billions upon billions of stars” had been used for reliable navigation for thousands of years.

I became close friends with my “Book.” The HO249, Celestial Navigation Tables.

Here’s how it worked.

Using my best guess for where I was, I’d enter the Book with an assumed position (Lat/Long). Magically, there would be a list of stars I could “shoot” with my trusty periscopic sextant. I’d select three. Do some calculations. Crank the results into the sextant. Look through the scope — and magically (there’s that word again), the brightest star in my field of vision would be my selected star.

Shoot them over a few minutes. Get some actual results. Compare those with the results for my assumed position. Plot the actual results on my navigation chart.

If I shot accurately and computed accurately, I’d get three lines that either intersected or formed a small triangle. That’s my “fix” or location at a specific time.

Too complicated? Well, after 100 practice flights, it was second nature to an experienced “naviguesser.”

Thousands of years of order and precision. And then there’s astrology.

Tonight I received a gracious email from a dear friend wishing me a Happy March Birthday. A bit early (March 24 is my big day).

I happen to be an Aries. Apparently, I’m “energetic, pioneering, likes to be number one.”  Also. Get this… “impatient.”

Moi? Non!

As for number one — I’ve been number two for most of my professional career. I identify as Tonto or Robin rather than The Lone Ranger and Batman.

And then there’s this: Aries pairs well with Gemini.

Marjorie was a Gemini.

Maybe there’s something to this “hogwash.”  Ya think?

Enuf.