Janey proceeded to cast my horoscope, using a system of astrological divination I’d never seen before. It didn’t involve planets or the twelve houses of the zodiac. The traditional sun sign was replaced by something called the lodestar, the star nearest the zenith at the moment of birth.

Determining one’s lodestar – and its companions, the stars at each of the four cardinal points of the compass – was a complicated undertaking requiring several phonebook-sized publications filled with tables and sky charts. Janey immersed herself in this practical task – if you’ll pardon the expression – while I took a nap.