I’m not going to ask how many of you read your daily astrological forecast. If so, I hope you do it only for recreational purposes. Anyone who takes such forecasts seriously is at risk of making some foolish, foolish decisions.

 

French king Louis XI was a devout believer in astrology. He was deeply impressed when an astrologer foretold that a lady of his court would die in eight days’ time . . . and she did!

Unfortunately for the astrologer, however, King Louis decided that it was too uncomfortable to have a man around who could predict things so accurately. He determined to dispose of this astrologer. Louis summoned the man to his apartments, having first told his servants to throw the visitor out of the window when he gave the signal.

“You claim to understand astrology and to know the…