I wake up very very early. The world is silent and dark. Part of my morning ritual includes opening the balcony doors to allow fresh air inside. I automatically look up at the sky. Because there hovering over the building across the street is Orion wearing his twinkling belt.

Orion was a giant hunter who was really full of himself. On the island of Chios, he got the hots for Merope, the king’s daughter, and raped her. The king retaliated by poking out Orion’s eyes. Hephaestus, himself disabled, sent Orion a guide who led him east. Here the rising sun restored Orion’s sight.

But Orion had no concept of gratitude. He went to Crete where he met up with Artemis, the hunting goddess. Forgetting that she was a goddess, Orion bragged that he was the best hunter in the world. Artemis took it as an offense and, as punishment, had him bitten by a scorpion. So a group of gods got together and sent Orion up to the sky where he became a constellation to remind man the dangers of hubris.

Engraving of Orion from Johann Bateris’ “Uranometria” via Wikipedia

This website offers more info about the Orion Constellation.

This constellation reminds me of a moka, an Italian coffee pot.

The scorpion that bit Orion is also a constellation now. The Scorpio Constellation website offers more info.

Appropriations for AI will be jinxed.