The more I learn about old-timey maritime navigation, the more I realize that (like a lot of skilled trades) it must have been nearly indistinguishable from lit

The more I learn about old-timey maritime navigation, the more I realize that (like a lot of skilled trades) it must have been nearly indistinguishable from literal magic to laypeople. I wonder if that fact inspired the mysterious and bizarre Guild Navigators in Dune.