NavList:

I can’t see anything wrong with using mnemonics.  If it works for you, use it.  The earlier learned, the longer they seem to be retained.  I can remember learning “Variation west magnetic best” in the Wolf Cubs, “Cadbury’s dairy milk very tasty” in the Air Cadets, and “Some people have coal black hair through perpetual  brushing”, which I still use constantly, from my father.  The problem arises when you can remember the mnemonic but not what it’s for.  I seem to remember “Late back west” cropping up somewhere along the line, but I can’t remember what it was for.  Was it something to do with applying MOO and MOB, something we never needed with a crew of five doing sandwich fixes?
As far as Marc St Hilaire’s concerned, I tend to agree with Frank.  It’s more down to intuition. I know if I walk towards a tall building, I have to keep tilting my head further back in order to see the roof.  It’s the same for stars.  The nearer you are to the sub-stellar point the greater the body’s altitude.  You just have to remember to put an arrow head at the end of the azimuth line to know the direction of the sub-stellar point.  Dave