As an astrologer, I know that love is a crucial concern for most of my clients. Career and money are important, but they’re just not in the same league, which I’ve always found strange.

Having enough money to buy food and put a roof over your head is logically much more important than romantic trivia, especially in the context of a global recession. However, few things in life are logical, and there are times when we need psychological insight to figure out what’s going on.

If we take the career and the money, our success and failure usually come down to our own decisions. We know that someone with good business skills will do well, regardless of the economic climate. We also know that there are many ways to earn money, whether it’s working fourteen hour days or playing horses. It can be difficult, but where there is a will, there is a way.

However, in love it is a much more difficult situation. If there is someone out there that we are crazy about, there may not be any chance of winning them over. They could be interested in someone else, happily married, or, God forbid, they could find us unattractive.

When faced with this situation, it is difficult to know what to do. Logically we should give up and focus on someone else, but too often our emotions refuse to let go. Then we could decide on desperate measures.

For example magic. That’s right, using spells and other weird stuff to win someone’s heart. And that’s where the astrologer often comes in. A client in love might think that he is seeing an astrologer in order to understand the future, but in reality he wants the astrologer to change the future.

The client believes that by predicting romantic happiness, I can actually create it. So my prediction is more like a spell, which can bring two people together.

Which is ridiculous. Can a meteorologist make it rain by predicting rain? Can an economist end a recession by telling the world that next month’s factory output will increase? However, that is what my customers want, and when I don’t provide the products, I sometimes have an angry reaction. I, the selfish magician, don’t want to help!

I guess life would be easier if I really were a wizard. Say the right words, or maybe even make talismans or perform rituals. A magical energy would be created and my clients would be happy.

However, practicality aside, there is a karma issue. Love spells may seem harmless, but they could be said to be a form of black magic, for two reasons. First one is using spiritual energy to fulfill her desires. Second, one is attempting to interfere with the free will of another person.

Of course, magic is supposed to work here.

Many people believe that spells and incantations can create real change, and you don’t have to look far to find people who offer their occult services. However, if the magic works, there must be an element of emotional detachment.

If you’re obsessed with someone and desperate to win their heart, then the force of your feelings will probably kill the magic. After all, the golden rule of magic is that you do the operation and then forget about it. Which means a love charm is more likely to work if it’s done by a third party: the village witch, a voodoo priest, the Internet wizard.

Not surprisingly, the chances of love magic working are very slim, especially if you do it yourself. This is a good thing. If you, or the person you hire, create a genuine effect, then the karmic price tag could be huge. You are binding yourself to dark and debased forces, which could drag you down a deep pit, for years, decades or even a lifetime.

However, I’m not saying that magic can’t work. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, or even nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a thousand, it is fraud, trickery, or luck. But there is always the occasional incident that defies explanation.

A gifted practitioner, if morally distorted, can sometimes create a psychic, or sympatheticlink between a talisman and a human target, often facilitated by the target’s DNA, such as hair, nail clippings, or bodily fluids.

However, this definition of magic is probably too narrow and is the result of watching too many horror movies. In practice, a broader approach is required, taking into account the concept of natural magicwhich is an integral part of the job of an astrologer.

Nature magic, unlike much sympathetic magic, is working with nature and not against it. You are not changing the natural course of events, but are working with the natural energy of people and situations.

In terms of the horoscope, most of us have the ability to have a love life. However, no two love lives are the same, and a strategy that brings romance to one person will bring misery and disaster to another. We have to understand the nature of the horoscope, and this will tell us what kind of love life someone should aspire to.

Let us take an example from Hindu astrology. kuja dosa.

This is an affliction involving the planet Mars. It is very common and can cause big problems in married life. People with kuja dosa are attractive marriage partners who treat them badly, and if they marry the first person they meet, they might really regret it.

Fortunately, there is a way around the problem.

When a married couple has kuja dosa, the condition is nullified. The couple cannot be hurt, and there is an excellent chance of a happy marriage. Therefore, through knowledge of one’s horoscope and the horoscopes of potential marriage partners, one can find romantic happiness. So one is using natural magic to find lasting love, and there is little danger of bad Karma.

Next we turn to a more borderline application of astrology. It still comes under the heading of natural magic, but there are some ethical issues. Very often I will have a client who is very focused on one person and has access to their horoscope. This means that you will give me two horoscopes to work with, your own and your target lover’s.

Once I have a horoscope, I can usually extract a fairly accurate picture of someone’s personality. So I can advise my client on the best way to attract a particular person. How to behave, what to say, even what kind of clothes to wear. In an extreme case, I can advise on timing, in other words, use astrology to find the perfect time to make a romantic move.

Perhaps, by telling my clients about their target lover’s strengths and weaknesses, I am playing on someone’s free will. So, to protect myself from charges of unethical conduct, I must insist that the target lover has given permission for their horoscope to be analyzed and discussed.

When I practice astrology I am not conjuring spirits, or making talismans, but I am definitely performing a type of magic. Although if I truly believe there is little or no chance of a relationship occurring, I will tell my client, as tactfully as possible.

Natural magic is working with the world as it is, and if two people are fundamentally incompatible, there isn’t much one can do.

However, in an ideal world, we shouldn’t obsess over particular individuals. If we want to be successful in love, we need to focus on ourselves and use our own horoscopes to understand our potential for romantic happiness.

We also have to understand the natural rhythms of our lives, which astrology is very good at revealing. There are times in our lives when finding love is almost impossible, regardless of how many witches and wizards we consult.

However, if love is not possible, other things will be, for example, professional success, educational achievements or spiritual development. I wish some of my clients realized this!