Finding an astrologer isn't difficult. There are lots around, and finding the right one for you can be easy if you approach it sensibly. But fair warning: it could be unpleasant if you just roll the dice without thinking first.

For instance, someone who is wondering when they are going to meet Mr/Ms Wonderful; or what the right numbers are to win the lottery; or looking to have somebody tell them how to live their life, well, such people probably deserve what they're going to get from some less-than-ethical practitioner.

But on the other hand, if your enquiry is involved with personal growth of some sort or spiritual evolution, you will find a wide variety of valid, ethical approaches, any one of which might be appropriate for you at the present time.

This sensible approach goes further than caveat emptor. Know thyself is the touchstone. If your questions touch on areas which are sensitive to you or sensitive to the society you live in, ask around for an astrologer who has a constructive track record in dealing with the subject of your concern.

It also means recognizing that astrologers are not gods, just human beings like yourself. And in the same way people choose friends with similar interests and backgrounds (like attracts like is an ancient metaphysical principle), so too choose an astrologer who is on your wave length in terms of interests, attitude, and lifestyle.

For example at a conference I once met a rural conservative Christian lady whose astrological clients were rural conservative Christians; and that worked for her and her clients. No surprise that I don't see many people in that category given that for years I lived downtown in a trendy big city. So I during those years I had a more cutting edge clientele, people interested in the leading edge of life as well as astrology. That worked for me and my clients.

So what you're looking for is someone in tune with your view of the world. That assumes you've already done a little inward looking, and discovered and acknowledged, in at least a general way, what your view of the world is.

When you do start looking around for an astrologer you will quickly find is that astrology starts looking like a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store, and you'll have to answer a delightful question: Which flavour would you like? There are that many approaches to astrology (Sorry, chocolate lovers, I'm not aware of any Chocolate Astrology--although the idea sounds yummy). To use another figure of speech, imagine a large tree with many branches, each branch having a multitude of leaves all of which are useful.

Financial astrologers deal with money matters, which is fine if your question is about your stock portfolio but not terribly useful if your questions involve complex personalities in your family. Psychological astrologers are excellent for those who wish to incorporate astrology into a therapy situation, but don't ask a Jungian astrologer about the political trends in Tasmania. Similarly, the Karmic Astrology I have done is very useful for the big spiritual picture and how it manifests in day-to-day life, but there's never been any point asking me when the next earthquake will be in Italy--that's the preserve of mundane astrologers. Get the idea?

Know what you want. Before you pick up the phone, two things have to be firm in your mind; your birth data and your decision as to what it is you are looking for. And please do your astrologer the favour of informing him/her of what you're looking for prior to your appointment. You'll get a far superior reading.

Know that the good astrologers on this planet do not tell their clients what to do with their lives (such astrologers having long ago shed their own codependence issues). But they simply suggest options which the client can explore on his/her own. Realize that this is your life, and you make the decisions. Astrology doesn't make the choices for you. Astrology only tells you what sort of energies are in your life. You have to decide what to do with those energies.

Imagine a bright sunny day. You have some decisions to make. You could sit in the shade and sip lemonade. You could grow a vegetable garden. Or you could run around wildly, get overheated, and have sunstroke. It's your free choice. The weather forecaster is not responsible for what you choose to do with the sunshine. As astrologers, we are just the cosmic weather forecasters. We can tell you when the cosmic sun is shining, but you have to decide what you want to do with it.

Recognize that day-to-day situations often point to personal growth. Career and relationships are the two most common questions I get from clients. Each can be a source of frustration, or if a person is willing to deal with their situation, each can be the launching pad for a great inner journey which results in the career/relationship situation being successfully resolved as well as a big step forward in your life.

This is when life ceases to be a pain and begins to be an adventure to look forward to. So get your own thoughts together first. Know what your looking for. Then call an astrologer.