Writing a personal ad and responding to one is something that only a handful of people did in an age when personals were strictly offline. You probably didn?t even respond to one then. Nowadays, though, online dating is soaring as an industry, and almost everyone has responded to a personal ad via the internet, even if they?ve never taken the step to post one themselves. You may have responded to a few dozen and posted one or two yourself.

Tarot cards, astrology, palm readings cold hard science? But can any of these lead you to your soul mate? In an age driven by science and technology, it?s hardly surprising that the mystical, the metaphysical, has a hold on people?s imaginations. With all that we do know and do control nowadays, we are ever more aware of what we don?t know and can?t control; which includes human thoughts, destiny, feelings, and emotions to a large extent.

Probably, everyone has read the horoscope section of their local newspaper at least once. Most people are aware of their star sign, even if they know very little about what it denotes about their character. The majority of people can also figure out other people?s star signs from their birthdays, suggesting that astrology, at least, has a very secure place in our lives.

Since the dawn of the internet more and more people have done their work and play on-line. Online dating sites, from J-Date and American Singles , to eHarmony , have sprung up all over the place. Thousands, perhaps millions of people, are members of these sites, and hundreds visit the sites regularly to find a date, a long-term partner; even a marriage partner, from amongst the sites members. Does online dating really work?