Love it or loathe it Christmas shopping is something many of us are resigned to doing. But if you have to choose a Christmas gift for an astrology enthusiast it can prove even more of a problem. Here are a few ideas for choosing unusual Christmas gifts that, while targeting star sign fans, are actually applicable to anyone who is hard to buy for.

It could be that you enjoy the frenzy of gift shopping each year. I dislike it intensely. I am too busy for Christmas shopping and have things I would far rather do. So I really do not need the additional hassle of looking for a present for someone with an interest I know little about, such as the zodiac.

It could be that you manage to buy unusual gifts for everyone and their faces light up with delight when they open their Christmas presents. My family make polite ripples of gratitude then I find the chocolates, smellies or whatever, hidden away unopened in a cupboard six months later. (They can usually manage to use all the alcohol!)

I really resent time and money wasted on gifts that just do not hit the mark with the recipient. It's not that I'm mean, or uncaring, I just do NOT know what to buy people that will fit in with their interests. I have enough difficulty looking for interesting gifts in areas I know well, without the further worry of looking for astrology Christmas novelties on top of everything else.

My family and friends are all fortunate enough that they have everything they want - well, at least in the category of expenses that I can afford as a present. I imagine a Christmas Porsche for one son would raise much delight and the other would be thrilled with the keys to his own home. But with a tight Christmas budget, lack of time and no idea what presents to buy, I need to get a little creative, particularly when searching for a Christmas gift for a star sign enthusiast.

While still relevant to our astrology enthusiast, let's generalize and consider the top characteristics of unusual Christmas gifts?

1. It should be novel - not the same old slippers, chocolate, smellies etc
2. It should be affordable by the giver
3. It should NOT look cheap to the recipient - ideal if it's unlikely that they can guess the price
4. It should be practical or (alternatively) totally frivolous
5. It should be something they have always wanted
and/or
6. It should be something they would never dream of buying for themselves
7. It should be easy to buy (on the Internet is best for me, I have no wish to queue for hours to buy this year's latest fad gadget)
8. It would be an added bonus (but not compulsory) if it gave something to talk about instead of the Christmas TV

Well, I'm not sure if I've made your Christmas Shopping life any easier or much more difficult with my list of "how to choose a Christmas present" tips, but there are surely some ideas for you to think about.

Of course shopping online will save you much stress and time and also give you the chance to click around all the links on a website at a time convenient to yourself, unhindered by pushy shop assistants following you round.