I asked you all if you were even remotely interested in Tarot cards, and I got a mix of reactions from "Oh, brother!" to "Tarot cards just give you a way to think about the situation differently, which is usually all you need in a crisis."

To elaborate more on why I think they help me think of life issues in a creative way, read more.

A Tarot deck has 78 cards, and each card has meaning. For example, although people think the Death card signifies something ominous, it often just means that a profound change is happening in your life, or that something is falling away that used to matter.

Although some use the Tarot to divine the future, I like to think of it as guided meditation.

Each card gives you a way of looking at your problem from a different perspective. In the Celtic Cross spread, after shuffling, you think of a question you'd like an answer to in your life (not a yes or no question) but something like, "How should I do this differently?"

You then put 10 cards down. The two in the middle represent the heart of the matter. The cards surrounding it, depending on their position, will tell you what's led you to this conundrum, how you tend to handle such things, and how you might look at the issue instead.

What's fun about the Tarot is instead of ruminating unproductively on a problem, you can look at the cards and almost feel like you're getting a different viewpoint on your situation.

Let's say you're having a hard time taking a risk. The Fool card in a certain position may tell you that it's time to have a devil-may-care attitude and try something new out. In another position, it may tell you you need to consider being cautious.

Whether or not I listen to these cards as "advice," the uncanny thing is, there's always one card that provides a clue to the situation I hadn't thought of. Not bad for a $10 deck of cards.