How to Use Tarot Cards –Spreads, Rider Waite Tarot & the Magi Sigils

Video and Transcript Segment 20

TITLE: How to Use Tarot Cards –Spreads, Rider Waite Tarot & the Magi Sigils

Shaman Charles Crooks discusses the use of tarot cards. He gives some history of the tarot, including how they were originally used to protect the 22 letters of the magi. The sigils of the magi were embedded in the first deck and the Church loved the deck. Therefore, the Church was responsible for preserving the letters of the magi. He also talks about the Major Arcana and what it represents. He tells us his favorite deck is the Rider Waite tarot. Listen below to learn more. You can also read the transcription below the video.

Note:

The videos from Segment 8 to Segment 20 have a technical problem where the Video Light used was too low. This caused Red Eye.

Red Eye is the reflection of the Retina back to the camera when the soruce of the light is too close to the camera lens.

It is not an evil redness coming from my eyes. We didn't realize the problem till later. A fix is on its' way.

Please click here for the Transcript 20 Video

Note: All questions and responses in the above interview were unrehearsed.

Cindy: Hi, this is Cindy Herb, The Joyful Survivor. I'm here with my good friend, Charles Crooks. I am all about opening people up to other ideas, to bring them forward and let them choose for themselves. Charles, let's talk about the tarot card. Do you use the tarot card?

Shaman Charles: As needed.

Cindy: How does somebody learn how to use tarot cards? Is it naturally inherent? Did you naturally know how to use the tarot card?

Shaman Charles: Well, that's kind of tough question because there are classes all over and [they show] how to read tarot cards. And there are different traditions involved in these things. But the original tarot cards of which I'm involved in, started right around 990AD, right around that time period….I think 990 or 1000AD. And the issue was…is the sigils…the letters of the magi [the 22 letters from the alphabet of the magi] needed to be protected. The Church was wiping everybody out. So, they thought about hiding them at another place or whatever the case is, but chances are if that person got killed, they'd be lost forever. So, a fellow named Tarochi, which is an Italian artist, embedded the symbols into a deck of cards. And that's why they're called the tarot deck. It turns out that the Church loved the game he came up with and therefore, the Church was responsible for preserving the letters of the Magi through the last 2000 years…the last 1000 years. Yeah.

Cindy: So that's the purpose of the tarot is to hide…

Shaman Charles: No. No. No, in this case, that's how the tarot deck got started. Now there are other decks that came of it. But, the tarot decks also represent the process of the 22 centuries of which mankind is still in the process of going through.

Cindy: Ohhhh.

Shaman Charles: So, there's a larger project behind the scenes on that. But the tarot cards can be very good because if you understand the meanings or you're trained in that particular tradition, you can tune in and get some pretty good messages out of those.

Cindy: So as you alluded to, there are many different types of decks of tarot cards.

Shaman Charles: That's correct. Yes.

Cindy: But what deck do you prefer and is there a reason for your preference?

Shaman Charles: Yeah…easy and cheap.

Cindy: Easy and cheap. So what's easy and cheap?

Shaman Charles: Yeah. Rider.

Cindy: The Rider Waite. Is that…

Shaman Charles: Yeah. It's just the basic one. That's just the basic one. And what I'll do is if the sigils aren't on there, I'll put the sigils on the cards myself.

Cindy: Was that the original deck?

Shaman Charles: No. No. The actual artwork is still out there—Tarochi…the actual artwork from Tarochi.

Cindy: So, is it really a matter for somebody when they choose a deck—wouldn't you agree that it's a matter of their own personal preference and what their intuition maybe tells them to use. Is that correct?

Shaman Charles: That's true. But, one of the problems a lot of people run into is they get enamored with some of the beauty of the some of the artwork and that throws them off.

Cindy: Because it's not about reading the cards…you actually use your intuition. Is it a guide? Is that what it is? Or is it…

Shaman Charles: Mmmm…I don't know because I can work with or without the cards. I don't need the cards to do the work.

Cindy: Well that's true. But what is it that you're doing? You're just…

Shaman Charles: I'm using it to just basically…more of let's talk about this in this neighborhood.

Cindy: Okay.

Shaman Charles: Approach versus taking everything from that because once I do…let's say, a three-card reading…I can do that. And then putting it out in that neighborhood. Then, if I need to go further, I can just go further. So, it's just a good way to get a good idea of what's going on.

Cindy: So what's the significance of different tarot card spreads?

Shaman Charles: Person using them.

Cindy: Because I know, they do different spreads.

Shaman Charles: Yeah. There's a bunch of them.

Cindy: And you use tarot card sometimes in the classes you do. You set them up.

Shaman Charles: Yeah, at the end of the class. Oh yeah, if I'm setting something up. Yeah, because I have another purpose.

Cindy: Another purpose. Okay.

Shaman Charles: Yeah.

Cindy: And is that a private purpose? Or what is that purpose?

Shaman Charles: Well, for example, I remember doing one class in Arlington one time and I had twelve people there. And I put one of the tarot cards on the floor and I put a rock on it. The next thing you know, I have three people crying. And I took another card and put another rock on it and I had six people crying. By the time I got through, I had nine people out of the twelve crying.

Cindy: And was that your purpose to get them to cry?

Shaman Charles: They were all locked up. Yeah.

Cindy: [Laughter] Locked…so you were like dissolving some stuff within them?

Shaman Charles: Well, no. I made it possible for them to release their emotions. And the cards and what they represented and the stones in the condition of what they represented allowed the individuals to do that.

Cindy: Alright. So is the ten-cell that you refer to often—is that related to the tarot?

Shaman Charles: Yeah.

Cindy: It is. So what's the difference between a 10-cell…a 16-cell? You know, what is that?

Shaman Charles: It's a form of…it's a method of training that is used. And I'll use the 10-cell because it is very relaxed and very open. The 16-cell has to do more with a point of inspiration. So there's a method there. There are also other cells that deal with law and other factors that are involved. But, yeah…different methods, different systems.

Cindy: You're talking…so you had said earlier that there's 22…I guess the Major Arcana [of the tarot]…22 for 22 centuries.

Shaman Charles: Yeah.

Cindy: So 10-cell—does that relate to 10 centuries…

Shaman Charles: No.

Cindy: …you have to go through? No.

Shaman Charles: Nope.

Cindy: But is it a spread? Is that what it is?

Shaman Charles: No.

Cindy: 10-cell?

Shaman Charles: No. It's a method.

Cindy: It's a method.

Shaman Charles: Yeah. A method and rules. For example, in some parts of society at some time in history, the one-cell which is the death cell. I'm sorry. No, the one-cell was very strict…the 13 is the death cell. So, some things had to be so strict that they…you know, those things were actually implemented a couple of thousand years ago.

Cindy: Alright. Well, I think that'll do it for today, Charles. I appreciate you being with us today. If we want to reach you, where can we find you?

Shaman Charles: http://healerofheartsandminds.com and http://shamanic-enterprises.com

Cindy: Thanks again. I want everybody out there to have a great day and to really allow yourself to be open to new ideas.

Shaman Charles: Thank you very much.

Cindy: Thank you.

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