In the method Richmond uses as he was taught by the "order of the Magi" the cards were laid out in a specific spread, there were many rituals they used, particularly with cutting and shuffling, they used a minute to shuffle, cut a few off the top, then wait 20 seconds, then cut again, this was done 3 times..timing was important to them. One of the spreads corresponded to the majors in tarot, for more information you can find
HERE
7 was the mystic number as 7 was the middle card between the 13. 6 on each side. `Quoted by the Magi " The number 7 represents the soul in nature, and therefore becomes the center of all symbolic numbers. We find the sacred number interwoven into all religious systems known on our planet and the very warp and woof of Creation seem to bristle with sevens.
The sacred number of the Magi and one that has been known in our symbolism as the strangest of all, is this
[size=+2]1 4 2 8 5 7[/size]
twice 7: 4 times 7: 8 times 7 with the Ego added to the last figure.
If you divide by all eternity and you get nothing but the sacred number 142857 over and over".
To some the deck of playing cards can only be seen as a oracle or fortune telling tool, but for the adept and those who choose to delve deeper it is more than that. Their system was mainly based on astrology and numerology although they could predict accurately, and also predict the cycle for your entire life, as it ran in cycles.
At this present time, I choose to just use it simply for it's prediction, although that is just skimming the surface. Our playing deck is so "underrated" but it's design has lastest through aeons.