In September of 1994, Gail Matthews and her five year old daughter, Tamara Berkheiser, were found murdered in her home in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. To this day, it remains a cold case, so I will see what the cards have to say about it.
I decided to cast a horoscope spread for this reading. The first house card, depicting the general situation, is the King of Cups. He falls upside right, so I have to assume that he is friend, not foe. This man is friendly, creative, and kind. His presence here is followed by the seven of cups, reversed, in the second house. The second house deals with finances and possessions, and the seven of cups reversed tells of determination and clear thinking, so it looks as if Gail and the King of Cups had made some plans, of some sort, that involved creativity, money, and possessions. In the third house, of short journeys, relatives, and communication, we have the Chariot, reversed. It shows that the King of Cups and his influence caused someone else's plans to fail! This is someone who was close to Gail, too. In the fourth house of the home, and, coincidentally, the scene of the crime, we find the Fool. The Fools is a card of opportunities and choices, and I think that besides the obvious message of choices, we are getting a glimpse of the murderer here......a young, immature male. As he is represented by a card from the major arcana, we can assume that for some reason, he was important to Gail.
In the fifth house of creativity, children, and sexual encounters, we see the six of pentacles. This could mean several different things; it could mean that someone was paying child support to Gail for her daughter, it could mean that Gail had given or lent money to someone and the gesture was taken as a romantic overture, or it could be a description of the give and take in a romantic relationship or interest in Gail's life. From the current tone of the reading, I will tentatively say it is the second possibility: Gail tried to help someone and the gesture was taken the wrong way. In the sixth house, of everyday matters and work relationships, the four of swords appears. The four of swords is a card of dormancy and rest; it is beginning to look as if someone from a "dormant" or platonic association was attempting to re-awaken the past.
In the seventh house of marriage and partnerships, we find the King of Pentacles, reversed. This is someone who takes wild chances and makes bad choices. Look for him to have brown hair and darkish eyes; he would have been in his twenties in 1994. Abuse, and perverse use of talents are almost trademarks of his; this also isn't this person's only violent crime.
Moving right along to the eighth house, of legacies, transformation, and death, the Death card appropriately comes up. I believe this is telling us that the reversed King of Pentacles actually planned these two murders. In the ninth house of long journeys, the "establishment", and the law, we have the four of pentacles. This lends an air of "pinching pennies" to the investigation.....someone did not want to spend a lot of money or resources. In the tenth house, of career and social standing; and also of "fathers", we have the eight of cups. This is interesting because it shows that Gail was considering a change of scenery, even to the point of giving up some things for which she had worked. Another message, as the tenth house deals with fathers, shows there was a bit of conflict with one here.....possibly her daughter's father? It looks as if Gail was re-thinking a lot of things. Next, immediately after we see that Gail was re-thinking things that had to do with fathers, we actually get the "father" card, the Emperor, in the eleventh house! This is the house of social life and friends, hopes and dreams, and hobbies and pastimes. The Emperor, when he falls reversed, represents an immature, irresponsible man who refuses to grow up and stand on his own two feet. I think this is who and what Gail was dealing with, here. The last card, coming up in the twelfth house of secret enemies and defeat, is the nine of swords, reversed. This is not only worry on Gail's part, but suspicion. Gail had entertained the thought that her killer was a dangerous man before this happened. Sadly, it appears that Gail knew her killer.
