Karissa Alline Schell

Karissa Alline Schell was last seen at the home of a friend in Turlock, California on April 21 of 2011, at the age of fourteen. There was some speculation on the part of law enforcement that Karissa may have run away from home, but there is no evidence to back up that idea. Runaways are also in just as much danger as children who disappear under duress, so I have no idea why police promoted such a theory, in the first place. Someone asked me to read for her, and next month, it will have been six years since Karissa disappeared.I will start with the obvious question about Karissa's whereabouts, and see if the Tarot can shed some light on how she can be found.

We begin with the nine of wands, reversed, crossed by the Knight of Pentacles, which is also read reversed. The nine of wands in reversal speaks of impatience and obstacles. The Knight of Pentacles, when he falls reversed, often represents a man who promises to get things done, yet is very slow to deliver. See also "laziness". This dynamic, impatience with a lazy man, somehow played a role. Giving us a bit of background, we have the Page of Swords, reversed. This can represent a snitch or a young person who lies, but it also can represent unforeseen misfortunes. At this point, I am going with the latter. To describe the past, we have the three of cups, reversed. This card often refers to end of something pleasing, but it also often speaks of too much of something....often too much of something that would have been a good thing if done in moderation, such as alcohol. Knights often represent coming and going, as well as men; it appears distinctly possible that Karissa wanted a ride home from a man involved in the scenario, and it somehow did not materialize.

Among possibilities, we have the Fool. This relates to the choice made by Karissa the minute she left the home she was visiting. This choice changed everything, for her. Next, we have the High Priestess, who represents all things hidden. Another symbol on this card is water. This is the card of initiative and resistance; the idea and desire to take action; and the traction, in the form of resistance, needed by the idea in order to take form and become reality. This is the energy at work, behind the scenes.

In the place of fears, we have the Chariot. The Chariot is another card of balance, but unlike initiative v. resistance, the Chariot seeks to persuade two opposite extremes to pull together and work toward a common goal. In practical terms, this means getting two horses to pull the Chariot in one direction, rather than each going in his own direction. Someone, somewhere, is afraid to take the practical steps to bring Karissa home. Next, in the place of environment, we have the Tower, reversed. This is a card of imprisonment of sorts.....sometimes literal. It is interesting that it would turn up in the place of environment. Next, in the place of hopes, we have the Star, reversed. This is pessimism and doubt. This leads me to wonder if Karissa is still alive, and thinks that there is a threat, or a reason that she cannot go home. Perhaps Stockholm Syndrome. Jaycee Dugard's kidnapping comes to mind. The last card is the five of swords, reversed. This is the only card of violence in the reading, and it is the only card that suggests that Karissa might no longer be with us. The five of swords, either reversed or upside right, is a card of violence and revenge, and I never like to see  it in a missing person's reading. Here, it tells us that there is a chance of defeat.

I do not want to give anyone false hope, because of the statistics regarding this type of case, but it appears that there is a chance that Karissa may yet be found alive. I think that the last adult male with whom she was seen should be questioned, and that his testimony can help law enforcement construct a time line that will help shed light on this case. The water symbolism on the High Priestess's card is important. For reasons I cannot fully explain, I have not been given a direction to search. I will say this: living victims move from place to place, while deceased victims do not, adding obvious challenges to finding missing persons who are living.

Anyone who has information should call the police in Turlock, California, at 209-688-5550.

Will Sierra Lamar's Case Ever Be Resolved?

Sierra Lamar went missing in March of 2012, and it has been almost two years with no answers. A suspect has been charged, but not tried. His court dates continue to get continued. So will her case ever be solved?

Three cards here indicate the search and investigation in the past: the ace of cups, the Hierophant, and the Queen of Cups. Water has always come up in readings I have done in the past, connected to this case, and continues to do so. The element of the suit of cups is water, and the ace is often a river. The Hierophant is tradition, and traditional search methods have been used, albeit unsuccessfully. The justice system is another traditional "system" that is being relied upon, even though the defendant has not responded in the manner expected by investigators and the prosecution. There is also a woman connected to the investigation, showing up in this reading as the Queen of Cups. She has intuitively put together quite a few pieces of the puzzle, already. She would like to find Sierra before insisting upon moving forward in court.

The three cards I pulled for the present are the nine of pentacles, the King of Wands, and the Magician. One of the meanings of the nine of pentacles is completion of a project, and this meaning seems to fit my question about resolution to the case better than any other possible meanings this card has, even though the case has not been solved. The King of Wands is someone male who is also connected to the investigation, and has been since the beginning. He gets some information that comes as a surprise, follows up on it, and turns to the Magician, who is an expert at gathering and analyzing evidence. At this point, I should state the obvious; these cards definitely want to discuss the resolution of finding Sierra and bringing closure to those who love her, rather than prosecution. As the Magician is upside right, I think someone may actually bring him some actual evidence to work with.

The future shows us the six of cups, the High Priestess, and the four of swords, reversed. The six of cups is looking back at the past. Places that have been searched, places the defendant and Sierra have both visited, and; once again, water. A garden with water, a place that somehow welcomes children...yet looks to the pasts of the individuals involved in the case. The High Priestess also deals with water, but in a different way.....she is the subconscious. She also represents things that are hidden. As a physical location, she could also represent a church dedicated to a female saint. The four of swords reversed is renewed activity, successful renewed activity, but with a bit of social unrest. I don't think that finding Sierra, all of the evidence, and a successful prosecution is going to lay this case to rest peacefully. There will be a lot of outcry.

All of the water symbolism points us in a slightly westward direction, and other symbols that jump out at me from the cards are a lake, a river, a garden, a hand, and children playing...ala the six of cups. As unbelievable as it seems, I do see this case resolved one day, sooner than anyone thinks.