The Tarot's perspective on crime mysteries and missing persons cases. Feel free to join the discussion! It's always wonderful to see these cases solved.
There has been some speculation, on social media sites, about the Kyron Horman case, specifically concerning new associations of witnesses and suspects, and what they may know, or what they may have been told about the case, after the fact. Kyron disappeared from his Portland, Oregon school in June of 2010 and has not been seen since then.The main suspect has always been the former stepmother, who has since moved out of the area.I decided to put this question to the Tarot, and this is the answer that I got.
The first house gives us the seven of cups, indicating deception. Someone who has had exposure to case via the main suspect, the stepmother, has either believed untrue stories about it or has deliberately perpetrated them. To understand why this person has done this, we just go to the next card, in the second house of things that are valued by the person, and we get the ten of pentacles.....so there has been a material payout by allowing the truth to be buried. The Magician comes up in the third house, of family members and communication, so we can assume that this person has a certain amount of access to information, if he chooses to ask. And it IS a "he", as indicated by the Knight of Wands appearing in the fourth house, of home and environment!
The fifth house, which deals with children and creativity, yields the Hanged Man, reversed. This card is a card of sacrifice for the betterment of the community when upright, but reversed, it indicates selfishness and an unwillingness to help. The sixth house, of mundane enemies and inconveniences, shows the four of swords, telling us that something that was buried, or dormant, is about to be discussed openly again, possibly in the news. In the seventh house, of partnerships and often, marriage, we have the Tower, reversed. Reversed or upright, this card is a card of disruption and change. As it has fallen in the seventh house, we can assume that it has to do with a partnership of some sort. In reversal, this card often negative encounters with the judicial system.
In the eighth house, which reveals the products of the partnership of the seventh house, we see the Fool. This is a risk or a chance this person has taken. He took this risk knowingly, too. The ninth house, of ideals and educational goals, gives us the Queen of Cups, reversed. Upside right, this queen is a sensitive and caring woman, but upside down, she is a dishonest and immoral person. The tenth house, dealing with public life, reputation, and involvement with government, yields the three of cups, reversed. There has been too much of a good thing; success turns to ashes. The eleventh house, which rules organizations and casual associations, gives us the Page of Swords, reversed. This page is often a spy or snitch when he comes up reversed. The last card, the twelfth house card, is the eight of cups, reversed. This shows a process from the first card, the seven of cups upright, and the unwillingness to recognize truth to the celebration of the eight of cups, in spite of the truth. It appears that as long as there is a tangible payoff to leaving the facts buried, there will be no change brought on without a rude awakening.
So why has the Mueller report been kept under lock and key, away from those who paid for it? Why has Congress been denied access to it? Does it contain some secret that the people have not already guessed? Why? Okay, I finally decided to do a reading about it. The whole subject will probably require several readings, but here is the first one. The first question, which with I will use a Horoscope reading to deal, will concern the findings of the report, itself. I will ask what Bob Mueller has uncovered, as a result of his nearly two year investigation. The second reading, which I will do subsequently, will concern the question of who should face indictments, yet has not. Then the third and final reading will ask why William Barr, the current attorney general of the United States, has declined to release the report, in its entirety, to the American people. Now, for the first question: what was uncovered by Mueller's investigation?
The first house, showing us the nature of the entire subject, gives us the Wheel of Fortune. There are dealings, here, which have had profound effects upon the world, and its population; and would have had those effects regardless of the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in America. A relatively small number of persons have exerted an unbalanced amount of control over the entire population of the planet. There were few controls, or laws, stopping this, and we are dealing with entities who have virtually no ethics, so opportunities were ripe for the taking. In the second house, of finance, possessions, and that which has material value, the eight of wands appears. This reinforces the message of the Wheel of Fortune; opportunity ripe for the taking. A climate that allows and encourages unethical behavior has fed this situation, and it happened in a relatively short amount of time. Once again, there were no restraints or controls. Next, in the third house, which governs communication, written words, and short travels, we have the Queen of Wands. As she falls upside right, I will regard her as kindly disposed toward law and order, for the time being. As wands represent fire, she is fiery, pushing forward any pertinent information quickly. She may be a key witness or a prosecutor. We will revisit her presence later in the reading. The fourth house, of domestic affairs, has given us the seven of swords, reversed. This tells me that there is definitely substance in the report, and that we are dealing with suspects who thought they could get away with violating the laws, both abroad and at home. When this card is upside right, it often indicates theft. Here, I am seeing that there were no controls exercised where there should have been.
We find the eight of pentacles, reversed, in the fifth house of creativity and speculation. Often, this house also deals with children and progeny. No one should be surprised if the findings of this investigation cross multiple generations, such as a defendant or suspect AND his children. It could also indicate the creation of a company or a corporation to be the face of any business endeavors, rather than a person. When the eight of pentacles falls reversed, it often tells a story of fraud, counterfeiting, and lack of true talent, as well. This, readers, is something that I believe was discovered in the Mueller report: if not actual counterfeiting, there was falsehood concerning assets or collateral, and the effects have been similar. This is troubling, as many countries have been affected. It is also bigger than the President of the United States at this point, although one might wonder why he played the game for so long! Moving along the the sixth house, of health, inconvenience, and mundane checks and balances, the card of Justice shows up. Yes, readers, there WILL be retribution! A global balancing act will be required, however. This is more serious than merely finding a president with his pants down or with his hand in the cookie jar. I would, at this point, venture a guess that even Trump was unaware of the seriousness and complexity of some of his "deal making" actions. This guess is more or less supported by the card that has turned up in the seventh house, of partnerships, where we have the Hierophant, reversed. The reversed Hierophant represents unorthodox relationships of all sorts, and finding him in the house of partners tells all of us that the Mueller report has turned up some very strange and unorthodox bed fellows! This, perhaps, is one of the reasons why justice will be complicated, here. The eighth house of monies and assets resulting from those partnerships yields the five of cups, which is a card of regret. Even as you read this, there is a teeny bit of regret on the parts of defendants, here; not because they got in over their heads or ran afoul of the laws, but because they got caught! Rest assured, these individuals will not get to enjoy all of the fruits of their unlawful labors.
In the ninth house, of long journeys, foreign nations, ideals, and law; we find the Tower, reversed. Trump Tower? Hmmm. This card, in reversal, refers to accusations, imprisonment, bankruptcy, and the like. There may even be defendants who were "thrown under the bus," so to speak, in order to confuse those conducting the investigation. This, the eight of pentacles, and the eight of wands in the second house all link to the Queen of Wands in the third house; we have someone who passed valid information to Mueller. Also, as the ninth house represents foreign nations, there is a foreign business that is involved in this picture. The whole matter will require more investigation, and it appears that there are still some aspects of the investigation that are not yet finished. The tenth house gives us the Emperor, reversed. The tenth house deals with government, public life, and order. When the Emperor shows up reversed, it tells of immaturity, loss of control, and sometimes, the loss of an inheritance. A business arrangement that did not work out, and subsequent unlawful actions to recover money are also at issue in this report. The eleventh house of friends, hopes and wishes, organizations, and charities yields the World, reversed. In addition to lack of vision and fear of adventure, this card tells of success that has not been won. This goes two different ways: the subjects of the investigation did not successfully achieve all of the goals, and the investigation falls short of ability to deal with the entire scope of the transgressions. We obviously have foreign nationals involved, and some of them may never be brought to justice in the United States. Last of all, we have the Magician in the twelfth house. This is the house of self undoing, institutions, secret enemies, and sometimes, death. The Magician mastery and skill, organization, and creativity. This whole matter will eventually find its way to justice, but sweeping changes will be required. Fraud, money laundering, large and small bank larcenies, and other white collar crime will require more oversight and actual consequences in the future. From this reading, it appears that Mueller did, indeed, discover serious crime, much of it financial in nature. He also discovered that more than one foreign nation is willing to act in unanticipated hostile ways toward the United States. The problem in prosecuting it lies in the fact that much of it was committed in other countries, and we lack precedent and jusridiction for prosecution under that type of circumstance. The Justice card and the Magician give your faithful blogger a certain amount of hope, though.
I got a recent question from a reader about the Lindsey Baum investigation. Specifically, the reader wanted to know what law enforcement has done to identify a suspect, now that her remains have been found and returned to her family. Since none of my earlier readings on Lindsey's case have asked that particular question, I think it is time to ask the Tarot. I also am curious about the investigation, and how and when Lindsey will get justice.
I have chosen a horoscope spread this time, because it is easier to get more information that way, and put it together. We begin with the eight of swords, representing an unwilling standstill, in the first house, which is the face of the entire matter. This is frustrating, and it tells us that so far, investigators have not put together a solid case or found the evidence they need to proceed and identify the right suspect. The second house, which tells us about that which is materially important to solving this case, shows the five of cups. Here, your faithful blogger heaves a sigh of relief, since it tells us that there are, indeed, some valid clues that can still yield answers upon investigation. These things, whatever they are, have been overlooked. In the third house, of short distance travel and communication, we have the King of Swords, reversed. Court cards of the suit of swords often represent law enforcement, and I hate to see the King come up reversed. So far, it gives the appearance of ineffective communication among police departments, (it will take input from more than one police department to solve this case) and it points, possibly, to a member of law enforcement who does not want to solve the case.......hmmm. Moving on the fourth house, describing the environment surrounding this investigation, we have the eight of wands, reversed. Upside right, this card tells of sudden happiness and enthusiasm, but when it falls reversed, it has a very different story to tell: jealousy and quarrels.
In the fifth house, of creative ideas and creative productivity, we find the nine of swords. This augers more delays, and it relates to the first card in this reading, the eight of swords. The message is that investigators really do not know which way to turn. The sixth house, of inconveniences, has a rather unusual message in the form of the Hierophant, reversed. When this card appears upright in a reading, it tells of tradition and conformity; its reversed meaning is nonconformity and "thinking outside of the box". What this means is that in order to solve this case, law enforcement will have to interview someone(s) they do not want to consider a suspect, and will have to look at possibilities they do not want to deem likely scenarios. Going back to the five of cups in the second house, I am going to venture a guess that there are two such possible suspects or witnesses and two sources of evidence that have not been tapped.
The seventh house, of partnerships and partnered efforts, gives us the Knight of Swords. This is law enforcement, and this is straightforward law enforcement, working hard to solve the case. The message of one police department that is either not communicating or on the wrong track is reinforced, here. Nonetheless, this is an investigator who will work until Lindsey gets justice. The two of wands, reversed, shows up in the eighth house of legacies and joint efforts. This represents a deliberate effort to avoid identifying the correct suspect. Clues have not been checked out as quickly as they should have been, and the investigators who want to solve this case will need to be very careful to make sure that evidence is not mishandled. The ninth house, of long journeys, law, and protection, shows the Queen of Pentacles, reversed. I really do not like to see this, because it looks like a woman, or an organization dealing with earth, dirt, DNA, and bones is either deliberately or inadvertently protecting someone who should be questioned. This case has been slowed down by professionals who do not communicate with each other and who do not want to look at evidence.
The tenth house, of career and relationships with superiors, shows the seven of pentacles. Once again, this is delay. It does show us that with the right amount of dedication, it IS possible to get justice, though. The Page of Cups, reversed, appears in the eleventh house, of hopes and desires. This is simply bad news, and perhaps, a false lead or tip. We may even see someone charged with perjury or subornation of testimony before this is over. At the very end, in the twelfth house of endings, we have the Queen of Swords, upside right. This shows that after all the delays, law enforcement and the judicial system finally put the matter to rest and secure justice for Lindsey Baum, despite all the false starts.
I've received a few more questions, recently, about Phoenix Coldon, a young woman who went missing in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2011; and for whom I did a reading in 2013. She is still missing, and there are still no suspects identified in her case. Specifically, I was asked to hone in on the perpetrator a bit more, and to see if there is a better way to find her than the conventional means employed by local law enforcement, to date. I decided to try a horoscope spread for this, as it can give the cards more latitude to tell their own story, giving me characters and places I would not know to ask about from the information I have been given.
The first house card is the nine of cups, which is a card of home and the comforts of home. It's presence in the first house suggests that this whole situation started where Phoenix lived, with someone she knew.....at least well enough to allow him (and it was a male) to get close enough for a conversation. The second house, of money and monetary transactions, gives us the ace of pentacles, reversed. Here we see money obtained by someone, but not in an ethical way. In the third house, of short journeys, business, and commerce, we have the King of Swords, reversed. This is interesting; court cards from the suit of swords are often law enforcement, or work in some capacity with law enforcement. This king is reversed, which makes him adversarial to Phoenix in some way. At this point, I am wondering if Phoenix had been mistaken for someone else, or if a police officer thought she had information about a crime or another person that she really didn't have.
In the fourth house, we get another "home" reference; the fourth house is the house of "home", and we have the four of wands, which is a card of harvest, celebration, and happiness. It also speaks to property, which plays a role here. The four of wands also represents a "haven", and it was necessary to get Phoenix away from her haven. The next card, in the fifth house, of love affairs, pleasure, and creativity, is the Emperor, reversed. This is an immature man who isn't honest, and this card also often refers to fraud. The fraud and dishonesty here was committed by a male in his late twenties, not by Phoenix. This is followed by the ten of cups, reversed, in the sixth house, of work relationships and mundane, everyday things. When the ten of cups falls reversed in a reading we often find betrayal and loss of friendship, and finding it in the sixth house points to a matter that may have originated where Phoenix worked or attended school.....some place she frequented daily.
The seventh house, of partnerships, gives us the Knight of Pentacles. This is a young man, in his early twenties, who is not involved in Phoenix's disappearance, but is very kindly disposed toward her. Moving into the eight house, of joint finances and of matters that pertain to the practical side of partnerships, we have the Page of Wands. Often, pages are young people, students, or children, but this time, I think the Page of Wands is a message or a report. As it follows the Knight of Pentacles, it gives good testimony about him. It would almost appear that the wrong person had been suspected in Phoenix's disappearance, at one time, and has been exonerated, or is no longer a suspect.
In the ninth house, of long journeys, the law, and higher education, we have the two of swords, reminding us that Phoenix did not end up far away, and warning us that the investigation is at a standstill. This card is at an opposition with the King of Swords in the third house, and shows that the biggest problem in finding Phoenix has to do with the King of Swords. The Wheel of Fortune is in the tenth house, and this has to do with relationships with bosses and superiors; often in the workplace. Once again, we have a reference to either work or school. The eleventh house, of friends and social life, gives us the Page of Cups, reversed. This tells me that a false lead, faulty tip, or an outright lie came, at one time or another, from someone Phoenix knew casually. The last card is the ace of wands, reversed, in the twelfth house, of secrets, restrictions, and secret enemies. This shows that early on, this investigation had a false start, and has never recovered.
A question that was asked had to do with corrupt law enforcement, and the King of Swords reversed would certainly suggest this. It is also troubling to note that directly opposite him, in the ninth house, is the two of swords. This makes the stalemate suggested by the two of swords almost look deliberate. The swords also continue to point us east, but not very far to the east. In conclusion, it looks very much as if Phoenix had either witnessed a crime, or had met an unsavory new friend, and had been questioned by someone else about the crime, or the other person's whereabouts. She appears to have been a bystander, here; but the King of Swords did not think she was a bystander. Finding her rests with the reversed King of Swords, and the investigation will have to begin all over again, starting with all of Phoenix's social media and cell phone communications. I always wish I had better news in this type of reading, and I pray Phoenix is found soon.
On June 1, 2015, Alicia Marie Folkers Hummel was found deceased in Sioux City, Iowa. Her death was determined to be a homicide. A year later, there are no suspects identified, and her murder is unsolved. We will see if the Tarot can be of any help to shed light on who killed her and why.
The reading begins with the Queen of Wands, reversed, crossed by the ace of pentacles. This is interesting; we have a jealous, easily angered woman who is panting after a material prize of some sort, and this shows up as an important part of Alicia's case. In the causal background, we have the Hanged Man, which is a card of waiting and sometimes, of personal sacrifice. Then, as an event in Alicia's recent past, we have the three of swords, reversed. This speaks of family quarrels and of a distinct possibility that Alicia knew a sensitive secret about someone and compromised that person.Watching all this is the Queen of Swords. As this queen falls upright, and her suit is swords, it appears that she is either law enforcement or connected to the judicial system. She is intent upon solving this crime. A challenge she faces, however; is the Page of Swords, reversed. This is a young person who knows all of the information necessary to make an arrest and convict a suspect, but he is lying.
In the place of fears, we find the four of pentacles, reversed. Money was a factor here, yet money and resources are still being wasted. Alicia's killer(s) have not been able to completely cover their tracks and use any resources they had hoped to gain from this act. The physical environment is described by the Wheel of Fortune. This is partly a facade;the murder has not made anyone feel terribly lucky. The other message indicated by this card is that no one has been arrested yet, and the guilty party(s) is feeling as if there will never be an arrest. In hopes, we have the ten of swords,reversed. This almost speaks for itself: when this card falls reversed, we see a temporary position of power, and that is exactly what is driving the hopes and fears of the perpetrator, here. The ten of swords can also be a violent card.The reading ends with the seven of pentacles, reversed. This is clearly anxiety about money, and worry that the very reason for the murder will not come to fruition.
An important factor in solving this murder is in the reversed four of pentacles and the Wheel of Fortune. Right now, evidence is being hidden and stored, yet it remains useless to the guilty party while hidden and stored. As soon as it is no longer hidden, but in use, the case will be solved. Something else I picked up from the four of pentacles in reverse is an ever-so-slight lack of care on the part of the guilty party with evidence left near the crime scene. The crime will eventually be solved, seemingly by a stroke of luck.
Melissa Lee Brannen was last seen on December 3, 1989 in Lorton, Virginia, when she was five years old. She had been at a holiday party held for residents of Woodside Apartments. A man named Caleb Hughes was found guilty of kidnapping Melissa, and while some very compelling evidence was found connecting him to her disappearance, she has never been found.
We begin with the two of cups, reversed, crossed by the Chariot, which is also read reversed here, as a foundation. This refers to a very violent passion, followed up with nowhere to go; a description of some very decadent and forceful desires. The King of Cups is at the base; this is an adult male, who is sensitive and professional. Since he falls upside right, I will assume that he is kindly disposed toward Melissa, and is trying to find her. Next, also in the past, is the King of Pentacles, reversed. This is another adult male, and as he falls reversed, I must label him part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. When the King of Pentacles comes up reversed in a reading, it refers to man who abuses resources and other people, and abuses any authority granted him, as well. Look for this man to have had dark hair and eyes in 1989.
In the realm of possibilities, we have the eight of pentacles. Generally, this card depicts a workplace or an apprenticeship position, but this hardly seems to fit the bill as an answer to where a little girl ended up after she went missing. It leads me to ponder whether or not the workplace of the King of Pentacles was properly searched. As it is in "possibilities" rather than actualities, I would be inclined to advise searching it again. The nine of cups, reversed, comes up next. This card describes a home with a lot of resources, and; sure enough, the suspect's home did turn up a lot of clues; but as the card falls reversed, all that was found was evidence, not Melissa.
The first card on the staff is the Hierophant, reversed. The Hierophant is all about orthodoxy and order, endorsing all that is socially approved. As he falls reversed here, the suggestion is to follow a mode that is not as traditional within the usual comfort zones, but to think and look "outside" of the box. In the place of environment, we have the Sun, reversed. This gives us an outside location, possibly a garden or an embankment with a wall. This is a place that is readily visible to the four "kingdoms" of nature: mineral, vegetable, animal, and human. It was once well manicured, but has not been maintained. As we get the number XIX from the sun, nineteen miles to the north or northwest is symbolized. We deal also with the number ten in the Wheel of Fortune, which comes up next, reversed. The symbolism on this card also deals with four "corners", or realities, if you will. In this case, we have Taurus the Bull, showing us earth, Leo the Lion, representing fire, Scorpio's eagle for water, and the Aquarian angel for air. Somehow, this symbolism plays a role in the location of Melissa. Four elements; four corners. The number of the Wheel of Fortune is X, so ten is key, but here, I think it is a placeholder or a descriptive number, such as part of an address or name. The final card is the ten of pentacles, which is also reversed. This card not only speaks of monetary loss when it falls reversed, but of a loss of family honor, as well. Someone who could help with Melissa's location has kept silent for the sake of "family honor", and has kept the secret for all these years!
Because of the "earth" references, I expect that Melissa was buried, somewhere between ten and twenty miles to the north of where she was last seen. Anyone with information about this should call the Fairfax County Police in Virginia; 703-246-7800.
Here's a cold case from Wichita, Kansas, from 1992. Patricia Smith and Patricia Magers were both shot to death in the bridal shop where they worked. A composite sketch of the suspect appears on the poster, above, but no one was ever arrested and brought to justice in this case. Let's see what the Tarot can tell us.
I used a horoscope spread for this reading, and while I shuffled, the Knight of Wands fell out, reversed, so the descriptions of a suspect with reddish hair in 1992 are apt; however the first house in this reading has given us the Knight of Pentacles, and the second house has given us the Knight of Cups. These two houses represent personality and financial prospects, respectively, so what are two knights doing here? Also, these knight fall upside right, describing them as part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. The Knight of Pentacles is methodical and moves slowly, going through everything with a fine toothed comb. The Knight of Cups is more expressive about his feelings, and may be a spokesperson for the local police. He is often a messenger of sorts. He is still hopeful that the suspect can be found. In the third house, we find the Empress. The third house is about letters, communication, short journeys, and relatives; the Empress is the "mother" card in the Tarot. We have a suspect who has used a woman, either his own mother, his childrens' mother, or a woman who has children who are not connected to him, as a "front". He has probably retreated to her home, and she is probably unaware of his pastimes. Look for her, also, to have reddish hair and a complexion similar to his. This is backed up by the fourth card, in the place of home environment, which is the nine of cups.....the card of home environment! This suspect is completely unworried about getting caught.
The fifth house, the house of sex appeal and pleasure, gives us the Queen of Pentacles. This is an adult female; brunette and possibly with brown eyes, with whom the suspect has had a romantic relationship. She is not, as of yet, connected to his life of crime, but she represents the prototype of his victims...mostly brunettes! House number six, work relationships and everyday matters, gives us the King of Cups, reversed. As an employee and as a neighbor, this man is dishonest and twisted; he has a perverse sense of entitlement.
The seven of pentacles appears reversed in the seventh house, of marriage and partnerships. This suspect has probably been divorced at least once, and has lost income or property he considers rightfully his because of it. In the eighth house, of death, transitions, and legacies, we have the Moon. This clearly points to imagination, and the suspect almost feeling that by targeting a certain "type", brunette females, he can "regain" something. Almost as if he thinks he is "owed" something.
In the ninth house, the house of long journeys and the "establishment", and relationships thereof, we have the six of swords, reversed. This is very interesting, because it indicates that wherever this killer is, currently, he is not doing much travel. His home, or his stomping grounds, are probably in the same part of the Midwest as Patricia Smith and Patricia Mager's homes had been. He has even used this as a strategy. Also, look for him to be on probation for other types of crime. The tenth card, in the house of career ambitions and social status, is the seven of cups. This person has a vivid imagination about his own abilities, and has never really applied himself to a stable type of gainful employment. Those who know him are well aware of this. The eleventh house, of hopes, wishes, friends, and hobbies, shows us the ten of pentacles. Somehow, the suspect has either inherited, or by some other means, acquired a large amount of money or property which he did not earn. In the twelfth house, of secrets, secret enemies, and self undoing, we have the ten of cups. So far, this suspect has gotten away with everything he has done. Kansas authorities are not really hopeful that they will find him, either, especially if he is related to someone in the community who is enabling and protecting him. His mistake will be in thinking that his enablers will remain perpetually interested in enabling him.
Sierra Lamar, who disappeared in March of 2012, has still not been found. I have done a couple of readings for her, most recently, this one, dealing with Antolin Garcia, the suspect in her case. I recently got a question about possibly drawing a map, but I do not know the area where she was last seen, and I am a bit hesitant to try. Unfamiliarity with such subject matter is a serious limitation for such an endeavor. After pondering what I might be able to do, I decided to try a horoscope spread for Sierra. Sometimes astrological references are better for the determination of location than other types of divination. So my attempt follows.
In the first house, the house of ego, personality, and physical appearance, we get the King of Swords. Obviously, this is not Sierra, but as he falls upright, and as court cards in the suit of swords are often law enforcement, I think it is safe to assume that this man is either an officer or a prosecutor investigating the case. The second house, the house of money and possessions, gives us the four of wands, reversed. We have seen the four of wands in other readings pertaining to Sierra, and I think we still need to check the symbolism indicated by the card for location: this is a card of happy family celebrations, harvest completed, havens or refuges, or parks where people have picnics or outdoor parties. Once again, we see it reversed, so while the meaning remains the same, there is a chance that this location has either been abandoned or is not visited very often. In the third house, the house of short journeys, communications relating to business, memory and logic, and power; we find the Queen of Cups, reversed. This is a woman who is somehow connected to the case, and she has been hiding evidence and prevaricating to investigators. It is interesting that we see her in the house of "short journeys". She not only knows Sierra's location, but may have visited it. The fourth house, the "home environment", and coincidentally, the last days of life, give us the ace of wands, reversed. I do not think that we are being told of Sierra's home where she resided with her family; I think this is the "home environment" of the main crime scene. Wands point us south, but this wand is reversed; I think it is possible that the suspect began to go south with Sierra, but changed his mind, yet did not travel as far as he had originally intended. Sierra has not moved, but her locations has been "clouded", or obscured, at least once.
The fifth house, of creativity, love affairs, and children, presents the Devil, reversed. This is actually good news for the investigation, because when the Devil falls upside right, that speaks of bondage. Reversed, the meaning is release from bondage. The fifth house also points us to amusements and pleasures, which, once again, ties in with the imagery of a place used for recreation. In house six, the house of day to day life, work relationships, and domestic animals, we find the High Priestess. She is a symbol of secrets, and she also links to water. Once again, we have the reference of hidden influences, and we also have a feminine influence. But this is being done quite casually. In the seventh house, of marriage and divorce, close relationships, close partnerships, and the relation of all of those things to the general public, we have the Empress. The Empress is the "mother" card of the Tarot. Something that grabbed my attention is the remote and almost archaic symbolism on the card; the myrtle tree and branches traditionally go along with the Empress, and her crown traditionally has twelve stars. Venus is also symbolic, and sometimes she is pictured with seven pearls around her neck. These elements, somehow, deserve consideration. In the eighth house, which represents death, joint finances, and transitions, we see the Wheel of Fortune. This card represents the laws of cause and effect, and also can foretell an unexpected stroke of luck. As it is in the eighth house, which is death, I think we are being told that we may find the crime scene, as well as Sierra. The reference to cause and effect may refer to evidence and the presence of DNA.
In the ninth house, the house of long journeys, the social "establishment", law, and protection, we get the nine of cups. This card speaks of having plenty of resources, and is also a reference to "home", but home here is a place to eat and drink. The cups take us west, and the ninth house refers to travel, as does the third house, which, incidentally, also has a card from the suit of cups, pointing us a little to the west. The "home" symbolism tells us that the suspect(s) did not take Sierra too far from home, though. The tenth house, of social standing, career ambitions, relationships with superiors, and "father" relationships, gives us the Tower, which is a card of imprisonment and ruin. Overthrow of existing methods of investigation are indicated here, along with disruption of some type; yet all this may bring much needed enlightenment. Someone connected to the investigation appears to either be consciously or unconsciously "helping" the suspect, rather than helping Sierra's family find Sierra. The eleventh house, of hopes, hobbies, and friends, gives us the seven of cups. The seven of cups is a card of dreams, sometimes fantasy, but not of direct knowledge. The message on this is clear; Sierra's peers and friends do not know where she is. It is interesting to note that there is another "water" or "west" reference, though. In house number twelve, of secret, self undoing, and secret enemies, we find the Hanged Man. This is often a card of sacrifice and meditation, but I also see it as another reference to trees, a single tree, and water.
I hope this reading has helped. If I knew the area at all, it would be easier for me to link the symbolism to actual features in the landscape. I hope evidence, along with Sierra, can be found.
On July2, 2003, twenty-one year old Joshua Crawford was found murdered in his Frederick, Maryland apartment. The murder has yet to be solved, so we will see what light the Tarot can shed.
I used a horoscope spread this reading, and the first house, of appearance and personality, is
represented by the Chariot, reversed. The message here is revenge. Egos had obviously been out of balance, and two parties, the victim and his killer, had not been able to find a middle ground. The card for the second house, money and possessions, is the ace of pentacles. This gives the murder a monetary slant. Some either took something material at the time of the murder, or had something financial to gain. When we move into the third house, of short journeys and communication, we find the seven of swords, reversed. When this card is upside right, it tells a tale of half measures and of taking things to which one has no right, but upside down, the meaning is good planning and success, albeit clandestine! Lungs and breathing are often indicated in this house, as, sometimes, are relatives and friends. So it appears that this murder was actually premeditated, by someone known to the victim.
The fourth house, of home environment, turns up the six of swords, reversed. The six of swords is a card of travel, but when it appears reversed, it tells of the opposite. I think this refers to Joshua's body being left behind, in his apartment. It may also be telling us that Joshua refused to budge on something, or "go along" with someone else's plans. In the fifth house, of creativity and pleasure, the nine of wands appears, and the message is simple: impatience. Children are also represented by the fifth house; did Joshua have children and child support issues? In the house of employment relationships and everyday affairs, we find the King of Swords, and as he is upside right, we will assume that he is kindly disposed toward Joshua. Court cards in the suit of swords are often law enforcement or lawyers, so did law enforcement find Joshua? Or did his employer report that he had not been to work? This is the person who either found Joshua, or set matters in motion in order to have him found.
In the seventh house, we have the seven of cups. This is the house of partnerships, marriage in particular, and of close relationships and public perception, The seven of cups tells us that Joshua was a bit of a dreamer, and possibly a romantic at times........but how this factors into his murder is curious......it is as if someone had written him off because of his dreams! The fallout from the death, itself, is represented in the eighth house by the six of pentacles, reversed. This is jealousy, but over material matters and money, rather than romance. The ninth house, of law, the "establishment", and, (ahem!) of long journeys, shows us the six of cups. The six of cups usually describes childhood memories and childhood friends. To see it here, in a reading about an unsolved murder, is disturbing, especially in the house of law and long journeys! The ninth house also governs education and criminal investigations, and I think this card is telling us that the murderer is someone who attended school at the same time as Joshua, and shared some childhood experiences. This person also sidestepped scrutiny and traveled at convenient times, and to this day, has not been looked at properly. The tenth house, career and social status, describes the killer with Strength, reversed. This is a person favors discord and abuses any position or opportunity that comes his way. In the eleventh house, we have Death, reversed. The killer's life is rather stagnant now, without much of a social life. His undoing appears to be lack of movement and inattention to details. I go out on a limb here, a bit, with a physical description, but I would expect him to be overweight, as well. The tenth and eleventh houses often describe feet, legs, and ankles, and both Strength and Death reversed tell a story of laziness. The twelfth house has the Hierophant, reversed. This is technology or a clue that is not standard in a murder investigation, but; nonetheless, plays a crucial role in investigating the crime. A secret makes it's way into the open in a very unorthodox way, and the murderer ends up surprised at his unlikely adversary. It is my opinion that he cannot hide forever, and that Joshua's murder will be solved one day.
In light of the recent arrest of Chase Merritt for the murders of Joseph, Summer, Gianni, and Joseph McStay, who were missing for over four years before they were found in shallow graves in the Mohave Desert, I decided to do a reading to find out we will get any answers through this development.
We begin with a base of the ace of wands crossed by the Knight of Swords. This is almost classic symbolism for a new piece of information, or a tip, being put into the hands of law enforcement. Policemen are often represented by court cards in the suit of swords. Below this, we have the Page of Wands, which is also often a message, backing this up. The Page can also be a person with information, but this person would be a witness, not a defendant or anyone involved in the investigation. The Fool appears, as the reason the tip was investigated, and also suggests that someone went "out on a limb" to investigate a lead that seemed dubious, or not provable at first.
The Emperor appears as a possible motivation for the arrest, and I suppose that is a pretty straightforward message: it stands to reason that Joseph McStay's father would want the case solved as soon as possible. Perhaps he is the one who did some of the sleuthing, or discovered something in his son's possessions or records that required further investigation. This is followed by the High Priestess, reversed, in the place of things that will come to pass. I do not like this card here, because it tells us of surface knowledge, or half truths; not the revealing of the entire truth. A challenge for law enforcement and prosecutors will be a temptation to accept only part of the whole story, rather than digging deeper.
The first card on the staff is the three of swords, telling us that there has already been a bit of "infighting" between individuals close to this matter. Testimony from the person who was arrested may bring on more debate, and it will become even more personal than it already is. This is followed by the four of swords, reversed, which is a sense of urgency on the parts of family to get the whole matter over with, and the case closed. In the place of desires, we have a card that seems very much out of place, and that is the Moon. This is not a desire for closure, but a desire to keep hiding something, or misrepresenting something. Combined with the reversed High Priestess, this does not bode well for the arrest of Chase Merritt, in and of itself, solving this case. The last card is the three of wands, indicating that we are looking for more than one individual to stand trial for this crime. Ultimately, we will eventually get that information, but it will not be easy on the survivors of the deceased, and getting the truth from any witnesses or witnesses after the fact will be difficult.
Relisha Rudd is an eight year old girl who was last seen by those who know her in March 1 of this year. So far, no witness has been able to provide reliable details on her whereabouts, and at least one suspect has been found deceased. While the poster above describes an event that has already taken place, this was the best picture I could find that was also combined with contact information.
The reading starts with the ace of pentacles crossed by the seven of swords. This ace tells of prosperity in it's early stages, and the seven of swords crossing it suggests that counsel and premeditation of some kind are, or were, required due to lack of ownership or lack of skill. This is an unusual way for a reading about a missing child to begin, and it already looks as if Relisha was taken by someone who did not have custodial rights to do so, and it looks like money may have been a motive. The Hierophant appears below this, telling us that someone felt a need to "conform". While this may have been Relisha's mother, trying to create a more stable lifestyle, there is also a possibility that this is how the perpetrator was able to take Relisha.....by blending in and pretending to be legitimate.
The nine of pentacles appears in the recent past, and this is a card of stability; somehow, this plays a role in motive and location here. This is a situation in which Relisha blended in while she disappeared, and still somehow blends in. The card telling us of that possible outcome, and possibly the best outcome, is the Lovers. This card not only represents romance, but the element of choice. This is for the future, and something that has not come to pass, so I will say more about this later on. The next card is the Knight of Pentacles, who is a middle aged man connected to this. His position has to do with the very near future, so I do not believe he is the suspect who was found deceased. As he is upside right, I will assume, for now, that he is kindly disposed toward Relisha. Perhaps he is the person who will find her.
In the place of fears, we find Judgment. This points to someone being afraid of the truth getting discovered. It bothers me a bit, because it is a fear I would connect with the perpetrator, rather than with Relisha, herself. I would feel more comfortable about Relisha's welfare if the card described something a victim might feel in this situation. The next card, in the place of environment, is the five of wands, telling us of deception and games being played with investigators and authorities. Following this, we find the four of cups, which is the card of re-evaluation and discontent. Someone connected to Relisha's disappearance is less than happy with the status quo of the situation, and thinking about finding a way to come clean. And the reading ends with the seven of cups, reversed, which is determination and will; also of cutting dreams down to size. This is the card I find myself inclined to connect with choice described by the Lovers, which came up earlier in the reading. Despite the death of the last known person to see Relisha, there is someone else with information, and that person is trying to find a way to communicate with authorities.
Nothing in this reading clearly points to this little girl being deceased, but I am always unnerved when cards representing perspectives and feelings of involved parties focus on the perpetrator instead of the victim. That is really the only thing about thing about this reading that truly scares me for Relisha. The other worry has to do with possible locations: three cards in this reading that involve water: the seven of cups, the four of cups, and Judgment. The suggestion in Judgment is that Relisha might be found in or near water, tagged along with a suggestion by the five of wands that a place where games and sports have been played is also linked to location. Water is also represented in the Lovers. Forensic evidence, such as IP numbers and cell phone data, will also be helpful in solving this case. I hope Relisha is found very soon. Five and a half weeks is way too long for a child to be missing.
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.
Alexis Murphy disappeared from Northern Virginia last month. She is seventeen years old, and while her cell phone has been located, she has not. There is also a suspect in custody, in connection to her disappearance, who has been denied bond. Alexis was last seen at a gas station in Lovingston, Virginia, and after that, seems to have vanished completely. So where is she, and what happened?
We begin with the three of wands crossed by the High Priestess. The three of wands represents the gas station and the business, customers, and community. The High Priestess is mystery, and hidden matters, with a touch of feminine influence. The subconscious mind is also represented by this card, and I am convinced that a customer or patron saw Alexis there, and also saw either a person in her acquaintance, or a vehicle that is part of the scenario; yet does not realize that it was Alexis, or realize the importance of what was seen. The matter of things that are hidden appears as an obstacle, so the advice to counter that problem is obviously to keep information and contact numbers for law enforcement in prominent places at the gas station, and keep asking everyone who was in the vicinity to come forward with any detail, no matter how unimportant it might seem. There is either a reluctant witness, or a witness who does not realize that he or she is a witness, and the gas station can somehow yield more clues.
Beneath this, we have the three of pentacles. Note that we have another "three"! This is the card of the craftsman, and speaks of a man who is very good at his job. It is followed by the King of Wands, and he falls upright, so I am going to assume, for now, that he is favorably disposed toward Alexis, and trying to find her. The card representing his best chance of doing that is the nine of pentacles, which is solitude and waiting for counsel before acting. Security, and protecting one's assets is an obstacle in effort to find Alexis. This card could also represent a woman, who does not want to step away from her secure "comfort zone" in order to come forward with something she has seen. What follows, as something that will happen soon, is the seven of cups. This represents scattered forces as a result of invalid choices and offerings, and energies wasted on things that do not pan out. So far, a large amount of this King's energy has been wasted.
The five of pentacles, reversed, is the first card on the staff. This is someone's fear, and it is a fear of something, or someone, being returned. Next, we have the influence of a person as the environment of this matter: the Knight of Pentacles, reversed. When reversed, this knight is lazy, dishonest about financial matters, and careless and sloppy. He, too, has a connection to the three of pentacles, only he is not very good at his job. He is also a bit of a fraud. The card describing this Knight's hopes and favorite passion is Strength, reversed, which is abuse of power, and sometimes physical abuse. The last card is the Chariot, reversed, which tells us that the wills of two individuals are at odds right now about which direction to take evidence. The opposite opinions and energy forces cannot work together to move the chariot, so it stands still. On mundane levels, this card sometimes refers to vehicles which have broken down. Another possibility connected to this card is message that no one traveled very far. This is one more thing that takes us back to the gas station for clues.
The presence of two cards with values of three lead me to believe that Alexis is not far from the last place she was known to have been seen........about three miles. The pentacles point north, but the cups point west. The High Priestess also has a connection to water, as does the seven of cups. Water somehow aided the hiding of evidence, and is still obscuring the Truth. I hate to see cards like Strength, reversed, in connection to persons directly involved.....in this case, the reversed Knight of Pentacles. This tells me that Alexis somehow ended up in the company of someone who either abuses his own strength, or some type of power he either has over others, or just had over her.
As a bit of an update to the readings I have done for Sierra Lamar, I decided to ask the Tarot how she can be found. Unfortunately, this case is dragging. I drew three cards for the past here, and those are the two of pentacles, which speak of difficulties with new projects, the Knight of Pentacles, reversed....an olive complected male with dark hair and eyes; I believe this is the suspect who has been charged, and the eight of pentalces, reversed. Either the suspect's former workmates need to be questioned one more time, or the premises of the suspect's former job, and the surrounding areas, need to be searched again.
For the present, I drew the Queen of Wands, who has shown up in earlier readings about Sierra, the King of Wands reversed, and the six of cups reversed. The Queen here is a woman who probably has blond or strawberry blond hair and is working hard to find Sierra. The reversed King is a man who's efforts are countering her efforts, and effectively stalling her. The six of cups reversed represents outworn ideas for solving cases like this, that have worked in the past, but will not work now. The King of Wands is not allowing the Queen to use her instincts to get at the truth.
In the future, we get the seven of swords, reversed; the six of pentacles, reversed, and the five of wands. The seven of swords reversed speaks to good legal counsel, but it is somehow met with the bad debts or unfair dealings represented by the reversed six of pentacles. The last card is the five of wands, which tells of more contradictions and games. It looks very much to me as if the suspect's former place of employment, or his former workmates, could yield the answers.
I got a question the other day about Sierra Lamar's case, and a request for an update. Specifically, the question was abut the motive of the perpetrator here. Sierra Lamar disappeared in March of this year in California. A suspect has been arrested, but has not entered a plea.
For the reading, I got three cards for the past concerning the motive: the ten of pentacles, the ace of pentacles, and the Tower, reversed. The ten of pentacles is usually and inheritance, but sometimes a gift, prize, or a one time payment in a large amount. This type of element was part of the motive. Next, backing this up, is the ace of pentacles, which is a similar message, but more of an opportunity to make money, rather then money given as a gift or a prize. Following this, is the Tower, reversed, which in that postition, means inprisonment and sometimes the unravelling of plans to a distasterous effect.
In the present, we have the nine of cups, reversed, speaking to imperfections concerning someone's plans. The three of wands came up next, which means treachery, and help was offered that was untrustworthy. This is all followed up by the King of Wands, reversed, who is a nasty and unyielding male, who is older than Sierra and was at odds or cross purposes with her in some way. At least two people have information about what happened to Sierra, although only one knows exactly where she is.
The future brings this person worry about plans and actions that do not pay off, in the form of the seven of pentacles upside down. This is the garden that never grew, the tree that never bore fruit. Also the person who never got paid. Next is the six of swords, reversed, which is a card of travel. Upside down, it tells us that this case, along with Sierra, are not going anywhere, anytime soon. Also, I am still of the opinion that Sierra is not far from her home. The last card is the five of wands, which is a card of games and trickery. The next move, it seems, is up to the court. The court will have to move forward with this case without the cooperation of any defendant.
Now there has been an arrest in the case of missing Sierra Lamar. The sheriff in Santa Clara county, California thinks that this person is definately connected to Sierra's disappearance, and has had him under surveillance for at least several weeks. She was hoping that his comings and goings would lead to Sierra's whereabouts, or at least yield clues, but we still have not found Sierra. There have been some requests for another reading about this, and I have asked the cards if this arrest has brought us any closer to solving this crime.
This reading starts with the four of cups crossed by the Moon. The four of cups gives us an air of ingratitude somewhere in this picture, and while the Moon can often mean psychism and vision, it can also mean deceit. In this reading, it appears to mean the latter. The truth simply isn't good enough for someone, or will not work out the way he/she would wish, so deception is employed, instead. We have this based by the Knight of Swords. This is a quick, sudden event that may have included violence and definately included geographic movement. The five of pentacles, reversed, fades into the background, taking with it an opportunity to get at the truth. Something that may still happen is the eight of cups, reversed. Upright, this card woud tell us about someone who had gotton his wish, but then changed his mind, Reversed, it means getting one's wish, but at the expense of wisdom and spirituality. It seems to be telling us of someone who may get what he/she wants, but is not yet mature enough for it. Something that will happen is the four of wands, reversed. Perhaps this arrest will help solve the case, but glory and happiness of the four of wands upright, (it is a card of celebrations) will be tarnished, as it falls reversed.
The Page of Cups falls in the place of fears. This can mean news involving a young person or a child, which, of course, everyone wants here. As it falls in the place of fears and negative emotions, I think the truth about what happened to Sierra will still be hard to elicit. The next card is very important in this reading: in the place of environment, as in what is going on NOW, we have the ten of wands, reversed. This tells of duplicity and treachery. It also does not bode well for legal matters. Upright this card speaks of working toward a goal and barely making it, or somehow abusing power and resources, but reversed, it is lies and separation. It is quite possible that in the wake of this arrest, more evidence is being corrupted or destroyed. The nine of pentacles appears in the place of hopes, which is independence and financial well being. Somehow, that is on the mind of the perpetrator. The reading concludes with the World, reversed. This is not a good card for the outcome, as it speaks to a slow resolution in this case, rather than a quick one.
It does not appear that we will get the answers we need from the defendant in the arrest, but I could not help but notice the presence of two fours in this reading. In Taoism, four is the number of family, and wood is it's element. I still think that Sierra did not travel too far away from her family's home, and I also think it is time to start questioning everyone who knows Antonlin Garcia Torres, the defendant who is now charged. Water is still an element somehow, because the Moon appeared, and part of the deception is making it appear that Sierra is "nowhere in the world". Ten of wands: that card points south, but here, it falls reversed. It could be telling us that Sierra backtracked, or that she really didn't go anywhere at all. I wish I had more positive things to say about this. And I hope she is found today.
