Fourteen year old Melanie Melanson disappeared in Massachusetts in 1989, and her case was featured on Dateline. It was several nights before Halloween; someone must know something about her fate. Let's see what the cards tell us.
We start with the three of swords crossed by the Empress. The is unusual; this combination is seen in divorces involving custody disputes much more often than it is seen in missing persons readings. But okay, we have it, so perhaps it establishes a motive. The Empress is here, presenting as a woman in the role of mother, and somehow, some in-fighting, perhaps over Melanie, is part of the situation. Beneath this, we see the Queen of Wands, reversed. As we find this queen reversed, we can be sure that she means Melanie no good. Jealousy is the usual motive for a woman described this way. She would have a quick temper and an impulsive nature, and perhaps, red or blondish hair. This is followed by Temperance. After the personal violence of the three of swords and the impulse of the jealous queen, we have Temperance, which does not seem to follow the story line here, but perhaps it does. Temperance tells of not only warm and fuzzy combinations, but effective combinations, and here, it is telling us that the killer had help consisting of accomplices, who apparently knew how to get away with murder. Evidence was hidden at first, then tampered with.
The three of cups follows this; and it is a "water" card. Because it's place describes things that happen later, not right away, this water came into the situation later, not immediately. Evidence was destroyed or dispensed with bit by bit, and water was used as a dumping ground. Possibly near a dam or a water purification plant; hence the reference to temperance. Another distinct possibility of the three of cups has to do with alliances: three people who think they have dispensed with this matter and have agreed upon solidarity and to "alibi" each other.
The next card is the nine of wands. This refers to an air of being "on edge" by someone involved, and could also give us a clue to location. Nine and three seem to be numbers of interest, and names that have to do with "tempering", such as "mixer" or "smelter" may be possible locations, too. Those involved waited until the heat was off and the search efforts had waned, and moved Melanie somewhere else.
The eight of cups is the first card on the staff, and it describes perspective, from the perpetrators viewpoint. This is overlooking hills, with steams behind and possibly a larger, more still body of water ahead. The next card is the ace of pentacles, reversed. It falls in the place of environment, and this card usually means a missed career opportunity. I think it tells us of missed opportunities by law enforcement, in this case. As a location, it depicts a well manicured park or garden when it's upside right, perhaps with cultivated flowers, but as it falls reversed, it would describe an area that is no longer kept up. In the place of hopes, we have the king of cups, appearing as a man who is still trying to find Melanie. And as a final outcome, we get the ten of cups, which tells us that Melanie actually will be found one day, while she still has family members looking for her. I wish I could deliver better news about Melanie, herself, and I hope that she is found soon.
