Who Killed Mary Rachel Carson?

Time flies. It's been almost ten years since eighteen year old Mary Rachel Carson was murdered, and still not resolution. So I will see what the Tarot has to say about her case. This reading is a horoscope spread.

The card for the first house, which represents elements of the whole matter, is the ace of swords, reversed. This tells us of obstacles and snags, somewhere along the line, and a person with too much power. Following this in the second house, of possession.........who has what, and when.....is Judgement, reversed. Not only does this card often describe loss of possessions, but in reversal, it often speaks to a fear of death. So from the getgo, Ms. Carson a victim of someone who wanted something and had no problem with violence and murder, in order to take it. House three, relatives, memory, and short journeys, shows the three of pentacles, which is the card of the craftsman. In mundane terms, it would appear that the card is merely telling us that either the victim, the perpetrator, or a key witness was on his or her way to work. More on that later........

The Knight of Wands comes up, reversed, in the fourth house, which is the house of the home environment, also governing the last days of life. Interesting that a court card would appear here: when this knight is reversed, he is usually a youngish man in his twenties, and jealousy and covetous attitudes usually accompanies violence in scenarios involving this knight's reversals. Somehow, he was close to Ms. Carson's home environment. In the fifth house, love affairs, creative pursuits, and children, we find the three of swords, reversed. This screams that there was some sort of conflict involving those elements, between Ms. Carson and possibly, the Knight of Wands. The Devil, reversed, appears in the sixth house, which represents everyday things, such as work relationships, paying mundane bills, worry, and with whom the subject currently resides. Here, this card seems to be telling us about release from bondage, but by indecision followed by violence followed by cover-up. And it relates very directly to Ms. Carson, and her environs; it looks as if she and her killer may have known each other.

Moving on the the seventh house, of partnerships and close relationships, we have the High Priestess, which is a card of secrets. Something important, having to do with a marriage or a common law marriage was only known to the victim and her killer. The three of cups follows close on it's heels in the eighth house, the house of death, wills, joint finances, and probate. The three of cups, when it falls reversed, usually tells us that "all good things must come to an end", so it seems that we should look for someone who was able to benefit from Ms. Carson's death. In the ninth house, the house of law, the establishment, long trips, and protection, we have the four of pentacles. This is a card of clinging and hoarding, and this tells me that somehow, a legal entanglement involving the holding back of assets is at play here: the killer did not get everything he tried to get. Some information is still, somehow, tied up in probate, or there are unanswered questions.

In the tenth house, we have the Star, telling us that social status, such as it is to the perpetrator, was important at the time of the murder. His job, and his work relationships were more important than family his family. In the eleventh house, this is back up by the Moon, reversed. When the Moon falls reversed, I look for lies and false personas, and this time, it has fallen in the eleventh house, which rules not only hopes, wishes, and dreams, but friends and and social life! So....this person has been able, somehow, to keep the secret of the murder, and has not been accused by the justice system. He is not without an enemy, though. In the twelfth house, the house of subconscious secrets, institutions, self undoing, and secret adversaries, we find the King of Pentacles, reversed. This would be a man, probably over forty years of age, whose methods are not always "kosher". He has suspicions about the perpetrator's involvement in the murder, and is eagerly, but patiently waiting to bring the matter to light.

Search For William Tyrell

Three year old William Tyrell went missing over six months ago, so where is he, and what happened? We start out with the nine of cups, reversed, crossed by the five of swords. This is a message of revenge, in response to an imagined slight, or a "mistake" on someone's part, in some plan or process. Before this, the eight of swords, reversed, was the driving impetus. This has to do with removing one's self, or someone else, from a "trapped" position, and of gaining freedom. Somehow, these elements laid the groundwork for this child to disappear. 

An event that led up to this is illustrated by the Page of Cups, which tells us that someone involved here had just begun something new in life, and was almost ready to announce and celebrate it. I often see this card in conjunction with a birth. But......not everyone shared the celebratory mood. The next card is the ten of swords, which is clearly a card of violence, and also a card I truly do not like to see in a missing person's reading. It is followed by more bad news, the six of wands, reversed. This is a card that often shows itself reversed when an enemy, or someone with criminal intent, finds a way to gain leverage. This card's presence is why I am leaning toward William's disappearance being deliberate, and not an accident. 

The intentions of the perpetrator are shown by the four of pentacles, which is a card of the hoarder and miser. This is someone who has had setbacks, material and financial setbacks, and did not want someone close to William to enjoy new adventures or opportunities. It is also someone who does not like to share, and this time, the "feel" is that of a man in his thirties, or possibly early forties......I still say mid-thirties. It is followed by the ace of pentacles, reversed. This is public perception of the perpetrator's circumstances, and also the perpetrator's self image. The ace of pentacles reversed often refers not only to missed opportunities, but to crime, and money gotten through illicit means. A strong fear comes up as Judgment, reversed, which tells us that separation was, somehow, a motive for this crime. Sometimes, this card speaks to a fear of death, but as William is only three, I think this fear is on the part of the grownups. The last card is the six of swords, which is travel, often over water. While I see a lot of violence in this reading, and I see two cards that are often connected to murder, the ten of swords and reversed Judgment, and the reversed six of wands is almost always unfavorable news.......the six of swords is still a card of voyages. Maybe William can still be rescued. Swords point us east, and pentacles point us north. I will keep my fingers crossed.

What Happened To Tammy Mahoney?

Tammy Mahoney disappeared in 1981, and is presumed dead. Let's see if the Tarot can give us some ideas about her whereabouts and what happened to her.

The reading starts with the five of wands crossed by the page of swords. The five of wands is trickery; someone with key information has already played games with law enforcement and given deliberately misleading information. This person feels, somehow, more powerful, by withholding information. It's a bit like "owning" the situation. The incident in the past, leading up to this, involves traveling on a road that forked; the two of wands indicates a road that goes north/south for this. There is already a feeling that Tammy did not travel much further than the fork in the road. The next card is the Page of Pentacles. reversed. This indicates a difference of opinion Tammy had with someone, but to Tammy, it was not terribly important. Her companions that evening may have felt differently. The next card appears to describe a person involved in Tammy's disappearance. The Emperor, reversed, gives us an adult male who is immature for his age and possibly still lives at home......or at least, he did in 1981. The Emperor is usually an indication of a good father and a responsible man, but when it falls reversed, it often tells of a man who is not responsible for his children, and may owe child support for more than one child. Once again, this relates to this person's situation in 1981. The next card is the eight of wands, reversed. This is jealousy and arguments, as it falls reversed, but I am thinking that it may also be trying to tell us that "eight" is an important landmark or number. 

The staff give is the four of cups, reversed, in the place of fears. Here we see, once again, that the perpetrator is afraid, for some reason, to move on productively in life and grow up. This card, reversed, in any other position in a reading would tell us that this person is content, but in this position, it means that he is afraid to relax and be content. The next card we have is the Lovers, reversed. This points us toward the situation when Tammy went missing. Usually, when this card appears reversed in a position describing the people around a situation or person, it tells of parents or a family who are not in favor or a person's choice of marriage or domestic partner. Somehow, this dynamic came into the picture, here, too. This is followed up by the ace of swords, reversed, in the place of desires. This is momentary, short lived power, and someone had made it a mission and a raison d`etre to "eliminate" Tammy. The only good news I see here is that the Knight of Cups, and man in his late thirties or early forties, is still looking for Tammy. The rest of the reading does not look promising; it appears as if Tammy was murdered, very likely shot, and buried somewhere off of a highway. Hopefully, she will be found soon.

What Happened To Robyn Pettinato?

Robyn Pettinato was last seen on July 5, 1975, in Whitefish, Montana. She was fourteen years old. Her family, reportedly, was very quiet about the subject after searches and investigations turned up nothing, so lets see what the cards can tell us.

We begin with Strength, reversed, crossed by the Queen of Wands. When Strength falls reversed, it usually tells a tale of abused authority. The Queen of Wands appears here as a strict, overbearing woman with a temper and a vicious streak. This is founded by a bad choice, described by the Fool, reversed. The Moon also appears in the background of this situation, telling us that secrets were kept from law enforcement by people who actually gave statements, but chose to omit key information. The Knight of Pentacles shows up in the realm of un-materialized possibilities; could he have been a love interest of Robyn's? Perhaps the subject of Robyn's encounter with "abused authority"? At the time, he was a young man between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two, or so. 

The next card is the five of pentacles, reversed. This card is telling us that those involved in Robyn's situation did everything in their power to get the case closed and move on, without finding Robyn. It's almost as if someone in the picture has known Robyn's whereabouts all along. In the place of fears, we find the four of swords, reversed, which shows a perpetual fear of movement and activity in the case........what is desired is the situation described by this card in it's upright position: dormancy. Next, we have the four of pentacles, reversed. This describes obstacles and delays of some sort; were there obstacles in closing the case or in declaring Robyn dead? Another sidebar meaning of this card has to do with hoarding, but I cannot imagine what role hoarding would play here. The message is that someone waited and waited for a final decision about something until it was too late, and something was "hoarded" or clung to, until it could not be let go. The Knight of Wands appears as a gesture, or an appearance. It may have been speculated or rumored that Robyn left town with such a person, but if so, it was only rumor. This would not fit with the abuse we see in the beginning of the reading. It would fit with the deception that is described by the Moon. And the last card is the Empress. This card describes femininity and motherhood. Somehow, this was a factor in Robyn's disappearance. We are not told in the case history if Robyn was pregnant, but it seems that this idea may have had a bearing. It also appears that we are being told that Robyn was never far from home, as both of the cards with values of four appear in positions that often describe physical surroundings. Four is a Taoist number for family, and the fourth zodiacal house is the house of the "home", as in family. Sadly, I would not be surprised to find that the answers to Robyn's case can be found very close to home. 

Okay, Where Is William Bradford Bishop Jr. Hiding?

 

 

To try a horoscope reading in a missing persons case, I decided to use the case of William Bradford Bishop, a former Maryland man who was once a secret service agent. He disappeared in March of 1976 after the brutal murder of his wife, mother, and three sons. Several months ago, there was a question as to whether or not Bishop had died in Alabama and been buried, unidentified, but this was not the case.

 

The first house, the house of personality, shows the five of pentacles reversed. Bishop was the type of person who unable to settle for something he did not consider ideal, and he also got bored easily with any type of "status quo". Also, while there is no talk of extramarital affairs, he was not above having one and hiding it. The second house, money and possessions, gives up the ten of swords. Not only did Bishop commit an act of violence, he effectively ended his claim to everything for which he had worked, thus far, in his life. The third house, that of communication and short journeys, gives us Temperance. Bishop had, apparently, planned this event more than anyone suspected, and his next moves and communications were with people who did not know who he actually is, and were unacquainted with his family. The next card bothers me a bit: in the fourth house of home and environment, the Lovers comes up! This is almost self explanatory. Bishop had a lover waiting in the wings. This not only gave him a cover, but gave him a false alibi.

 

In the fifth house, the house of children, creativity, and romantic relationships, the High Priestess reversed appears to tell us that Bishop is just as shallow now as he was while married. This also points to a strong possibility that he never told his new lover his real name. Secrets; unhealthy secrets. House number six reveals the two of swords, stalemating Bishop's health, somehow, and his day to day affairs. Somehow, keeping secrets was not always amenable to moving forward in life. The seventh house, marriage and partnerships, gives us the moon. This is desire, laced with deception. Anyone this man loved heard lies, not the truth. House number eight controls joint finances, wills, and matters connected to death, and here, we get the five of cups. It shows regret, plainly and simply. Also, there is a suggestion that there is something material that Bishop would like to claim, but unless he comes clean about his new identity, it remains unattainable to him. A direct, oppositional path to the ten of swords, where he became violent and ended his career as William Bradford Bishop, is very telling.

 

The ninth house, dealing with life on life's terms, and also with long journeys, shows Strength, reversed. Bishop's style, when met with opposition, was obviously to abuse whatever authority he had, or any person who stood in his way. But where did he go? Strength reversed usually refers stalled projects and things that go nowhere. It has been speculated that Bishop relocated to Europe, but if so, would be associated with a port or a harbor frequented by pirates and criminals. Human trafficking is also suggested when Strength falls reversed. He has spent a lot of time in seaside towns and seedy places.

 

The Knight of Wands comes up in the tenth house, of worldly status, reputation, and career. Under an identity that isn't real, Bishop has established himself as a businessman who is "always on the move". Also, fire is the element associated with wands, it's possible that he is somehow involved in shipping oil. Perhaps one of his haunts was in the middle east, at one point or another. The suggestion is that he is still active in his secondary career, too. In the eleventh house, that of hopes and wishes, we have the Sun, which is success in all undertakings. In Bishop's case, this is simply getting away with murder. The twelfth house, of subconscious, hospitals, and death, produces the four of pentacles, reversed. Here we see more obstacles and setbacks. It appears that a life of crime under a false identity, lived largely on the lam, does not have the best retirement plan. The four of pentacles is all about hoarding and saving when it falls upside right, but upside down, it screams "waste". Another thing that is addressed by the twelfth house is self-undoing. I believe this describes Bishop's own undoing to an extent: when Bishop committed his special crime in 1976, there was no such thing as DNA evidence. He left enough DNA of his own behind for authorities to create a profile for him. He left enough DNA at both crime scenes, his home in Maryland and the place in North Carolina where he hid his family after he murdered them, to place him at both. He obviously did not expect science to progress so quickly in the area of forensic application. So....Bishop will, one day, be identified.

Who Killed Tracy Lynn Kirkpatrick

On March 15, 1989, seventeen year old Tracy Kirkpatrick was found stabbed to death at her Frederick, Maryland part time job at a shopping center. My question for the cards is "who killed Tracy, and will there be justice?"

The first two cards here are Temperance, crossed by the two of swords. This shows that there was a harmonious partnership and combination in Tracy's life, and the two of swords is a card of temporary truces and stalemates, so this would hardly fit in with the scenario of harmony! Unless....someone was quietly waiting for mishaps or relationship problems, in order to influence Tracy's decisions. This gives us a basic backdrop, of sorts, for exchange that led to the murder.

We find the five of cups beneath this. This is rejection and disappointment, with the rejected party failing to look at anything else. It is also cited here as a motive. The next card is the Moon, which is mystery, betrayal, deceit, and actions carried out under the cover of darkness, both literal and figurative. The ace of swords follows of the heels of the Moon, and it describes force, lots of force, both in love and hatred. This card often appears in readings about subjects who have been stabbed. Following this, we have the Hierophant. The Hierophant is the card of the conformist, and here, I think we are being told that the murderer is someone who can conform very well, and pretend to be an upstanding member of society. He has the "cover" of social approval, and over twenty-six years, has not had one worry about accountability. Not one. 

The state of the investigation right now is described by the Fool, the card of beginnings. This gives us all an idea of where the investigation of Tracy Kirkpatrick's murder actually sits. It has not actually taken any direction, toward any viable suspect, and this suspect is still at large. The card which is given to describe public opinion, and the surrounding details of investigators, themselves, is the eight of pentacles, reversed. This is no surprise. When the eight of pentacles falls reversed, it speaks of lackluster work done by lazy, untalented people. The seven of swords reversed in the place of hopes shows us a snapshot of Tracy's community hoping that someone competent will one day start the process for justice in this case. The last card is the eight of cups, showing that justice will be delayed indefinitely unless the community gives the police in Maryland a lot of pressure to make an arrest.

Where Is Michaela Garecht?

In November of 1988, Michaela Garecht was outside of a store, looking for her schooter, which she had initially forgotten, and when she spotted it, was grabbed by a man reaching out of a car! Her friend went back inside the store to call for help, but the man got away, taking Michaela. I will see what a reading will tell us.

This reading begins with the five of pentacles, reversed, crossed by the three of swords. One of the sidebar references of the five of pentacles is lovers lacking a place to meet, and reversed, it would simply mean the opposite, except that the place found by these lovers would be clandestine and possibly illicit. In fact, the whole relationship might be rather illicit. But here it is, part of the basis for the question of what happened to Michaela. Crossing it is the three of swords, and this speaks to a lovers' quarrel! A quarrel involving a break-up, and possibly one party compromising the other party in some way. 

So what does all this have to do with Michaela Garecht? In the background, we find the two of pentacles, which tells us that the person who actually grabbed Michaela was in the process of either of moving from one residence, relationship, or job to another; possibly all three. This person was able to mask any feelings of difficulty, and pretend that he did not have any stresses, even when he did. Following it is the Chariot, which reiterates what we've seen in the two of pentacles somewhat, but the Chariot is from the major arcana, while the two of pentacles is a minor arcana card. This tells me that the circumstances of change in this person's life were not his choice, but imposed upon him, either by circumstances, or by other people. There is also an air of hunter/hunted and chasing down quarry here. Revenge is sometimes indicated with this card, too. This man was hunting.

The next card is the two of swords. The hunting trip, despite it's success, somehow did not proceed as planned. The perpetrator was actually spooked into indecision for a short time by something. That "something" may have been law enforcement, or threats of law enforcement, judging by the predominance in this reading of cards from the suit of swords, and the three of swords in particular. The perpetrator may have had to hide or "lay low" for a few days in order to avoid getting noticed. What comes next is what bothers me the most in this reading: the ten of swords. This is a violent card, describing a violent end. I wish there was some better news, here.

The Emperor shows up in the fears of the perpetrator. He is a person who is afraid of parents, particularly fathers. Something that others see in the perpetrator, and remember about him, is that he mooches, almost never truly pays his own way in life, and has trouble working at any job......so says the six of pentacles, reversed. Following this is the ten of wands, reversed, suggesting that the perpetrator may have won a lawsuit using false testimony or fake evidence, or may have committed fraud and gotten away with it. The last card is the King of Wands, reversed. This suggests a bitter, stubborn, violent man who must have everything his own way. He is between the ages of fifty and sixty, (give or take a couple of years) and had reddish or blond hair as a young man. The suggestion of the reading is that he is still at large. Perhaps that is why the cards have focused on him so much in this reading. The swords seem to be pointing east, for a location for Michaela, as that is the direction of air. Also, the reversed six of pentacles suggests that Michaela may have initially been buried, but the geology of the area somehow changed. It is not possible to get an address from the Tarot, but it does not appear that Michaela was taken far away. I would expect that she is still within the general area, near Hayward California.

Kelsie Jean Schelling

What happened to Kelsie Jean Schelling, and where is she? It has been two years since she was last seen, in Pueblo, Colorado. She disappeared on February 4, 2013, and her car was found a week later. 

The reading starts with the basis of the eight of swords, crossed by the Queen of Pentacles. This beginning already looks like the story of being trapped somewhere; the Queen here is a dark haired woman, possibly Kelsie, herself. The eight of swords is a card of forced inertia....inability to move in any direction. As a location, a run-off stream or drainage pond is suggested. I would expect to find a few buildings nearby, but not close enough to see the water clearly.

Beneath this, as a precursor of the action that led to this situation, we have the Page of Pentacles. Pages are sometimes messages, sometimes ideas, and sometimes young people. I think that the card is referring to the last phone call she made, or the last message she left, when she parked her car in Pueblo. Someone she knew was even anticipating her call. This is followed by the Emperor. The Emperor is the "father" card in the Tarot, and this is a person whose actions here were motivated by the energies associated with fatherhood. It is noted that Kelsie was about eight weeks pregnant at this time, so it is possible that the Page of Pentacles has a double meaning as a message/phone call and Kelsie's pregnancy. The next card is the two of swords, which is a stalemate. There was a disagreement over something, and no compromise was reached. And....I do not like what I see next; the ace of swords. Someone forced his will in the disagreement. 

The staff appears to show us how the perpetrator thinks in this case. It starts with his fears; represented by Justice. This person is worried about justice. It's another card I do not like to see in 

this position, because it's telling us that there is someone out there who is concerned about 

getting "found out". The next card, describing this person's actions and surroundings, is the seven of swords, reversed. He made sure that he left no clues in any obvious place. The next card is the Page of Wands, reversed. This represents bad news, and it is in the place of fears, so it means that this person is deeply worried about the news that information has been discovered about Kelsie. And the last card is the Empress. This card often appears in a reading for a pregnant woman, or for a mother. The Emperor also appeared in this reading. I think we can safely assume that parental energies played a role in the dynamics. Also, instruction and possibly counsel are alternative meanings of the seven of swords when it falls reversed. In addition to a suggestion that the perpetrator has "lawyered up" already, it's quite possible that one other person, besides the perpetrator, knows what happened to Kelsie, and may have even assisted in some small way and left evidence behind. There is also a woman pushing very hard for Kelsie to be found, another double meaning here; this time, the Empress. Also, with the Empress, I am getting a picture of seeds and planting...perhaps that somehow becomes a factor in finding Kelsie. The strongest compass direction I see in this reading is east, suggested by the heavy presence of swords.  I wish the outlook had been more positive. I will keep Kelsie in my prayers.

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How Can Morgan Martin Be Found?

Morgan Martin has been missing since July of 2012. I got a request for an update, not too long ago, and I decided that the question should be, "how can Morgan be found?"

The first three cards, representing the past, are the eight of pentacles, reversed; the three of swords, and the nine of wands. I hate to see the eight of pentacles reversed in answer to this question, because it means that someone whose job and skills are specifically to find Morgan have not done so, and have been a bit derelict or inexpert. It is followed by the three of swords, which screams infighting and political problems within a community or organization. So we have disagreements among professionals about finding missing teens, such as Morgan Martin. It's followed by the nine of wands, which describes waiting. There is also an air of preparing, on someone's part, for a different approach.

The three cards I drew for the present are the five of pentacles, reversed, the Magician, and the World. The looks much more hopeful; the five of pentacles reversed tell us that someone will be able to look at this case with "new eyes" and actually find some useful clues. The magician is someone who is an expert in the field. When he shows up in a reading, that means that skilled help is available, and that is what is needed here. The world is a "success" card....also a "completion" card. When this card appears, we often see movement is a matter that has been dragging, so it is a good card to see for Morgan's case.

For the future, I drew the Page of Wands, reversed, the Page of Swords, reversed, and the four of swords, reversed. This is a message I do not like. The Page of Wands reversed is bad news, plain and simple. It may represent the one piece of information about this case that no one wants to hear, but a possibility that everyone, by this time, understands. The card is followed by the Page of Wands, also reversed. This is a person, and as the card is reversed, this person is lying, and probably has been lying all along. He knows where to find Morgan, and instead of just telling the truth, has lied and gotten away with it, so far. The last card is the four of swords, reversed, which tells us that there will be some sudden action on the part of the upside down Page of Swords, where before, there had been inaction. Something will make him nervous enough to try to run, or move away. Swords also have a lot to do with spoken words, and as we have seen the Magician appear in this reading, I think spoken words, in the form of testimony, will help solve this case. Either the Magician is already hot on Page's trail, or he puts together a case based on tips, or testimony from someone with information....that is how I see Morgan's case getting resolved. Don't give up.

Virginia Welch

Virginia Welch, of Roanoke, has not been seen since July of 1982, when she was last seen alive by her roommate. In 1982, there were no cell phones or email, and all other traceable clues of her to day life stopped at that point, in 1982. We will see if the Tarot can shed any light on her situation.

We have a basis of the Queen of Swords, crossed by the Knight of Cups. These are two people, a man and a woman. The woman was an adult in 1982, and because she falls upright, I will assume she means Virginia no harm. If this queen is not the roommate, she may have actually seen Virginia after her roommate saw her; if not, her testimony is more relevant. The Knight of Cups is a young man who distracted Virginia and the Queen of Swords with a plan or a new idea......a plan that had not been properly researched.....and that was the end of the conversation. For some preceding background, we find the Page of Wands, reversed, which I think is not a person in this reading, but the whole situation......this page in reversal represents bad news, unplanned catastrophe, and indecision. There was a problem with Virginia acting against her own better judgment in connection to the Knight of Cups.

Behind this, we find Justice. Justice is upside right....so something important happened that actually had a well balanced start. But then, Justice is immediately followed by the reversed Page of Cups. This is connected to the knight, and indicates deception. So far, it is starting to look as if Virginia may have stumbled into a situation involving crime, or police matters, and someone hiding information determined that Virginia was a threat. Something else to note is that the number of the Justice card is eleven. Perhaps that related to location, or the name or part of an address or description of a location. The next card is the three of pentacles. This is a completely different direction than the one we have followed via the other cards: matters connected to Virginia stop, and the Knight of Cups moves on. His job is described here in this card....he was either in construction or a job connected to driving from one site to another. As a location for Virginia, this would indicate near someone's workplace, or near her own workplace. Pentacles are "earth" cards, but before we determine that she has been buried, lets see what the other cards tell us.

The first card on the staff is the Hierophant. Virginia did not always want to conform to mainstream

ideals, and this was part of the reason she disappeared. I am almost seeing an effort to "go against the grain" at times. In the place of environment, the Star comes up. This is a card of hope and enlightenment, but as it relates to location, it is interesting to note that Roanoke is called the "Star City of the South". Could she still be in Roanoke? Rivers and water are also suggested on this card, and possibly boats and places where two bodies of water meet. The three of cups appears to tell us that there was a difference of opinion that made the friendship between Virginia and the Knight of Cups a bad "political" choice, meaning that she could not stay associated with her and still keep all of his other friends. It also points to an "air'related" death, possibly strangulation or suffocation. The reading ends with the six of cups, looking back on past relationships and childhood, but not making new memories. This is sad, and I wish this reading gave us something happier. Pictured to the left is the Roanoke Star, on Mill Mountain in Roanoke, Virginia.

What Happened To Melanie Melanson?

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.

Laurie Partridge

This is a case that has been cold for a long time. Laurie Partridge, of Spokane, Washington, has been missing for over forty years. She was only seventeen when she disappeared on her way home from school one afternoon. I will see of the Tarot will shed any light on her case.

We start with the ten of swords, crossed by the Queen of Pentacles. This is interesting; we have lethal violence with a feminine influence! This is a woman who was concerned about materialistic goals and possibly older than Laurie. She had a bit of a suspicious and mistrusting nature, and she appears to be either a prominent player in this event, or a cause. 

Beneath this, we have the two of cups. Generally, this card describes compatible partners, often in romance, but in this position in a reading about a missing person, I am inclined to wonder if it gave someone a reason to be jealous or a reason to put a stop to Laurie's love life for other reasons. The next card is the six of cups, which speaks of childhood memories; this is telling us that the Queen of Cups "came out someone's childhood" and the situation described by the ten of swords did, as well. So it appears that the violence took Laurie by surprise, but not so much the motive behind it. Next, we have the six of pentacles, which is a card of balance. This is usually material balance; trade, equity, equal sharing...that sort of thing. It could also refer to relationship compatibility, but it would be from a very unromantic perspective. What followed is the ten of cups; a happy home and family life. Someone here moved on, after Laurie's disappearance. Ultimately, this appears to have the motive of making Laurie disappear. 

The Moon appears as our first card on the staff, showing intent to harm Laurie, but awaiting an opportunity. Somehow, the person who knows where Laurie is right now discovered that she would be walking alone. If the Moon were to describe a physical location, it would be near a river bank or wide stream. The seven of wands comes up in the place of environment, and this is the card of closely guarded secrets. There is also a suggestion of private property with this card, no one can enter the home or examine any facts or evidence without a warrant. Perhaps the perpetrator has water on the property or lives near it. The Moon and the ten of cups, following the ten of swords as they do in this reading, also illustrate a situation of lies and false promises. I think Laurie may have been lured into someone's home, and she never left. The next card is the Tower. The tower represents knocking down something old in order to make way for something new. It is a destructive force, and in this case, it speaks to motive. Someone perceived Laurie as someone who needed to be "moved out of the way". The last card is the Queen of Swords. This is encouraging, as she is upside right, which means that she is seeking the truth and will work to get justice for Laurie, even after all these years. This queen is often in the legal field, or in law enforcement, and I would have to say someone is still looking at Laurie's case every so often, checking any evidence for new clues. The unusual aspect of this outcome is that while Laurie had a romantic relationship that is featured in the reading as a backdrop for her disappearance and as a partial cause, her significant other is not featured here, except as someone she had known or a very long time! Forty years is a long time, hopefully the truth will be discovered soon.

How Will Susan Cox Powell Be Found?

Missing five years, and the main witnesses deceased, along with the main suspect.....how will Susan Cox Powell be found? At the request of a reader, I put the question to the Tarot.

This reading starts with the five of swords, a card of violence and revenge, crossed by the King of Cups. Already, this is a strange message! The swords, while telling us of violence, also point us to the east. Beneath this, we have the ace of swords, which is either a valid piece of information or an effort in a valid direction that made in the past. The suggestion of the Tarot is have a second look at that lead. The Star also comes up in the past; this is inspiration. There has already been some good detective work done on this case, in fact, to my surprise, the biggest problem appears to be a female contributor! The Queen of Wands appears reversed, at apparent cross purposes with the King of Cups, being a bit stingy with resources to look for Susan and with an air of resentment toward the King of Cups. It looks like infighting among major players involved in the investigation, and somehow, the conflict has derailed them from working together and examining the information they have. The king is open to looking at unconventional methods to solve this case, and the queen wants to dominate and attempt to coerce others into cooperating. If the Star were to be a location, it would be a place with clear water, possibly with two small streams flowing into it. It's numeric value is seventeen.

The next card, depicting the near future, is the Page of Wands. This is a message of some sort, and as wands represent fire, this message or tip "heats the investigation up". This is followed by the four of swords, reversed, in the place of fears. The four of swords upright is a card of rest, reversed it is a card of renewed action; because it has come up the in place of fears, I will have to say that even though the main suspect in this missing persons case is deceased, there is still someone lurking, somewhere, who is afraid of any positive direction this case may take, and of Susan being found. The ten of cups appears in the place of environment......while this card is usually a wonderful card to see in a reading, it is a bit misleading here. The person who does not want the case to become active again is hiding something; the ten of cups speaks of an idyllic family life and a great home, but in this position, it is false. The card is telling us that someone is going to great lengths to hide a grim secret, and this card describes the person's facade. Also, the connection might be familial in some way. The three of swords appears in the place of hopes: once again, this is a hope of keeping conflict and dissension going so that no one will focus on the evidence. The final outcome is the ace of cups, telling us that there WILL be a resolution to this case, eventually. The ace of cups, like the Star, depicts water. Something that got my attention on the Star is a small tree on the Ryder-Waite Tarot deck that has a bird roosting in it. We see the bird again in the ace of cups........I do not know if this is significant, but it got my attention.

It looks, from this reading, like the tips and information already gathered need to be reviewed, and like one avenue in particular provided a good direction, but was not explored enough.