Margaret Tighe, of Kansas, disappeared in November of 1998, when she was thirty-three years old. Her boyfriend reports that he last saw her near Manhattan, Kansas, after dropping her off at the home of a relative. Her family reported her missing on December 10, 1998. To this day, her case has not been solved. We will see if the Tarot can shed any light. I have chosen a horoscope layout for this reading.
We begin with the eight of wands, in the first house. This house if the face of the situation, so to speak. The eight of wands is passion and enthusiasm, and Margaret was excited about something that day. The second house, of valuable things and matters of importance, gives us the King of Wands, telling us that a man was very important to Margaret. This king is of the suit of wands, as is the first card, here, which tells us that in Margaret's eyes, he was very, very special. Fast forward to the third house, of communication and short journeys, however, and we get the two of cups, reversed, which speaks of a failing partnership! Sometimes, violence is also indicated when this card falls reversed. The nine of wands also appears reversed; in the fourth house. The fourth house is the house of environment, home, and in a reading such as this, the situation, itself. The nine of wands, when we have it reversed, shows obstacles and problems. There is an air of impatience, and of being unwilling to wait for something, here. This might have been the subject of an ongoing disagreement involving Margaret. Another signification of the fourth house is the end of life, so we also can see a possibility of a heated disagreement playing a very sinister role.
The fifth house, of love affairs and pleasure, gives us the nine of swords. The nine of swords is a card of worry, either upright or reversed. As it has fallen in the house of love affairs, I think it is plain to see that there were lovers' quarrels going on at the time that Margaret disappeared. The sixth house, of health, mundane affairs, and the enemies that we can see, shows the Knight of Wands, reversed. It is unusual for a person to be represented twice by a court card in one reading, but it does happen. This knight would be an angry or a jealous young man with violent tendencies. Sometimes a knight just means news, either good or bad, depending upon the placement in the reading, but since the sixth house addresses enemies, I think this man is a person. I also think he was known to Margaret, since he is the knight of the suit of wands, and the reading used the eight of wands to describe her feelings and expectations. This young man (or young in 1998) is the key to solving Margaret's case.
In the seventh house of partnerships, we find Justice. I am glad to see this card here, because it gives me hope that we will, one day, find out what happened to Margaret. It will be a joint effort, though. More than one agency will have to work with evidence and testimony in order to solve the case. The eighth house, of legacies and of settling the affairs of the dead, gives us Temperance. This confirms the message of Justice in the seventh house; solving this case will require the expertise of more than one agency. The seven of swords appears, reversed, in the ninth house of ideals and goals. When we get this card upside right, it means theft or an effort that is only partially rewarded; but reversed, it tells us that everything is possible with a little effort.
The tenth house, of government and authority, shows the Hermit, reversed. The Hermit is maturity, but in reversal, he is the opposite. At some point, there was either a tip that was disregarded while it should have been taken seriously, or some other clue was overlooked. In the eleventh house, of friends and organizations, we have the Queen of Pentacles. This is a practical woman who either runs, or works for, an organization that can help. She is instrumental in solving Margaret's case. The last card here is the Ace of Swords, reversed, in the twelfth house of secret enemies, dissolution, and death. This card represents conquest, and when it is reversed, that conquest is usually disastrous. There was an act of violence, and it was lethal. I always hope I am wrong about things like this.
An interesting note here is that while Margaret lived near St. George, Kansas, the investigation focused on Manhattan, Kansas. I do not see her traveling to Manhattan, at all. If she did, it was after she met with foul play, not before. The ace of swords also points us east, not west, and since it is reversed, I think this is a way of the Tarot telling us that while a direction east of Manhattan was not advertised, it is worth searching.
