We begin with the four of swords, reversed, in the first house; the house of self and of the actual charges and case, here. The four of swords, when it falls reversed, tells of sudden, renewed activity and social unrest. It also advises circumspection and caution about spending money, and it appears that Manafort used very little caution. This card points to Manafort's cavalier behavior as the reason he was so handily caught and arrested. It also shows us that regardless of the testimony of witnesses, there is a paper trail and an electronic trail in this case. Next, in the second house, of wealth, possessions, and prospects, we have the two of pentacles, also reversed. Here, we have an inability to balance two financial opposites, and we also have feigned happiness. This shows us that Manafort's checkbook did not always balance, and that Manafort had a tendency to pretend that it did. Following this, in the third house, which governs short trips, communication, business and commerce, and sometimes, relatives; we have the Knight of Wands, reversed. When this knight falls reversed, he is often a jealous and disruptive man, but he can also auger an event. Perhaps it is both, here. It would definitely describe a covetous and jealous middle aged man, always wanting more of everything; and it would also describe the arrest, complete with the "no knock" warrant that was served on Manafort in July of 2017. The cavalier behavior of this knight is one of the reasons he stood out as a possible criminal.
In the fourth house, of home environment and property, including real estate, we have the Page of Wands. This card can indicate a young person with something to say, or it can be a message. I rather think that this is one of the witnesses, here, and this witness knows a lot about Paul Manafort's homes and other real estate holdings. This witness is testifying and cooperating with prosecutors.
The fifth house brings us to a new theme in this case, and that is evidence. The fifth house is the house of creativity and amusement, and often, children. In it, we find the ten of wands. The ten of wands signifies an attempt to put something to rest that either did not work out well, or has ended. In this position, I interpret it to mean that someone close to Manafort, perhaps a family member, attempted to destroy or dispense with evidence. This will be featured in the prosecution's case. The sixth house, of health, day to day affairs, and inconveniences show the nine of cups. This may look like a partial victory for Manafort, as it shows he has enjoyed good health up until now, and has never lacked material comforts. Perhaps there has been too much focus on this, both by the prosecution, and by Manafort, during his pretrial life! He still has the best of everything material that a man in his position can have, and that includes legal representation.
In the seventh house, of partnerships, marriage and divorce, agreements, and of public perception, we see the three of wands. This augers that both the prosecution and the defense will have help and testimony from experts and from successful persons who have worked with Manafort in the past. This may look good for Manafort, but the eighth house, which is directly connected to the seventh house via monetary agreements with partners, gives us the two of wands, reversed. This is a warning that the prosecution has the upper hand here, in one way or another, and that any "help" offered to Manafort could easily backfire. The eighth house is also a house of death, loss, and karma. Manafort may find himself indefinitely dominated by others.
The ninth house governs long journeys, overseas matters, and law. In it, we have the four of pentacles, which is the proverbial card of the miser. Material possessions, once again, seem to feature prominently in this case. The suggestion is that Manafort still owns a few assets overseas, and this will factor into the case against him. Next, in the tenth house of career, ambition, and social status, we have Judgement, reversed. The verdict almost doesn't matter: Manafort will never fully recover from this trial. This card also speaks to a loss of worldly goods, and it certainly augers an end to some of the delusions with which Manafort fooled himself. He really thought he would never go to jail, and that's where he is, right now, while this case is tried.
The two of swords appears in the eleventh house of debates, friends, and social life. This card carries a couple of different meanings, here. It is a card of balanced forces, and it sometimes signals a stalemate. It could warn of a "hung jury", or that Manafort will enter a plea before the end of his trial. As it appears in a house that governs social life, it still shows that this matter will not necessarily end with this trial, and that his personal life is still in a state of suspense. More charges and another trial, perhaps? Another possible message on this card could be about the length of the trial, which will probably be about two weeks, give or take a day.
The last card, in the twelfth house, of secrets, self undoing, enemies, institutions, and sometimes, death, gives us the Fool, reversed. This shows faulty choices, and also shows that there will likely be a guilty verdict, at least on a few of the charges; and that there will be an appeal. It does not appear likely that Manafort will be a free man any time soon, and there is a suggestion that a plea bargain prior to the beginning of the trial would have been a better choice.
I will follow this up after the trial is over, as I have never done a reading quite like this one. Thank you for reading, everyone.
Update: On August 21, 2018, Paul Manafort was found guilty of eight of the charges lodged against him. Ten charges were declared "mistrial".
