Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Mollie Tibbets


Mollie Tibbets, age 20, was last seen on July 18, jogging in Brooklyn, Iowa, where she lived. She was reportedly staying at the home of her boyfriend, feeding his dogs while he was out of town. Since then, there has been no trace of her. So where is she and what happened? We will see if the Tarot can shed any light. I did a horoscope spread, here, because while it can often give diffused or non-specific information, it can also give more information.

We have the Magician in the first house, of the case, itself. This tells us that law enforcement has someone who knows how to manage a case such as this already hard at work. It also shows a certain amount of deliberate action behind Mollie's disappearance.....someone made her disappear for a reason. In the second house, not only of money and financial prospects, but also of things that are important to us, we have the Wheel of Fortune. This shows that there was something to be gained, or something to be protected. I believe it illustrates the reason Mollie is missing, but we will continue, and return to this card later. The third house, of short journeys, communication, brothers and sisters, and of memory, gives us Justice, reversed. This almost screams legal complications; it is beginning to look as if Mollie saw something or became aware of something that could have compromised another person or persons.

The fourth house, of environment, shows the Queen of Pentacles. This is a woman who is intelligent, generous, and hard working. This is the first reference to Mollie, herself, so far. Her generosity was problematic, and somehow became part of the picture in her missing persons case. The fifth house yields the two of cups. The fifth house governs love affairs, pleasure, and amusement and the two of cups speaks of romantic and business partnerships. These two elements; fifth house and partnerships, are key, here. The person who can tell us where to find Mollie is someone she knows, and she trusted that person. The sixth house of everyday things and inconveniences gives us the Hierophant, the card of tradition and conformity. So far, the message is that the relationship between Mollie and the person who took her was somehow not suspect, and appeared to have the approval of societal conventions, and Mollie felt safe.

In the seventh house of partners, agreements, and the public, we are shown the ace of wands. The ace of wands is a new idea or undertaking, and the seventh house is all about agreements. Once again, the message is that Mollie agreed, thinking she was safe, even if the ace of wands provided a new experience in unfamiliar territory.....either literal or figurative. Then, in the eighth house, we see the High Priestess, which is about secrecy. The eight house is the house of joint finances and debt arising from joint finances, and sometimes of death. Seeing a card of mystery and secrecy here is a bit disconcerting. This card, and the Hierophant are also the cards that speak the most strongly of location, so far. Churches, and female saints could be clues. Another reference of the High Priestess is water; water that is deep enough to hide something.

We have the ace of cups in the ninth house, of long journeys, beliefs, and law. This is another water card, and I am beginning to wonder if water is part of the entire picture. A water card in a house that symbolizes the law could be telling us that water has been used to hide evidence from the law. A longer journey was considered, but I do not think it happened. The tenth house, of social status and career, shows the three of wands. The three of wands is another "partnership" card, but this card often refers to partnerships involving more than two people, and partnerships that center on commerce or cooperation in everyday efforts. This is a suggestion that more than one person knows where to find Mollie. It tells of accomplices, and possibly, of at least one accessory after the fact. It would also be a good idea to check the workplace or job sites of any of Mollie's friends who had immediate contact with her prior to the disappearance.

We have the Knight of Cups in the eleventh house, of friends and social connection. This is a young man with light brown hair and hazel or blueish eyes. He is a "romantic", and as he is upside right, I will assume that he is friend, not foe. Knights often have important information, and this knight is no exception. He represents a tip that helps to solve this case. The twelfth house, of endings, secrets, and self destruction, gives us the six of pentacles, reversed. This is the "you get what you pay for" card, only it is reversed. In reversal, this card often tells of unpaid debts, bad credit, and sometimes, embezzling and fraud. I hate to see it in this position, because it may mean that someone with bad intentions will try to collect reward money.

The only cards pointing to a possible death are water cards; however, there are several cards that indicate bad intentions: Justice reversed, the three of wands, and the six of pentacles, reversed. Two weeks, going on three weeks, is also a along time for anyone to be missing. The High Priestess in the eighth house concerns me; it shows that an effort has been made to hide Mollie, and to hide the reason she disappeared. I do think she will be found, and I see the person responsible for her disappearance attempting to flee....another inference of the three of wands. He....yes, "he" will try to be casual about it, though. I truly hope she can be found safe, and I will keep her in my thoughts.

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Paul Manafort's Trial

In light of recent news stories about Paul Manafort and his trial for bank fraud, money laundering, violating a federal lobbying disclosure law, obstruction of justice, and over twenty-five other unlawful odds and ends, I decided to do a reading about the trial, which began this week. My curiosity is piqued, not only about the outcome of the trial, but about the trial itself and its nuances in relation to others whose affairs are on Robert Mueller's radar. With that in mind, the reading will be a horoscope spread, since that type of reading often generates more information, albeit the final outcome isn't always as clear. Here goes:

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".

Monday, June 4, 2018

Who Killed Lindsey Baum?

Lindsey Baum was found in September of 2017, in eastern Washington, over 100 miles from where she disappeared, in Grays Harbor, Washington. It took months for positive identification. Now that she has been found, the questions remain: how did Lindsey get so far from home, and who killed her? I will attempt to answer those questions with a horoscope spread.

In the first house, of the general atmosphere of the matter, we have the Empress. This is the card of the mother; but I must state that she is not necessarily Lindsey's mother. Her association with Lindsey had something to do with being a mother, or being someone's mother, though. And the Empress is followed by the Emperor, who appears in the second house, of financial prospects and valued items or ideals. It is interesting to see this pair together. We either have multiple suspects, or one suspect and multiple "accessories after the fact". I would expect one of them to be female, too; or, at the very least, I would expect a response to an adult female to show up as a factor, here.

In the third house, of letters, communication, and short journeys, we find the Hierophant, reversed. In reversal, this card is the card of the rebel, one who resists conformity and the status quo. Finding him in the third house, which deals in communication and in short trips, I would the perpetrator to be someone who not only lies, but distorts his words about situations and leads searchers on wild goose chases, in order to continue to conceal the truth. People who knew what happened to Lindsey either called in tips, or pretended to assist in ground searches. The reversed Hierophant is followed by the Knight of Swords, in the fourth house of home environment. Sometimes, this card refers to a violent male, but this knight also often refers to law enforcement. And law enforcement is definitely going over the details, right now.

In the fifth house, of creativity and amusement, we find the Moon, reversed. This is a secret enemy, whose intentions were completely unknown to Lindsey. This is the twisted reason for the entire situation: paranoia and revenge for imagined slights. In the sixth house, we have the two of wands. The sixth house deals with worry, work relationships, everyday matters, and inconveniences. The two of wands shows an effort to strengthen the home front and defend. It also shows partnerships of sorts, and as it shows up in the house of inconvenience, it almost goes without saying that Lindsey had to be transported far away from Grays Harbor, where she would not readily be found. Also, it is starting to look as though someone connected to Lindsey had made someone in Grays Harbor uncomfortable, and this was that person's grim response. The seventh house, of partnerships, gives us Death, reversed. When Death falls reversed, he speaks of stagnation and change that is very slow to occur. Finding him in the house of partnerships in this reading reinforces my initial suspicion that we have more than one suspect to track down in the death of Lindsey Baum.

In the eighth house, of death, joint finances, and debts, we have the three of cups, reversed. We have a perpetrator whose priorities are his own enjoyment, and his own welfare...no one else's. In addition to seeing Lindsey and those close to her as a "threat" of some sort, he truly has no remorse about what he did. The ninth house, of long journeys and protection, gives us the Star. This card often comes up to tell us that something, or someone, was left outside, "under the stars", so to speak. We can also take some hope, here, that this case will eventually be solved, as many aspects of it are now uncovered. The tenth house, of social status, shows the Knight of Wands. This tells of one particular male presence, among those in Lindsey's community. He would be anywhere from twenty-eight years of age to mid forties. This is someone whose testimony may help investigators. Following him, in the eleventh house of social connections and friends, we have the Page of Wands, reversed. This, I feel, is not a false tip or bad news, but an actual person. He is male, in his late teens to early twenties, and has withheld some very important information concerning this. In the twelfth house, of secrets, self defeat, and institutions, we have the seven of swords. The seven of swords tells us that somehow, the whole case will unravel, despite the killer's efforts, and it will be solved. The seven of swords shows up when an action, especially a misdeed, has been done sloppily or is otherwise too difficult to accomplish.

Solving this case will get complicated at times, and it will involve more interviews of persons who have already been interviewed. One of the clues of the reversed Hierophant is to look at any and all conflicting stories and anomalies concerning the evidence and what is thought to be known. Eventually, Lindsey's family and community will have answers.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Lucas Hernandez Found


Sad news. Five year old Lucas, Hernandez, missing From Wichita, Kansas since February, has been found, deceased.  Hopefully, justice will be swift.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

What Was The True Motive For The Bombing Of The Murrah Building?

It has been almost 23 years since the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City was bombed, killing 168 people, including children who were at a daycare that was on the premises. While two men, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, were largely thought to be responsible, no clear motive, other than a general disliking for the government and disapproval of the way the government handled Ruby Ridge, in Idaho in 1992, was ever established for this act. So I will do a Celtic Cross reading to see if there may have been other factors.


We start with the Devil, reversed, crossed by the Page of Wands. When we meet the Devil reversed, he is telling us of secrets revealed, and the Page of Wands is often a message or a messenger. This is interesting; it alludes to information that someone had intended to bury and keep secret. Beneath this whole matter, we have Death. Death appears here as a factor that is an ultimate deal-breaker: information that could make or break anything from a decision to a career. While he looms in the past, he casts his shadow on the event. Death is followed by the six of swords, reversed. When we see the six of swords upside right, it tells of travel. In reversal, the card means the opposite. So...we have information that was somehow connected to the Murrah Building and was never intended to see the light of day.

The best possible scenario for this matter would have been the nine of cups, reversed, which tells us that had the building and its offices not been destroyed, someone's career and choices may have been questioned, and perhaps someone might have gotten "pink slipped", but there was nothing that required mass murder. This also refers to the perspective of those who planned the bombing: they did not think that bombing a building was too serious or a big deal. Sickening.

What followed the destructive intent and decision was the Knight of Pentacles, reversed. The actions that led to the bombing actually moved more slowly than the perpetrators intended. There is also an element of dishonesty here; dark money was paid, about which nothing was ever said.

In the place of fears and purposeful intentions, we have the Empress, reversed. This is a bit of a surprise, to see a woman in this spot. She is shallow, and unconcerned about possible victims. Her mission is to destroy, rather than to create. The whole event turned unfolded at her direction. The next card, in the place of environment, is Justice, reversed. It screams that justice was never actually done. The case was closed with only pawns charged and tried. Next, in the place of hopes, we find the ten of pentacles, reversed. It is someone's sad hope that lives lost and destroyed remain a mystery that is never avenged. The final card here is the three of swords. This is a card of quarrels, discord, and in-fighting in political circles. Should the subject ever be revisited, discord is what we can expect. It is doubtful that we will hear more about this in the near future, though, because I just pulled the Hanged Man out of the deck in answer to my question concerning any future re-opening of investigations. The matter remains suspended, and the ten of swords, reversed, shows the whole matter owned by the reversed Empress. It appears that there actually may be a lot more than meets the eye with the Oklahoma City Bombing.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

What's Next In Sierra Lamar Case?

Now that Antolin Garcia-Torres has been found guilty of the murder of missing fifteen year old Sierra Lamar and sentenced to life in prison, or California, there are still remaining questions to answers were never given, during the trial. Most of the questions that come to this site are about finding Sierra, and Garcia-Torres has never shared any information that would assist in this, despite the DNA linking him to the crime that was found in his car and on his personal possessions. So I will ask this question about Sierra's whereabouts, now that the suspect is in prison.


This is a Celtic Cross reading, and my questions was primarily about finding Sierra. I do believe that the right defendant was tried in court and found guilty, so I did not ask about that aspect of the case. The first card is the Queen of Cups, and she is crossed by the Hanged Man, which is read reversed, here. The initial situation is outlined here; Sierra's mother, and the rest of her family want answers and the Hanged Man in reversal has refused to give them. Something else here, though, is that both cards are "watery" cards. Put together, they could show a place where there is a statue, possibly of a woman, and a geometric shape that may look like a cross, a "T", or a triangle. Shallow water has come up in other readings about Sierra, and it does in this one, too.

Beneath this, as a founding cause, we have Death, reversed. That message is quite clear; and Sierra has not moved. At the very edge of this card in Ryder Waite decks, the Death card has an image of the sun peeking out between two towers. Perhaps this is something that has been missed, but I would expect to see stone stone markers of some sort, or signs, rather than towers. This is followed by the three of pentacles, reversed, which we have also seen in previous readings. Garcia-Torres's former workplace bears some sort of connection, either to Sierra or to the crime. The King of Pentacles appears as a man who might help, either in convincing Garcia-Torres that he has nothing to lose by telling authorities where to find Sierra, or by leading more searches, one of which actually succeeds. Someone we WILL be hearing about in the near future is the Page of Cups---reversed. This is a young person who is not terribly loyal. He (this card could also be a "she", but in this reading, I think it is a "he") has some dirt on Garcia-Torres, has heard Garcia-Torres talk, or knows some productive gossip and may be willing to give it up. One of the symbols on this card is a fish in the Page's cup, and I would not be at all surprised if fishing is part of the entire picture, here.

The first card on the Staff, giving us the negative emotions surrounding the matter, is the Moon, reversed. When the Moon appears reversed, we are dealing with the clearing up of deceptions and misconceptions, and peace gained at a cost. This, I think, harks back to the reversed Page of Cups. Is he unwilling to spill his secrets for free? The next card, that showing environment, is the King of Cups. Once again, we have a watery card. But this influence is masculine, and I think this is a man. Perhaps he is the one who puts the all of the tips and evidence together. In the place of desires, we have the six of pentacles, which refers to even trade; you get what you pay for....it is safe to say that someone wants to be paid. The last card, the final outcome, is the eight of swords, which has also shown itself in previous readings for Sierra. It shows a woman trapped by eight swords in shallow water, and I still think that shallow water plays a big role, here.

I hope this case is completely resolved soon.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Lucas Hernadez Missing From Kansas

For almost three weeks, five year old Lucas Hernandez has been missing from Wichita, Kansas. So far, not even as much as a clue has been found, although his stepmother has been jailed on child abuse charges that are said to be unrelated to Lucas. So where is he, and how can we find him?


This is a Celtic Cross reading, and it begins with the Devil, crossed by the ace of wands. the Devil is a card of bondage, and of matter over spirit. It describes aimless feelings and emotions, completely divorced from understanding or rational interpretation. This is the underlying cause of young Lucas's disappearance: he became the victim of a person who had those problems. The ace of wands represents a new venture of some sort that had been started, or plans for a new family, family member, or birth. It is my opinion, so far, that Lucas had been perceived as a fifth wheel by someone in his home.

Before the underlying cause, we have the Star. This shows us hope and inspiration. It also shows that Lucas's disappearance was planned, at least in part, in advance. It is followed by Death, reversed, which bothers me a bit. Upside right, Death is not really an ominous card, because it speaks to change and transformation, but reversed, it tells of stagnation and I do not like to see it in a reading for a missing person. This card shows us the very recent past. Above this, we have the Chariot, reversed. This tells us what may happen here, and the Chariot describes the act of using teamwork and the balance of opposing forces to move forward when it is upright....reversed, not so much. When the chariot falls reversed, it tells of failures, projects that do not work out, and unethical victories. Sadly, this almost screams that a suspect is expecting to get away with taking Lucas. But this is only what could happen, not necessarily what will happen.

The next card, showing what will happen in the near future, is the Hanged Man, reversed. Upright, this card shows sacrifices and results that are related to timing, such as waiting until the right moment for the best results. But it is reversed here, showing that this investigation will meet with resistance and arrogance. Once again, this shows that someone feels that they have already committed the perfect crime.

The first card on the staff is the Magician, reversed. This shows the use of power for destruction. Sometimes, the card also speaks of abuse of authority. Next, in the place of environment, we have Strength, reversed, giving us the same message, only when Strength falls reversed, it more aptly describes abuse of authority, while the reversed Magician is more concerned with the abuse of power; so we have both factors here. This is disturbing, as the reading began with the Devil, which is also a card of misused powers and strengths. So far, this reading is giving us a picture of an abusive adult in Lucas's life, and Death in reversal not showing any renewals. I do not believe this is going to have a happy ending, but I sincerely hope that I am wrong.

In the place of hopes, we find the three of pentacles, reversed. As a description of a personality trait, this card in reversal would speak to pettiness and selfishness. As a situation or an environment, this shows us that someone connected to this is not worried about Lucas, but only worried about missing work. The reading ends with the Queen of Cups. As she is upside right, I am going to assume that she is kindly disposed toward Lucas, and wants him to be found. She is the person who will persevere until Lucas is found.

To sum this up, it appears that a woman was involved in the abuse and disappearance of Lucas, as shown in the Star, then Strength reversed. While this woman should have been more like the inspiration of the Star, and may have been, at one time; the relationship devolved into the environment depicted by Strength, reversed. A possible male figure is represented by the reversed Hanged Man, and the problem with this person is that while he could help with his testimony, he has not done so. He knows what has happened, and is complicit. There are only three cards would speak of direction, or location: the ace of wands would take us a little to the south; Death sometimes points us north, but he is reversed; and Strength is sometimes south, but is also reversed here. I do not think that Lucas is very far from home. While the Star and the Hanged Man show shallow water, the Magician tells us that not only water, but other elements are involved. That would indicate a location near shallow water, outside. Abuse and violence is a prominent enough theme in this reading to suggest slaughterhouses as possible landmarks, too.

I always hope I am wrong when I have a reading such as this, so I will keep hoping and praying for the best. I hope Lucas is found soon.

Monday, October 16, 2017

Motive Of The Las Vegas Shooter


October 1, 2017 is when  a man named Stephan Paddock checked into the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and opened fire on a crowd at an outdoor concert, killing at least 58 people, after which he killed himself. The investigation is under way, and the timeline has been questioned and re-established, but no one has been able to determine Paddock's motive. Since Paddock has killed himself, and left no clues about why he do such a thing, this will be a lingering question. Here is a Tarot reading about his motive.

We begin with the seven of swords, the card of partial success and theft, crossed by the Hierophant, the card of conformity and social norms. The seven of swords has a double meaning here: not only has the ability to achieve a normal lifestyle eluded Paddock, which is the underlying reason for his angst; he had actually planned to kill many more people on October 1 than he did! 

Appearing as a founding cause for this, we have the six of cups, reversed. This shows that our suspect was living in the past, so to speak, hanging on to either a lifestyle or a career that no longer worked. He was unwilling to change. It also suggests that he had hopes of a windfall or an inheritance that did not pan out as planned. His past also shows us the four of wands, reversed. This shows that despite the lack of concrete direction in his life, Paddock actually blended in for awhile, and did not gain too much attention for his eccentricities. Those who had contact with him discerned nothing amiss. The Queen of Swords appears reversed in the place of possibilities. This is a woman judgemental and rather dishonest. She appears as a peripheral part of this matter, but not as the cause. We will revisit her later. Next, in the place of things that WILL happen, we have the eight of pentacles, which is the card of the apprentice. This indicates that this shooting will actually generate much study and investigation, and a sincere effort will be made, not only by law enforcement, but by other agencies as well, to determine why this happened and to prevent mass shootings in the future. 

The Lovers, reversed, appears in the place of choices and fears. This is not only about Paddock's romantic relationships, but about choices made by him and by others, about him. Problems he had relating to others were usually ignored, and no one discussed his eccentric habits surrounding firearms. This also refers back to the Queen of Swords; she was most familiar with Paddock's behaviors, yet did not see a reason to discuss any of it with others. This reading portrays her as a bit of a villain, here. In the place of environment, we have the five of swords, reversed, which is straight-up revenge. Yes, our shooter imagined that he needed revenge against the general public because he was never able to "fit in" or be accepted. In the place of expectations, we have Justice, reversed. It is my sense that there were, in addition to consequences for the mass shooting, other matters pending that involved our justice system.....not necessarily criminal matters, but civil. Paddock was not expecting things to go his way. He also knew, that the time he shot himself, that there was no defense for his actions. The reading ends with the Tower, which foretells, among other catastrophic events, bankruptcy. Paddock's motive for the mass shooting was fear of bankruptcy and hatred for people. He blamed the rest of the population for his lack of success at a traditional career.