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".

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rhoden Family Murders

Christopher Jr., Christopher Sr., Dana, Kenneth, Gary, Hannah May, and Frankie Rhoden and Hazel Hannah Gilley were all found murdered in Cincinnati, Ohio in April of 2016. Three small children were left unharmed. Over a year later, the murders are still unsolved.Someone asked me, not too long ago, for the Tarot's comment on this case. This is another horoscope spread; sometimes, when there are many factors to take into account, this type of spread can show me the interactions between details involving multiple victims.

Our first house card, describing the crime scene and the crime, itself, is Death. These murders were definitely premeditated and deliberate. The murders were also committed by someone who felt above the law, and possessed of the "right" to kill another person. The second house, of money and possessions, specifically possessions that are connected to family, is the nine of pentacles, reversed. When this card falls reversed, it refers to financial projects that have not worked out well, and to losses....often of home or real estate; so we are already seeing an emerging story line, here, that could contribute to motive. There was someone who felt cheated out of security or home by this family. In the third house, which governs communication, short journeys, business prospects, power, commerce, and relatives, we have the two of cups. The two of cups is a card of partnerships. Often, it is seen as a card of romantic partnership, but this is misleading. It can describe a harmonious business partnership, too. Since we have it in the third house, we can see that there was either an assumed agreement made, involving property or belongings, or an agreement that was actually made verbally, yet not followed. Also, I think this card is telling us that there is more than one suspect in the murder; there is not only the person who pulled the trigger......there is an accessory or an accessory after the fact.

The fourth house, of home, environment, property, and mother, reiterates this theme by giving us the five of cups. The five of cups is about regrets, and the perpetrator has some regrets. Sometimes, this card speaks of inheritance, or marrying someone for money, but it is almost never up to one's expectations. This dynamic played a role in the situation.

The ace of cups, reversed, is in the fifth house of pleasures and love affairs. Here we have a failed relationship also contributing to the perpetrator's instability. Next, in the sixth house, we have two of swords. The sixth house is about day to day events, mundane work relationships, health, and everyday things. Whoever killed this family was at a standstill or a lull in his everyday activities in life. In fact, that contributed to the opportunity to make time to commit this crime. The seventh house, of partnerships, yields the ten of wands, reversed. This card is about lost lawsuits, duplicity, and broken promises. It is followed by the the eight of wands in the eighth house, telling about an exciting new flirtation for someone......someone in the Rhoden family had broken an agreement with someone, in favor of chasing something new with a different person.

In the ninth house, of law, long journeys, beliefs, and protection, we have the six of pentacles, reversed. This continues to tell a story of broken financial promises, assets, and a person who feels wronged via assumed or consciously made agreements. When the six of pentacles falls reversed, we often see bad debts or bad business practices. Seeing this card in the ninth house of law tells me that we are dealing with a murderer who took the law into his own hands. The tenth house, of social standing, relationships with employers, and the father, gives us the Wheel of Fortune, reversed. This murderer had just had a run of bad luck, either in connection with his job, or with some other aspect of his life involving his reputation and social standing. He may have been denied credit somewhere, prior this this incident. Following this, in the eleventh house, of hopes, dreams, and social life rather than social standing, we have the eight of cups, reversed. This signifies that the perpetrator has not told anyone who did not already know, what he did. The eight of cups is a card of shallow pleasure and abandonment of the spiritual in favor of material, and the eleventh house is the house of friends, and this person is living it up, so to speak.

The twelfth house, of secrets and secret enemies, shows the five of swords. The five of swords is a card of violence and revenge. To sum this up, the person who committed these murders did so for revenge: he felt that someone in the Rhoden family owed him something material, he was declined, and he set out to get revenge. Look for him to be early middle-aged and have reddish or dark blond hair, and a possibly a small paunch or love handles. There is another person close to him, possibly a lover, who knows what he did.

More On Phoenix Coldon

I've received a few more questions, recently, about Phoenix Coldon, a young woman who went missing in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2011; and for whom I did a reading in 2013. She is still missing, and there are still no suspects identified in her case. Specifically, I was asked to hone in on the perpetrator a bit more, and to see if there is a better way to find her than the conventional means employed by local law enforcement, to date. I decided to try a horoscope spread for this, as it can give the cards more latitude to tell their own story, giving me characters and places I would not know to ask about from the information I have been given.

The first house card is the nine of cups, which is a card of home and the comforts of home. It's presence in the first house suggests that this whole situation started where Phoenix lived, with someone she knew.....at least well enough to allow him (and it was a male) to get close enough for a conversation. The second house, of money and monetary transactions, gives us the ace of pentacles, reversed. Here we see money obtained by someone, but not in an ethical way. In the third house, of short journeys, business, and commerce, we have the King of Swords, reversed. This is interesting; court cards from the suit of swords are often law enforcement, or work in some capacity with law enforcement. This king is reversed, which makes him adversarial to Phoenix in some way. At this point, I am wondering if Phoenix had been mistaken for someone else, or if a police officer thought she had information about a crime or another person that she really didn't have.

In the fourth house, we get another "home" reference; the fourth house is the house of "home", and we have the four of wands, which is a card of harvest, celebration, and happiness. It also speaks to property, which plays a role here. The four of wands also represents a "haven", and it was necessary to get Phoenix away from her haven. The next card, in the fifth house, of love affairs, pleasure, and creativity, is the Emperor, reversed. This is an immature man who isn't honest, and this card also often refers to fraud. The fraud and dishonesty here was committed by a male in his late twenties, not by Phoenix. This is followed by the ten of cups, reversed, in the sixth house, of work relationships and mundane, everyday things. When the ten of cups falls reversed in a reading we often find betrayal and loss of friendship, and finding it in the sixth house points to a matter that may have originated where Phoenix worked or attended school.....some place she frequented daily.

The seventh house, of partnerships, gives us the Knight of Pentacles. This is a young man, in his early twenties, who is not involved in Phoenix's disappearance, but is very kindly disposed toward her. Moving into the eight house, of joint finances and of matters that pertain to the practical side of partnerships, we have the Page of Wands. Often, pages are young people, students, or children, but this time, I think the Page of Wands is a message or a report. As it follows the Knight of Pentacles, it gives good testimony about him. It would almost appear that the wrong person had been suspected in Phoenix's disappearance, at one time, and has been exonerated, or is no longer a suspect.

In the ninth house, of long journeys, the law, and higher education, we have the two of swords, reminding us that Phoenix did not end up far away, and warning us that the investigation is at a standstill. This card is at an opposition with the King of Swords in the third house, and shows that the biggest problem in finding Phoenix has to do with the King of Swords. The Wheel of Fortune is in the tenth house, and this has to do with relationships with bosses and superiors; often in the workplace. Once again, we have a reference to either work or school. The eleventh house, of friends and social life, gives us the Page of Cups, reversed. This tells me that a false lead, faulty tip, or an outright lie came, at one time or another, from someone Phoenix knew casually. The last card is the ace of wands, reversed, in the twelfth house, of secrets, restrictions, and secret enemies. This shows that early on, this investigation had a false start, and has never recovered.

A question that was asked had to do with corrupt law enforcement, and the King of Swords reversed would certainly suggest this. It is also troubling to note that directly opposite him, in the ninth house, is the two of swords. This makes the stalemate suggested by the two of swords almost look deliberate. The swords also continue to point us east, but not very far to the east. In conclusion, it looks very much as if Phoenix had either witnessed a crime, or had met an unsavory new friend, and had been questioned by someone else about the crime, or the other person's whereabouts. She appears to have been a bystander, here; but the King of Swords did not think she was a bystander. Finding her rests with the reversed King of Swords, and the investigation will have to begin all over again, starting with all of Phoenix's social media and cell phone communications. I always wish I had better news in this type of reading, and I pray Phoenix is found soon.

Will New Evidence Lead To Kyron?

There has been a recent Freedom of Information act request by the media about Kyron Horman's missing persons case, and it was denied. The reason for this is that searches connected to the new evidence and testimony are ongoing, and law enforcement feels that the outcome of the case might be compromised if it is discussed in the news, at this point. The letter from law enforcement agencies does confirm that new evidence is under review. The question that is on everyone's mind is if it will lead to Kyron's whereabouts. Kyron disappeared from his school in Portland, Oregon on June 4, 2010, when he was seven years old.

In the first house, of the article, itself, we have the seven of wands, reversed. This is information that was hidden and well guarded for a long time. It is still well guarded, but has changed hands. In the second house, of personal funding and resources, we have the five of swords, reversed. This is a chance of defeat for someone, and a bit of a "paybacks are hell" message! We will come back to that later. The third house, governing letters, communication, relatives, short journeys, and memory, gives us the Queen of Wands, reversed. This is very interesting: the Queen of Wands is often physically depicted as a woman with strawberry blond or red hair, and reversed, she is jealous and has a nasty temper. Such a person played a role here, having to do with third house matters, namely short journeys and communication. Hmmm.

Moving on to the fourth house, of home and environment, we have the two of cups, reversed. This is a partnership that has failed, and also a tendency for passion that is misguided and sometimes explosive. Somehow, this dynamic factors into the new evidence, and how the new evidence came to the attention of law enforcement. The fifth house, of creativity and pleasure, sports the six of cups. The six of cups is often about childhood memories and about children. There is a relationship between these things, and some sacrifices that needed to be made, but were not made. Somehow, this too, brought the new evidence to the attention of law enforcement. In the sixth house, of day to day affairs, health, and the management of mundane details, we have the five of cups, reversed. In reversal, this card means hope, and sometimes, the return of an old friend. One can only hope and pray.

The seventh house, of committed relationships and compromise, gives us the world, reversed. This tells us that someone connected to this investigation has stalled, and failed to help the investigation move forward. We are not surprised, however; this has been a dynamic for almost seven years. The seventh house opposes the seven of wands in the first house, so we can be quite certain that it is telling us that lack of cooperation has been a major problem in finding Kyron. In the eighth house, of karma, legacies, law, and sometimes, death, we find the Queen of Pentacles, reversed. When this queen falls reversed in a reading, she is usually a moody and mistrusting woman. She has been behind the scenes, going over data and evidence. In fact, she opposes the reversed five of swords in the second house, which relates to finances and resources. So; we can extrapolate that the financial data of the reversed Queen of Wands in the third house has been part of this picture. Interesting.

The ninth house, of long journeys and education, federal law, and government gives us the four of swords. This is a card of dormancy, or rest. This inactivity opposes our reversed Queen of Wands. Her retreat from stress and strife has also played a role in the discovery of new evidence. Moving along to the tenth house, of career ambitions, social standing, and relationships with superiors, we see the six of wands, reversed. This means one thing, an enemy at the gate with an unpleasant message. It will ruin someone's reputation, too. The Hanged Man, reversed, is in the eleventh house, of friends, hobbies, and debates. The message here is a refusal to truly be a friend, and perhaps a friend has refused to cover for someone who is not a true friend. This card opposes the reversed two of cups in the fourth house of environment, so it appears that someone close to the matter has given some information to law enforcement. In the twelfth house, of secrets, restrictions, and secret enemies, we find the Star, reversed. This is pessimism and doubt.....there will still be problems with actual testimony from the reversed Queen of Wands. This card opposes the reversed five of cups in the sixth house, of details and mismanaged details. It looks, to the naked eye, as if we have testimony from a friend that contradicts something that was formerly believed by investigators.

Once again, nothing in this reading has pointed, outright, to Kyron's demise; although with each passing day in a search for a missing child, the chances of finding him or her alive reduce dramatically. In conclusion, it appears that finding Kyron will involve not only turning over every physical stone, but turning over every bit of testimony and every detail in the evidence that is gathered. This new evidence contains something that has the potential to ruin more than one life, and yes, it can lead to Kyron if handled with care.

Perry Cohen And Austin Stephanos

In July of 2015, two fourteen year old boys, Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos, went out on a boat near Jupiter, Florida. They were never seen again, and a year later, their capsized boat was found off the coast of Bermuda. Someone recently asked me to do a reading for them, since they are both still missing.

This reading starts with the Chariot, crossed by the ace of cups, which is read reversed, here. The chariot is often a card that describes any pursuit that needs to be managed or "driven", but at mundane levels, it can also describe transportation of any kind. Since the Perry and Austin disappeared while boating, I am going to assume that it refers to either the boat and its operation, or the entire event. When the ace of cups falls reversed, it refers to instability, and sometimes an actual overturning! The ace of cups is also a "water" card, as the suit of cups refer to water. So I think we can already see how the problem began; there was a problem operating the boat.

Beneath this, we have the five of pentacles, upside down. When this card falls reversed, we see companionship. This tells us that Perry and Austin were trying to work together when they ran into trouble. The ten of swords appears behind this, which isn't an encouraging card. This shows failure, and desolation. Sometimes, it can denote a storm. The possible future gives us the five of cups, reversed, which points to possible recovery of either remains, or personal belongings. Next, we have the six of wands, reversed, which is, plainly and simply, bad news after a long delay.

Temperance, reversed, describes the event that led to this situation. This shows bad combinations and inability to maneuver through challenges. Next, in the place of environment, we see the ten of wands, reversed. I am a bit surprised to see this card, as it refers, in its reversed position to situations that involve misplaced trust and outright treachery, but here it is. Somehow, this played a role in the boating accident. In the place of hopes or fears, we have what looks like a fear; the Queen of Swords, reversed. This is a woman who is mean, petty, and sometimes violent; and if not an actual person, then the fear of these qualities also played a role. The last card is the Knight of Swords. He is upside right, so we can assume that he is, at least, kindly disposed toward Perry and Austin. This knight is often law enforcement or military, and may be the one to finally recover both boys. Look for him to be in his late thirties. Somehow, "crown" is a word that is connected to location. This could simply be the fact that Bermuda is English, and the boat ended up so far away from where it launched.

I always wish there was more positive news in a reading like this. I sincerely hope both boys are found soon, so their families can have closure.

Karissa Alline Schell

Karissa Alline Schell was last seen at the home of a friend in Turlock, California on April 21 of 2011, at the age of fourteen. There was some speculation on the part of law enforcement that Karissa may have run away from home, but there is no evidence to back up that idea. Runaways are also in just as much danger as children who disappear under duress, so I have no idea why police promoted such a theory, in the first place. Someone asked me to read for her, and next month, it will have been six years since Karissa disappeared.I will start with the obvious question about Karissa's whereabouts, and see if the Tarot can shed some light on how she can be found.

We begin with the nine of wands, reversed, crossed by the Knight of Pentacles, which is also read reversed. The nine of wands in reversal speaks of impatience and obstacles. The Knight of Pentacles, when he falls reversed, often represents a man who promises to get things done, yet is very slow to deliver. See also "laziness". This dynamic, impatience with a lazy man, somehow played a role. Giving us a bit of background, we have the Page of Swords, reversed. This can represent a snitch or a young person who lies, but it also can represent unforeseen misfortunes. At this point, I am going with the latter. To describe the past, we have the three of cups, reversed. This card often refers to end of something pleasing, but it also often speaks of too much of something....often too much of something that would have been a good thing if done in moderation, such as alcohol. Knights often represent coming and going, as well as men; it appears distinctly possible that Karissa wanted a ride home from a man involved in the scenario, and it somehow did not materialize.

Among possibilities, we have the Fool. This relates to the choice made by Karissa the minute she left the home she was visiting. This choice changed everything, for her. Next, we have the High Priestess, who represents all things hidden. Another symbol on this card is water. This is the card of initiative and resistance; the idea and desire to take action; and the traction, in the form of resistance, needed by the idea in order to take form and become reality. This is the energy at work, behind the scenes.

In the place of fears, we have the Chariot. The Chariot is another card of balance, but unlike initiative v. resistance, the Chariot seeks to persuade two opposite extremes to pull together and work toward a common goal. In practical terms, this means getting two horses to pull the Chariot in one direction, rather than each going in his own direction. Someone, somewhere, is afraid to take the practical steps to bring Karissa home. Next, in the place of environment, we have the Tower, reversed. This is a card of imprisonment of sorts.....sometimes literal. It is interesting that it would turn up in the place of environment. Next, in the place of hopes, we have the Star, reversed. This is pessimism and doubt. This leads me to wonder if Karissa is still alive, and thinks that there is a threat, or a reason that she cannot go home. Perhaps Stockholm Syndrome. Jaycee Dugard's kidnapping comes to mind. The last card is the five of swords, reversed. This is the only card of violence in the reading, and it is the only card that suggests that Karissa might no longer be with us. The five of swords, either reversed or upside right, is a card of violence and revenge, and I never like to see  it in a missing person's reading. Here, it tells us that there is a chance of defeat.

I do not want to give anyone false hope, because of the statistics regarding this type of case, but it appears that there is a chance that Karissa may yet be found alive. I think that the last adult male with whom she was seen should be questioned, and that his testimony can help law enforcement construct a time line that will help shed light on this case. The water symbolism on the High Priestess's card is important. For reasons I cannot fully explain, I have not been given a direction to search. I will say this: living victims move from place to place, while deceased victims do not, adding obvious challenges to finding missing persons who are living.

Anyone who has information should call the police in Turlock, California, at 209-688-5550.

Original Night Stalker

The unknown rapist dubbed the Original Night Stalker was active in California 1976 to 1986. He was primarily active in Sacramento and in parts of southern California. DNA and other forensic evidence has linked him to at least twelve murders and over fifty sexual assaults on women. He has also been called the Diamond Knot Killer, the East Area Rapist, and the Golden State Killer. Someone asked me to do a reading about him, so I will see what the cards might tell us. So who is this Original Night Stalker? And what finally happened to him? Someone asked me to ask the cards, so I will do just that!

In the first house, of personality and appearance, we see the six of wands. This tells us that we are would look for a man with who knows how to communicate and present himself. He also has a falsely exalted opinion of himself. Look for a man between 5'11" and 6'1" tall, with light brown or blondish hair. Of course, the hair may be greying and the hairline receding by now! The second house of money and possessions shows the Hermit; our stalker does not invest too publicly or have joint accounts or partners in business. He is a loner. We see the Lovers in the third house, showing that he does have family, and possibly a girlfriend or a wife. The third house also governs short journeys and written communication.......this may mean that a former or current romantic partner knows about his past and his covering for him. The Sun falls in his fourth house, of home environment. The stalker's family sees him in a very positive light, and would be shocked to hear about his criminal past. Also, this could be a mundane reference to the state of California!

Moving on to the fifth house, of creativity and sexuality, we find the Tower. The Tower is a card of all kinds of conflict and mayhem, so it is no surprise to find this card in the fifth house! As the card is upside right, all of the stalker's problems are unresolved. Next, in the sixth house, of work relationships and day to day life, we find the King of Wands. This may be a workmate or an employer. Another aspect of the sixth house is worry, and the King of Wands is usually an upstanding and good man; it is quite possible that the stalker worries that this King suspects him of current or past faults. This is a man who makes the stalker uncomfortable. The seventh house, of important partnerships, such as marriage, gives us Strength, reversed. We can expect our stalker to be involved in an abusive relationship. When Strength falls reversed, this often means abuse of institutionalized power, and as we see it in the seventh house, we can see that he would be an abusive husband or lover. Next, in the eighth house, of karma, death, joint finances and legacies, we have the ace of swords. This house also governs debt, and its symbolic body part is the genitals. Somehow, this is linked to karmic debt, and a debt to society. It should come as no surprise to him that his DNA, left at crime scenes, has already identified him! All we really lack is a name. The ace of swords tells us that he may have a child, whose DNA also provides a link. Swords also often refer to information, and at some point, we can expect information from all parts of his life to converge, and someone will put it all together.

 The ninth house, of long journeys, protection, foreign countries, and the establishment and the law, gives us Judgement. This is encouraging, because Judgement and the law go hand in hand. The scope of the investigation will come as a surprise to the stalker and his family. Because Judgement appears upside right, I believe he will be caught. Because it is in the ninth house, he may try to hide somewhere far away from where he committed his crimes. In the tenth house, which governs career and ambition, and one's standing in the world, we have the Moon. Despite the stalker's best efforts, he is seen as a liar and creep. He has not have very good relationships with superiors at any job he has had, either. In the eleventh house, of friends and social life, the nine of wands shows up. In light of the rest of the reading, this is not encouraging. This shows our stalker never quite making friends, but always on the fringes of social circles. He is a loner, appearing to be......just waiting for something. The twelfth house, the house of self undoing, secrets, and secret enemies, gives us the Magician. Someone who knows what he is doing will eventually find the stalker. The stalker appears to have found victims within his own little microcosm, or circle of "family" members, but I believe he will, at some point, be matched with forensic evidence from the past.

Pearl Pinson

 On May 25 of 2016, a fifteen year old girl named Pearl Pinson was abducted on her way to school in Vallejo, California. Since then, a suspect has been identified and shot during a conflict with law enforcement and an attempt to flee and elude, but no one has located Pearl. Someone recently requested that I do a reading about this case, so I will ask the obvious question concerning her whereabouts.

We begin with the World, crossed by the four of swords. Usually, the World is a card of success and opportunity, and Pearl's day may very well have begun that way. Another meaning of this card is travel, and also being outside. Its number in the Major Arcana is twenty-one, which may be a significant number, here. It is crossed by the four of swords, which indicates that there is a temporary lull in activity right now. This is based by Death. Death usually does not foretell an actual death, but in the case of a missing person or a crime victim, it is not a good card to see at any point in a reading. This card may also bear a double meaning: it may refer not only to Pearl, but to the suspect who was shot and killed by law enforcement. It is followed by the two of swords, which reinforces the message given by the four; a stalemate or a standoff of some type, regarding resolution of Pearl's case.  

Moving into possibilities for the future, we have the two of wands. Here, we see the use of practical and scientific methods and police work. The case is still open, and law enforcement has not given up. Next, we have the nine of swords, which shows us doubt and delay. We also sometimes see this card to describe mourning; it may be a warning that this will result, here. 

The eight of cups, reversed, appears in the place of fears. This is a fear that the spiritual may take a back seat to they physical, in some way. It is feared, by someone connected to Pearl, that as time goes on, the search will not be carried out with the same diligence as it was immediately after she disappeared. Next, in the place of environment, we have the nine of wands, telling us to be patient, and above all, not to give up. In the place of hopes, we see the ten of cups, which is the hope of a happy ending.....but sadly, the final card is the five of swords, which is violence, vengeance, and cruelty. I always wish readings such as this looked more positive, and I always hope I am wrong in a case like this.

The parts of the reading that deal predominantly with the kidnapping contain a lot of swords, which would point us east. Also, I would look for a stone or brick wall of some sort that is not in good repair. Shallow water, about eight feet is also a factor. I also expect "twenty-one" to be a clue, as well; perhaps within twenty-one miles from where Pearl was last seen. Because travel is so often the mundane meaning of the World, I think there may be railroad tracks nearby. 

Jake Obad Mathis and Melvin Jones

Jake Obad Mathis and Melvin Jones, two twenty year old soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, have been missing since December 19. They were last seen leaving the base in a 2013 black Camaro that belongs to Jones. Obad Mathis is AWOL, but Jones had been given leave for the holidays, so he is not AWOL yet. Someone sent me a comment, asking for a reading for them, so we will see what the cards have to say.

We start with the ten of swords, reversed, crossed by the two of pentacles, which is also read reversed, here. This already does not look good; the upside down ten of swords shows us a power play, albeit a temporary power play; and the two of pentacles, reversed, tells us about an inability to agree on something: two ideas or situations that end up at cross purposes with no compromise. Beneath this, we have the three of swords, also reversed. This hints that someone involved here has been compromised in some way by someone else, who is also involved. Looking a little bit further back, into events leading up to this, we have the ace of cups, reversed. This is a broken agreement or some plan that was suddenly changed, without the approval of both men. I already do not like this.

The Chariot, also reversed, appears in the place of possibilities. Once again, this suggests plans that have fallen through. Sometimes, this card, in reversal, means that an unethical victory was won. Next, we have what seems to be a driving force here: the ten of pentacles. This card often refers to a windfall of inherited, won, or gifted money. Somewhere along the chain of events, this type of situation became a factor.

In the place of fears, we have the six of pentacles, reversed. This is envy, bad debt, and refusal to share evenly. It is followed by the eight of swords, in the place of environment. I do not like to see this card in this position, because if describes the state of being trapped somewhere. Often, the physical area would be shallow water, in a remote area, where no one would search. The five of swords appears in the place of hopes, and this is a card of anger, violence, and revenge. Someone involved in this case had these desires. The last card is the eight of cups, reversed. It looks as if one of the young men is spending money and "celebrating" while the other is not.

It frankly looks to me as if there was an argument between these two young men over a monetary windfall, they could not decide how to share it, and one of them deliberately or accidentally killed the other. I always hope I am wrong when I see something like this, and I hope I am wrong this time, too. The directions given would be east, then west. This time, I think the distance is at least a day's travel by car, though. Below is a picture of a 2013 black Camaro, similar to the one in which Obad Mathis and Jones were last seen.