What Happened to John?
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Missing-person readings can be grim stuff, which is why I wait for some time after a disappearance before doing one. Unless they run into misadventure, most people who wander away on their own usually turn up before too long (sometimes remarkably far away from their last sighting). In this case, the event was over three months old and the cards I pulled were not encouraging. (Note that I interpreted the court cards as environmental conditions rather than as other people.)
On July 6, 2022, 79-year-old John Matson (who has dementia) went missing from his Hampstead, NH home and has not been seen since. A Silver Alert was issued by New Hampshire State Police at the time. As of October 19th, John had not yet been located.
I performed my “Train to Nowhere” missing-person spread to see what I might learn about what happened to him. This spread uses a “locomotive-and-coach” train motif to suggest the possible circumstances surrounding the disappearance. I used the Cosmic Tarot deck with reversals, and the King of Wands to represent John.
The King of Wands turned up in the fifth position of the spread, in the compartment that I’ve labeled the “Dining Car.” The negative implication is one of starvation, or of possibly being located somewhere near where food is stored, processed or distributed (such as a warehouse or production facility), although that is less likely than John having simply vanished into the woods. The cards preceding and following the King of Wands are the 9 of Swords reversed, showing that a traumatic event may have befallen him (this 9 of Swords is more aggressive than the “standard” RWS version, so perhaps something fell on him or he may have fallen off something; it’s also a “mental anguish” card so a debilitating stroke is another possibility) and the Wheel of Fortune reversed, indicating immobilization or a “turn of bad luck.” The broader circumstances reflected in the rest of the cards are as follows:
The 5 of Wands at the beginning presents the idea that he left home in an agitated state, possibly after some kind of disagreement or conflict, actual or merely perceived on his part due to his mental condition.
The hapless Prince of Cups reversed following it could mean that he quickly became confused and disoriented, and may have experienced wet conditions.
The Queen of Wands reversed at the end makes me think that he was run-down and dispirited by the trauma and immobilization mentioned above. The suit of Wands also carries the general connotation of “South” of his last known location, and the reversal in the element of Fire could mean that he has had no reliable source of warmth.
Since the keynote for the fifth position is “starvation,” and “trauma, immobilization and incapacity” appear to have been factors, the testimony is that chances are not great for his survival at this point in time (assuming he’s not someplace else altogether). The numerous reversed cards convey a sense of misapprehension about his whereabouts, and could also mean that he is not visible or easily located in his present position. Regarding the hope that he may have been picked up on the road and taken somewhere, the reversal of the Wheel of Fortune (“staying put”) argues against it; upright it may have been a different story. The Queen of Pentacles reversed might be “Mother Nature turning her back” on him, a hint that increasingly colder weather has become an issue. This reading is not particularly helpful from a “current location” standpoint, except to show that he most likely isn’t underwater; however, the Prince of Cups reversed could denote that cold and damp exacerbated the physical impact of the 9 of Swords (hypothermia is a significant consideration).
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on October 20, 2022.
