San Gabriel Valley : TAROT WARS
San Gabriel’s longest-tenured fortuneteller, Madame Rachel, will be getting some competition in the soothsaying business--but only because the City Council foresaw good things in the newcomer.
In San Gabriel, fortunetelling is allowed only with a city-issued permit.
“We fingerprint them, have them put up a bond and do a background check with the U.S. Department of Justice,” said City Clerk Cynthia Bookter. “Our resident fortuneteller, Madame Rachel, came to the council years ago.”
Hoang Thi Le discovered last week that joining the madame’s ranks is in his future.
Le, an Anaheim resident, says he wants to use cards to predict the future of clients from the Asian community, as he did in Vietnam.
“I’ve been waiting four months for a permit,” said Le, who hopes to open shop on East Las Tunas Drive.
Madame Rachel Adams is not predicting harmony.
“I’ve been here 10 years going on 11 and don’t need competition,” she said.
City officials said the council does not check a fortuneteller’s skills, only his or her background.
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