A wheelchair user seeking insight into their future was faced with a curiously prescient tarot card, but neither tarot reader nor participant was entirely sure the deck was looking deeper.
When Farooz Foroozandeh first strolled their wheelchair into Madame Lavitra’s Tarot and Witchy Needs Shop, the initial scent of incense invigorated them. Gathering the courage for a reading, Foroozandeh remarked, “I already know I have more ableism in store; it can’t hurt to potentially hear some good news. I want to know what I should be looking out for.”
As Madame Lavitra gathered the cards, she gave the necessary context: “My ancestors guide these cards, and they look out for all who seek my help.”
To the shock of both parties, the first card that came up was the chariot card. This card features a stoic person in a wheeled carriage facing forward with two mighty sphinxes flanking them. “It felt a little too on the wheels for me,” Foroozandeh said. “How deep are Madame Lavitra’s ancestors looking?”
The chariot card signifies sticking to your decisions and letting your internal wisdom guide you without being deterred by outside influences. When Foroozandeh learned this, they remarked, “Oh I guess that is good guidance. Ableism tries to dissuade disabled people all the time; we should stick to our goals.”
Madame Lavitra had a confession for reporters at the scene later. “Hey listen, my ancestors come from an older time. Of course they might be a little ableist, or not the most sensitive … Oh wait, Farooz liked the reading? Well yeah, of course! My ancestors have been guiding the cards for centuries!”
“I thought something funny was going on when the last card was the wheel of fortune,” said Foroozandeh. “But hey, by pushing these wheels I make my own fortune. Maybe the cards are complete allies.”