HARLINGEN — In 26 years of service reading the tarot cards, Rita Valdez has never told someone they are going to win the lottery.
“The cards are very exact,” said Valdez, owner of Yerberia Santo Nino de Atocha in Harlingen.
With $1.5 billion up for grabs today, Valdez said only a few people have come into her yerberia and card-reading shop on West Harrison Avenue to find out if they’re going to get lucky.
Today’s Powerball jackpot will be the largest of any U.S. lottery game on record.
“The cards can’t predict that you’re going to win the lotto,” Valdez said.
Inside her shop, Valdez has an inventory of candles, oils and herbs used to help people’s body, spirit and future.
She sells candles with names like Abundance, Rain Money and Open Roads. Each of them has a prayer to help bring good fortune.
People light candles for good fortune and pass the smoke over their body and ask the Lord to bless them with their needs.
Valdez said many people come in for their card readings and to find out if there is any money coming in their future. But that has not been the case with Powerball players.
“I had two gentlemen who came in and were wondering if they were going to win the lottery,” Valdez said.
The cards do tell a story that Valdez interprets for her clients who come to her looking for answers. Some show cards representing money.
“The truth does come out in the cards,” Valdez said.
The winning numbers of Saturday night’s game were 16, 19, 32, 34, 57 and a Powerball of 13. A total of 440 million tickets were sold in that drawing.
Texas Lottery executive director and Powerball game group chair said the amount of the winnings in this game is truly exciting and uncharted territory.
“We want to remind players to play responsibly and that it only takes one ticket to win,” Grief said.
Beginning with the first ticket sold in 1992, the Texas Lottery has generated $24 billion in revenue for the state and distributed $47 billion in prizes to lottery players.
Since 1997, the Texas Lottery has contributed $18 billion to the Foundation School Fund, which supports public education in Texas.
