By Lena Welter and Heledd Pritchard

Nobody visiting the Schueberfouer can miss the antique wooden caravans at the far end of the Glacis car park – a place where many bankers and business workers go to listen to see what their future holds.

The caravans give the fairground a romantic touch. The wooden interior is intricately decorated, the windows covered in newspaper cuttings from when fortune teller Anika Theunisz hit TV or radio channels. 

Now she is busy predicting people’s future, saying she possesses a gift that has been with her family for hundreds of years.

Theunisz’ family has owned the caravan that is her working place for more than a hundred years. Frilly curtains protect customers from curious passers-by and the large, wine-red armchairs look inviting. Persian carpets run through the middle of the caravan, and the walls are decorated with old pictures. 

Theunisz works alongside her daughter, Michele. Both are soothsayers, claiming an ability to look into the future with the help of tarot cards and palm readings.

“This gift has been in our family for 500 years,” says Michele. "It is passed from mother to daughter.” 

As soon as a customer walks through the door, the duo have an idea of the reason why he or she has come in, they say. "You can see everything on their face," Anika says, looking out from under her white-blonde fringe.

"The maps then confirm what we thought," Michele adds.

Anika and Michele, originally from Holland, have been coming to the Schueberfouer since 2009, travelling around Europe and America.

People in Luxembourg are open, kind and spiritual, Michele says. Customers come from all walks of life and all age groups, and many of them are bankers or business workers. Love is what drives most customers to them, the women say.

"I'll show them a way to make the best of themselves,” says Michele. “With my help, they should be able to realize their happiness. Giving people back their self-confidence is a crucial part.”

"Being a fortune teller requires a lot of love for the job. I give a lot of love, but I get love and gratitude in return.”

Michele particularly enjoys dealing with young people who are looking for their path in life, and concedes that the boundaries between fortune telling and lending somebody a friendly ear often become blurred. The mother and daughter have a group of loyal customers who return to the Schueberfouer every year. Some keep in touch with them regularly via email or by phone.

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