Fortune-telling, Suwon: wedding and work at Hyeonnyeo Sindang

On the day I had a wedding-invitation gathering in Suwon, I visited Hyeonnyeo Sindang (현녀신당) before meeting my other friends. I do not usually get fortunes told, but with my wedding approaching, I wanted to hear something about my future life and work. I had the consultation with a friend I have known for a long time.

How did I book, and how did I get there from Suwon Station?

The visit instructions in the original post say to contact them by text and make a reservation in advance. Because they may be in a consultation or prayer, visitors are asked to text, and to keep to the reservation time.

I booked two weeks in advance. I came out of Exit 9 at Suwon Station and walked there, and the building I arrived at looked a little like a temporary structure to me.

I arrived a little early, so I did not go straight in. I sat by the green wall on the right and talked with my friend, then knocked and entered at our 3 p.m. reservation time.

Could my friend join the consultation?

Before going, I assumed there would be a waiting area, so my friend and I planned to go in separately. In reality, it was one open space without a separate waiting area. We were asked whether it would be okay for us to enter together, so I decided to listen with the friend I have known for 17 years.

We listened to each other's stories and laughed at parts that felt relatable. Some details were hazy because we did not record or take notes, but after the consultation, we shared what each of us remembered and filled in what the other had missed.

At the start of the consultation, I was asked for my name, date of birth, and whether it was based on the solar calendar.

What were the atmosphere and speaking style like?

Because of what I had seen on TV, I expected a somewhat scary, stern atmosphere. Once we started talking, though, it felt like chatting with an older sister from the neighborhood, and I relaxed.

Children's toys, clothes, and other items were placed throughout the shrine. Seeing them, I wondered whether it was a place that served child spirits, but I did not confirm that directly.

At times, she said she would speak to me as an older sister and spoke comfortably. She looked at my face, briefly shook a fan and bells, then continued. She also mentioned things I had not brought up first, which gradually drew me in.

What did we discuss about work and marriage?

When she asked about my occupation, I told her I design automotive parts. She interpreted that I was better suited to work involving movement than sitting still, and that I seemed to be enduring my current job because it was in the machinery field. She also said I had a fortune suited to running a business, which stayed with me because I had heard something similar in another consultation before.

I related to the description that I am impatient and tend to say what I need to say. I usually like to handle things quickly and do not tolerate frustrating situations well. I also connected what she said about showing a different side of myself to people close to me with my own experience.

I had not prepared specific questions. My friend suggested asking about my marriage compatibility, but she asked in return whether I would not live together if the compatibility was not good. When I asked about a companion animal, she also said that if I had already brought one home, I had to take responsibility, and we both agreed.

Regarding changing jobs, I was told to try to hold on even if something made me angry in December, and that even if I looked for another place, I should move around next year. At the time, work could become busy in December, so that stood out to me personally. These points about timing and personality were interpretations I heard during the consultation.

What stayed with me, and how did I feel overall?

The most surprising moment was when she asked whether either of us had headaches. I regularly took medicine or went to the hospital for headaches, and recently I had even left work early and sought treatment because of severe dizziness. When she mentioned the back of my neck and dizziness, I thought of symptoms I had experienced and became emotional.

During the consultation, I was also told to watch my blood vessels and exercise. When I said that I climb, she mentioned yoga and Pilates. This was something I heard during the consultation, not confirmed information about my health. I thought that if I was unwell, I should not put off going to the hospital.

Finally, we also asked about my compatibility with my friend and were told that we got along well. For me, it was a conversation that was neither too heavy nor too light, and it felt as though I had spent a long time talking with an older sister I knew. I found many parts of the explanation interesting because they seemed to overlap with my experiences, and I liked being able to listen with my friend and talk about it afterward.