Abstract
The prevalence of education has enhanced scientific knowledge among Taiwanese people. However, temples of Taiwanese folk religion are still very prominent throughout Taiwanese landscape. Faced with uncertainty or frustration, many Taiwanese choose to visit temples and pray to or consult with their patron deities instead of seeking rational consultation. In this thesis, I focus on ten school teachers who consider themselves as having experienced the efficacy of the patron deity of Chiho Temple in Hsin Fong Township, Hsinchu County and professed that they are believers/worshipers of Lord Chi. I reconstructed their respective efficacious experiences and discovered that these school teachers treat their patron deity, Lord Chi as a consultant. They go to their consultant when they are faced with difficult decision. They pray and believe that Lord Chi will help them reach the “right” decision. During their consultation process, they might use divination device to ascertain the attitude of their patron god but in real practice they were just presenting their own thinking and ask Lord Chi to confirm and bless such a decision.