Through several types of “readings,” Rick Kim says he can help you find your soul mate, or help you improve your current relationship. I set up my appointment for a Sunday, which turns out to be a perfect day for a reading in the park – gorgeous, crisp, not a cloud in the sky. He typically meets with clients at a quiet place of their choosing. I don a pair of ripped jeans, a tank top, and my best poker face, and I am out the door. On the walk over, my mind chases the leaves on the sidewalk, swirling with thoughts of what to expect. Should I hide my ring and lie? Tell him I keep dating the wrong men, and can’t seem to find Mr. Right – see what he suggests? What if he is a total kook? What if he thinks I’m a total kook for wanting four different readings?

Born and raised in South Korea, Rick’s fascination with and keen observation of people and nature as a child led him to study Eastern and Western philosophy and divination. He is educated in palm reading, tarot card reading, astrology reading and face reading, to name a few. Yes, face reading. He uses any or all of these practices, combined with his intuition, to “read people’s energies” and offer guidance and advice, and his main focus is love and relationships. He charges $50 to do all four of the readings I’m requesting, but he also does single readings at a lower rate. I find some comfort in the fact that he also possesses a Ph.D. in biotechnology, and he currently researches at UNCC. But I’ve also made sure we’re meeting during the day in a public place, and that I’ve notified my husband, mother, sister and every online network I’m a part of where I’ll be for the afternoon.

My eyes scan every character in the park until I finally zero in on him – sitting on a bench, wearing a matching linen outfit and a big, harmless smile. I release my key from where it was sticking out between my two knuckles and relax my fist from striking position. I give a wave, and two deep breaths later I join him on the park bench, right next to the foldout table draped in cloth with his stack of tarot cards on it.

Before we begin with any readings I bombard him with questions, which he patiently answers. For starters, will he be able to offer me a good analysis, considering I’ve already found my Mr. Wonderful? Absolutely, he says. How does he offer guidance through the readings? He explains that his readings are not solely based on telling your future. Instead, his readings help you discover and understand your personality more, and also help you to home in on what characteristics you should look for in a potential partner. If you are already matched up, he will help you better your relationship by analyzing the hell out of it through his extensive astrological knowledge, making you understand why it is not your hubby’s fault that he will never pick up his dirty socks off the floor – it is because of the astrological elements he is born under, of course – so you can accept it, figure out an effective way to deal with it, and move on. My last question before we begin: What’s up with the face reading? I had palm readings on the boardwalk when I was 14. I’m guilty of checking my horoscope here and there, and my sister reads tarot cards, which, when paired with five bottles of wine and some friends, makes for a fun night in. But I’ve never heard of face reading before, and suddenly I am very aware that he’s probably started reading mine already. You can hide your hands for a palm reading, pull the religion card to duck out of a tarot card reading, and lie about your birthday for astrology. But unless it’s a Halloween date and you’re wearing a mask, there is no escaping someone scrutinizing your mug. Since I’m so intrigued, he gives me a preview: He points to the area on my forehead between my two eyebrows. “This area, in Eastern philosophy, is called the Palace of Destiny. The general rule is that, if this area is bright, and has a glow…it means that person is very good, and something very good is coming to them. If this area is very dark and dull, that means that something bad is happening or is coming to them.”

Hmm. Since we’re spending so much time staring at my forehead, did I wax my unibrow? Check. Also, how could this information be gathered from a small patch of skin on my face? I press Rick for more. He explains, “In Far Eastern medicine, a part of your body can represent the whole body. This is the principle behind holistic medicinal practices, such as hand acupuncture.” This vaguely makes sense. I could understand how maybe it can be helpful in terms of health. But to reveal someone’s character and, essentially, her future?

He explains how face reading was used by kings and generals several centuries ago. They believed that this would be a quick and effective way to assess the people they were hiring. I can’t help but think about another long-ago theory that once came about in order to explain a situation. But alas, we discovered that the Earth was in fact round. I am still skeptical, but I am curious. More on this later.

Rick begins to read my palm. A few bums pass us, offering up a curious look, and for a second I am conscious of being judged, but it passes. The palm reading is more of a “past, present, future” type reading. The lines in the palm, like the lines in the face, constantly change, so it’s important to pay attention to them. By following the lines in my hand, he begins to fill me in on things such as significant relationships in my life, my emotional makeup, and at which point in my life I will be most successful in my career. It’s all reassuring, and it’s all peachy. But I feel like something is lacking, and I am wishing it would be more specific. I am glad we have three more readings.

We dive into astrology. Rick draws six vertical lines, in tally form, on a piece of paper. The lines represent your compatibility with your partner, based on your birthdays and astrological influences. Only one line means that your compatibility, well, sucks. Two lines, meh. It continues in this fashion all the way up to six lines, which means you have the ideal relationship with the highest level of compatibility – you and your partner are two perfectly balanced beings based on the stars.

Rick glances over his charts and begins to determine where on this scale my relationship with my husband falls. The notion of the alignment of the stars on the exact day of your birth may be somewhat influential to your character – at least I believe, to an extent. But I don’t find it easy to toss other factors out the window. What about genetics? Life experience? Nature and nurture? You can’t possibly convince me that a line on a piece of paper could throw all of this away, ignoring all other influences. I just can’t buy it, and I decide it doesn’t matter what my and my husband’s score is. “You and your husband’s compatibility sits right here.” He circles the fourth line. FOUR? Why did we only get a friggin four?

He lays out the tarot cards, and I quickly become intrigued with Rick’s reading, which is a thorough analysis of my life in general, followed by answers to specific questions I have. Suddenly a woman in her 50s or 60s struts by. She gives me a condescending glance, and slightly shakes her head. Does she think I’m “that person”? You know who I mean. That friend you have, the normally sane one, who went through that period when she was relying on psychics and tarot readers to navigate through life, and suddenly couldn’t form full sentences or decide what to eat for dinner without consulting one first? She couldn’t go out anymore because she had regular phone dates with Ms. Cleo, all the while wondering why she wasn’t meeting that “someone special.”

Finally, we come back to the face reading. According to Rick, there are a few tell-tale characteristics that we can look at when analyzing a potential mate. For example: A high forehead almost always implies social and career success (Rick challenges me to notice the foreheads of ministers, generals, professors, etc.); a mole on or around a man’s nose usually means he is very good with his money; and “players” (men and women) tend to have a mole under the eye or in the “crow’s feet” region. Speaking of crow’s feet, an interesting tidbit from Rick: “Many of us have crow’s feet and that is fine. But if you notice in your partner that one of the lines is starting to extend outward, into the temple area, this is usually a sign that this person is being unfaithful.” Gasp! You could take it or leave it, but I’m sure you will be asking your partner to “smile” more often while analyzing the hell out of his face. And don’t blame me when you start inspecting your friends and co-workers, because whether you believe it or not, it can be very addicting, and could make for a fun game at the office.

When the readings were over, I realized that Rick and I had spent 2 1/2 hours in the park on a reading that should’ve only lasted an hour. He thoughtfully answered all of my questions and took as much time as needed to go through the readings. Even though I may not necessarily believe everything the readings reveal, he is a great listener and is very insightful. It suddenly hits me that this may be why it is so easy for some people to seek out readings: maybe it is because the person performing them has these traits? I think of all the times I have found it easy, as many of us have, to spill my guts to a complete stranger with an open ear, while when a close friend politely asks me how things are going, I reply with a muted, “Great!” Suddenly readings strike me as a form of therapy, without the condescending couch and cozy office, and without the fear of being judged by a shrink or a friend or a colleague. In fact, readers want to take the time to help you, and steer you in the right direction – which, sadly, between work, love lives and social lives, can sometimes be more than what our friends or family members can offer.

Having your cards read offers something else we may be craving, and that is the element of mystery. We live in a culture where we’re taught to search for the facts. Answers to any question can be found instantly by anyone with a finger and a phone. We tend to focus so much on what can be proved that we become oblivious to what we cannot prove, relying less and less on gut and intuition. We are stretched, and our time is spent, on all levels emotionally and financially. Some people spend their entire lives stuck in dysfunctional friendships and romantic relationships, repeating the same story over and over and not knowing what to change. A reading may offer you some much needed clarity, or just provide pure entertainment on a Sunday afternoon. However…the next time you are out on a date, instead of checking out boobs, butts and biceps, pay more attention to foreheads, noses and moles. You may thank Rick later on.

To contact Rick for an appointment: www.spiritualloveadvice.com

~ Ali Salvatore