The cult of Lady Linshui (Chen Jinggu) originated in the Gutian area of Fuzhou (northern Fujian province). When Han Chinese people came from Fujian to settle Taiwan during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, they transmitted Lady Linshui’s cult to the island. Her cult soon became highly popular in the Tainan area, which was Taiwan’s earliest economic and administrative center. The Lady Linshui Temple in Tainan City is currently her cult’s primary sacred site, and continues to attract worshippers from all over Taiwan. It is particularly renowned for Lady Linshui’s ability to provide protection for women and children. This article focuses on the ritual masters (hongtou shigong) who perform a wide range of rituals on behalf of people who come to worship at Tainan’s Lady Linshui Temple. It describes a variety of rites designed to ensure a successful pregnancy and protect the health of young children. The data that I have collected during fieldwork at the Lady Linshui Temple demonstrate the key role that religious specialists play in local society, especially in terms of addressing both the physiological and psychological needs of temple worshippers. In addition, this article attempts to assess the links between religious specialists and local symbolic systems, as well as their place in the formation of social and cultural networks.