Thailands Spirit Houses
No visitor to Thailand will have passed their time there without taking note of and becoming intrigued by the beautiful Thai spirit houses. Whether ornately hand carved or simple in structure; the Thai spirit house is an object of mystery and beauty, especially to those of us from the West who are not accustomed to such things. In Thailand you will come across Thai spirit houses everywhere, of all shapes, sizes and colours, and in fact they are also a common sight throughout much of Southeast Asia including Cambodia and Laos as well.
Thai people worship a great many deities and spirits and believe that the spirits of nature such as those found in trees and in the land can either help or hinder a person depending upon the respect shown towards the spirits and the rituals carried out to appease them. In Thailand you will notice that spirit houses are covered with offerings made by Thai people seeking favours and blessings from the spirits that dwell within, offerings to these spirits often include: flowers, candles, joss-sticks, rice, and drinks, etc.
Thai Spirit Houses
Thai Seeking Blessing at Spirit House
Thai Seeking Blessing at Spirit House
A spirit house also known as a ‘San Phra Phum’ is a shrine to what is known as ‘animist’ spirits, animist spirits stem from the belief that it is not just humans and animals that have souls but also plants, rocks, geographic features, rivers and even natural phenomena such as thunder. Most homes in Thailand will have a spirit house, as will most businesses, the spirit house is usually placed within a favored location within the properties grounds and this location is often chosen after seeking consultation with a Brahmin priest.
The Thai spirit house usually takes the form of a miniature temple mounted on a pillar and is designed to offer shelter to the spirits and the spirit offerings are intended to appease and occupy the spirits in order to prevent the spirits from turning malevolent and causing trouble for the residents of the main property.
Building and Erecting a Thai Spirit House
Thai spirit houses may be built of wood, concrete or brick and in order to keep the spirits within busy and occupied Thai spirit houses are often filled with items such as small statues, animal figures and miniature furniture. As with most things Thai the job of building and erecting the spirit house is far from a simple affair, the spirit house can not be built by just anybody but must be constructed by an expert spirit house builder, schooled in the ancient rituals required to ensure that the spirits accept the finished home as a desirable earthly abode.
The style of spirit house required for any individual property and the spirits that dwell there is intricately linked to the qualities of the landowner. Astrological charts need to be consulted and used to determine everything from the color of the spirit house to the day of the spirit houses erection.
If you’re planning on erecting your own spirit house to appease the spirits that dwell on your land, here are a few things to bear in mind when choosing the location:
- It is beneficial to erect your spirit house in front of a tree.
- A spirit house should not be placed to the left side of a door.
- A spirit house pointing towards the North or North-East is considered especially lucky.
- Your spirit house should not face towards a road or toilet.
- A spirit house should not be located within the shadow of the main property.
This is very helpful thank you
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