Do I ever SEE spirits in the garden? Sometimes it feels like I see the luminescence that was them, a half a moment after they have fled.
In Thailand, people are bewildered. Not about seeing spirits - because they're considered a REAL day to day, NORMAL part of living. They're bewildered that western people DON'T think spirits are normal for the everyday human.
The spirits of every place are honoured - guardian tree spirits, and the spirits of place - homes, gardens, offices, shops all have a special "spirit house". Personally, I don't feel the need to leave cans of soda or rice cakes out to "feed" them nor to have a dedicated doll house for my garden spirits 😆 but the vast majority of Thai people do. Normally, each Thai house has a spirit house, and people leave their offerings out at dawn. This magnificent tree spirit in my Thai village of Baan Wat Kong Sai regularly receives gifts and offerings - people tuck incense sticks and flowers under the sash. And yes, that's me, walking to the local market in front of the temple, touching base with the tree spirit.
In my own garden, I tend not to have one spot to honour the spirits, but many. I'm more inclined to leave a plumeria bloom on the grass, or under a beloved plant or tree, as the mood takes me. In Thailand, most houses are planted with red plumeria specifically to appease and calm the spirits. And my house is no different....
Do I find the idea of spirits scary? Errr.... no. Hence I really don't personally celebrate or cultivate the idea of "scary Halloween".
But a PUMKPIN COCONUT THAI CURRY? Maybe soon... 😋
Oh I do love how some cultures revere the spirits in this way. It's an attentiveness to the natural world that western cultures lack.
There's definitely scary spirits around too. I've been some places in Australia where the energy is terrifying and I've had to leave in the middle of the night. Wierd shit. Been shouted off bridges in the UK too. If there's good spirits stands to reason there's some you don't want to mess with. Light and dark and all that.
Love that pic of you and the tree! It's classic!
One day, in hopefully the not too distant future, you and I will watch Thai schlock horror films and drink wine. Yes, definitely there ARE malevolent spirits everywhere too. Perhaps in Thailand they're over-fed and lazy?? LOL
Haha gawd I always recall being on buses in Thailand and watching (or trying to avoid watching) horror flicks...
hahaha... yes - what IS THAT ??!! they DO always show the absolute schlock horror at midnight when people are trying to relax.... 😆
But I do respect those people who are scared of spirits, though.Same here @artemislives, I don't think the idea of spirits is scary at all. I am more scared of big and fat frogs, I would say😁