Angel Baker
One of my favorite memories from visiting Thailand with Marisa of Spirit House Connection is wandering the streets of Chaing Mai. The people were glowing. The food was lovely. The smells were intoxicating. The shopping was never ending. Despite its antiquity, the spirit of this city felt young and alive and adventurous. There were several women on this trip and I don't remember a thing we discussed but I remember laughing and laughing and laughin
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Marisa Cranfill
I wanted to be surrounded by the spirits, interact with them and capture a moment on film where I become a spirit puppet myself, all the while feeling the glamor and beauty of wish fulfillment. The Burmese puppets in this picture are the personification of nat spirits. They come alive in the opening act of a Burmese marionette opera performance to pay respect to the patron goddess of the theatre and to propitiate Tha-gya-min, King of the panthe
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Marisa Cranfill
This boutique in Chiang Mai combined Taoist philosophy, a Thai spirit house and modern home décor to create a charming little storefront that immediately caught my attention. The well-known symbol representing yin and yang in this photograph is called taijitu in Chinese meaning ‘diagram of the supreme ultimate’. It is the great yantra of Chinese cosmology. Unlike the ornate geometrical diagrams of Tibet and India the taijitu us
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Marisa Cranfill
Being a collector of spirit house imagery, I can't help but get excited when I find a beautiful composition. Here is a classic pair of spirit houses placed beside a teak wood gate painted in an ombre rainbow of earthy and delightful hues. Each spirit house is made from a different material. The spirit house on the lower left is a saan jao thii. It is constructed from teak wood, the material used to build a traditional Thai house. This is where t
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Marisa Cranfill
Animism is in fashion. And I am not talking about our infatuation with cats, dogs and sloths (my favorite are photo shoots of iguanas dressed up as rock stars). Animism is the belief that a soul or spirit exists in every object, whether animate or inanimate. The word comes from the Latin anima, meaning ‘breath’. In Thai and Lao culture the anima is called kwan- a vital essence that exists in different concentrations: humans, animals,
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Marisa Cranfill
Our ferry boat arrives in the lazy afternoon. The air feels pleasantly cooler even though I can still see the high rise jungle of Panama City twelve miles away. At first impression Taboga is a humble and understated island and it is hard to grasp that it has been sought out as a refuge for tourists, US military, artists, pirates and fisherman since the 16th century. But as our golf cart driver takes us through a maze of candy colored houses, typi
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Marisa Cranfill
On my recent trip to Thailand I found myself spending more time at amulet markets than I had planned. The largest amulet market in Bangkok, called Talad Phra Kreung, is a playground of magical regalia and a must see if you are into supernatural adventures. At the market devotion, fashion, food and the spirit world merge to create a very sanuk experience. Thai people believe that amulets are potent objects (kwan khlang) that have sacred power (sa
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Marisa Cranfill
Thailand is a tropical country that is said to have three seasons: hot, hotter and wet. Adapting to the weather is so much a part of Thai culture that the people place a high value on staying cool. This applies to the body and emotions as well as to the spirit world. Spirit houses are preferably placed under the shade of large trees, though sometimes this is not an option. In the image shown here, the land owners have solved the problem by
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Marisa Cranfill
The vertical buildings of Bangkok’s metropolis often pose a supernatural dilemma for Thai people. Here two spirit houses have been placed on the second floor balcony of a restaurant at a popular intersection in Bangkok. Although it appears to be a charming choice, the person behind this spiritual landscaping has ignored an important rule of spirit house placement. Rule #2: Always place the spirit house for the land guardians on the e
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Marisa Cranfill
That classic logo! That bright red color! Fanta soda pop may be the official drink of the Thai spirit world. Thai people will tell you that the land guardians and spirits are attracted to its sticky sweet flavor and bright color, but I have other theories. Red offerings are too common on the tables of spirit houses around Thailand not to be ignored, especially when associated with Mother Earth. All cultures have used blood sacrifice at one time i
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