Have you ever heard of a spirit house? 

A childhood friend of mine went on a trip to Thailand and shared her photos on FaceBook. I was enchanted by the pictures of spirit houses she posted and asked her about them. That sparked some research into the history of these delightful little houses in Southeast Asia. 

Photos from my friend's FaceBook news feed.

Spirit houses are built as a home for the spirits of a place and to ask permission to use the land. It's a way of honouring the spirits and to leave offerings. These houses often have an open area at the front where offerings of food, flowers, incense and candles can be made. If you peek inside, you may see small figurines of people and animals, even furniture. 

What a Great Way to Acknowledge the Energy of the Land

When my daughter spotted a homemade wooden house at a flea market, I knew we had found our very own spirit house. It needed a bit of work to ensure it could withstand rain and snow, but it only cost me $20. Worth every penny. 

I decided that I really wanted tiny lights in my spirit house as an invitation to whatever spirits may seek shelter within this little home. I purchased a string of minuscule LED lights that are waterproof and come with a remote control timer and choice of modes for the lights. Think twinkle, chase, blink, etc. Fortunately, there was already a wooden post with an outdoor outlet in my garden that was installed by the previous owner. 

Since I wanted to create a shelter for the heart of the garden, I have the lights set to pulse over and over, like a slow heartbeat. The effect is quite magical. I don't plan on making food offerings, but I will add some pretty crystals to the interior.

The "tree" base is a lovely gnarly cutting, wired to the post.

Ideas for Making Your Own Spirit House

You don't need to build your own house, I would suggest looking for second hand or new bird houses. There are some really gorgeous ones! Or you might have good luck at a flea market or thrift shop.

If you want to light your house the way I did, you can find tiny light strings on Amazon by searching for fairy lights. A word to the wise, although the lights I have are waterproof (and on wire so you shape them any way you like), all of the connecting bits are not. I used thick plastic and tape to wrap up any parts that need to stay dry. If you are running an extension cord out to the spirit house, make sure you wrap the connected plugs too. 

These lights are available with batteries instead of a plug, but I don't know how long they would last.

This would be a great project to share with kids. They can donate small dolls, or furniture. I'm sure the spirits would appreciate a superhero too. And even better, they can help paint the house in bright colours as they do in Thailand. Spirits of the land easily translates into fairies in the western hemisphere. so it could be a fairy or nature spirit house. It would be a fun way to show gratitude for the land and all it provides.

And now...

A HUGE Thank You

to the woman who inspired the project, Devorah Roytenberg Charash. 

Devorah creates stunning ceramics in Jerusalem. Seriously beautiful work! Visit her website by clicking below:

Devorah Charash-Jerusalem Ceramics