Thai Spirit Cults (epub)
Ivy Senna explores two lesser- known spirit cults in Thailand: the cult of Pu Sae Ya Sae, and the nora shaman-dancer troupes and shows that ‘the heart of Thai occult lies in its spirits’.
When one hears the phrase ‘Thai magic’ or ‘Thai occult’, the first images that spring to mind tend to be that of amulets: Buddha amulets, prai amulets, and all sorts of talismans which are habitually romanticized or even fetishized by those interested in the Thai magical arts. What is missing from the discussion regarding Thai magic and spirituality is a deeper dive into the various shamanistic interactions between Thai locals and the Other— the spirits of the human dead, and those who are not human.
In Thai Spirit Cults: On Shamanism, Mediumship and Spirit Veneration in Thailand, Ivy Senna addresses this missing component of with a short exploration of two lesser- known spirit cults in Thailand: the cult of Pu Sae Ya Sae, and the nora shaman-dancer troupes and shows that ‘the heart of Thai occult lies in its spirits’.
Thai Spirit Cults: On Shamanism, Mediumship and Spirit Veneration in Thailand
Ivy Senna
Cover and interior images by Ivy Senna
ISBN 978-1-915933-04-1
A Guide to the Underworld
Published April 2024
16 pages (in print)
