Mae Mot CeremonyMee Mot translates directly from Thai as "witch". Although this does not capture the true meaning of this ceremony especially if using the definition of witch in the Western, fairy tale sense.
Mae Mot is an ancient Khmer cultural tradition passed down from generation to generation.
This speaks for the ancient Khmer culture that still exists today in the provinces of Surin,
Buriram, and Sisaket Thailand.
The purpose of having a mee mot ceremony is apparently for the healing of sick people as well as to counteract a string of unfortunate events or deaths that have happened in the village.
Thus, to re-align the equilibrium of karma and good fortune. Central to the ceremony is getting community support and participation.
It take cooks, musicians, a cheering crowd, and many participants to conduct a mee mot ceremony.
Take note that only women are those who come to actively participate in mee mot.
These women come to represent sickly, recently deceased, or unfortunate people of whom are close kin.
It is understood that men are ineligible to summon the spirit or mae mot. The ceremonial music begins in the late afternoon and goes all through the night until late the next morning, sometimes even longer.
The ladies participating go through a stage of summoning up the spirits of their ancestors and inviting them to come and possess their bodies here on Earth. Indicating respect for the spirits, offering them thanks through volunteering their bodies as visiting vessels, and asking for spiritual healing from celestial beings.
The women take on different characters throughout this process, they become men, they become old, young, etc. depending on the spirit that is possessing them.
The energy runs through their bodies unbeknownst to their conscious mind. Onlookers cheer and watch with excitement.
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