Torii

These iconic gates mark the boundary of sacred areas. You'll find them at Shinto sites, most often. On occasion, you'll see them at Buddhist ones too.
Sometimes they serve as gateways to the otherworldly Spirit Realm, where the heavens bend down to touch the earth.

Signs a torii may lead to the spirit realm

Things that seem unnatural or a little out of place such as perfectly straight paths or absolutely symmetrical lines of trees

Mists so thick they might just be solid enough to walk on

A soft glow from the torii or objects near it

The gate suddenly appears or seems to have no shrine or temple nearby

Etiquette

Stand off center on the path and bow before going through. Remember not to walk in the center. That's where the kami tread, hidden among us. Should their retinue need to make way for the kami, you could get pushed off the path and end up who knows where in the spirit realm.

Gate Stability

The safest way to enter the sacred area are through the torii, since they create a stable gateway to the spirit realm, if the connection is established at the time. Should you go around the gate and off the path, you might end up in one of the unstable doors. Who knows how fast time will pass before you find your way back to the human realm or if you'll ever manage to return.

---

Return to Spooktober page to read more

Spooktober Prompt

Otherworldly

Related Reading