Shinto and Taoist: magic in this belief world

Ofuda and omamori, fu talismans, onmyodo, and the rites of temples and mountains.

Shinto and Taoism are two major East Asian religions, and both include rites that outsiders may label magic. Shinto shrines sell omamori and perform purification, and Taoist priests make fu talismans and perform rites for the living and the dead. Related practices include onmyodo in Japan and feng shui and divination in China. This page covers how these traditions work and how states have treated them. They differ greatly: Shinto is tied to place and community, while Taoism offers both a philosophy and an organised priesthood.

Shinto rites

Shinto centres on kami, the spirits and powers of places and ancestors, and on purification (harae). Shrines offer omamori, ofuda and fortune slips called omikuji, and priests perform rites for new cars, buildings and births. Many Japanese take part without describing themselves as believers, and the rites are woven into the calendar. Ordinary visitors buy a charm for a particular aim, such as safe childbirth, exam success or traffic safety, and may return it to the shrine after a year.

Taoist ritual and talismans

Taoism includes philosophy, monastic practice and a priestly tradition of liturgy and exorcism. Priests of lineages such as Zhengyi write fu, written talismans, and perform rites for protection and the dead. The I Ching and feng shui are also linked with Taoist thought, though they have separate histories. Several Chinese dynasties licensed Taoist priests and also tried to control them. Taoist masters have trained in lineages that run for many generations, and some rites are reserved for the ordained and not for the public.

Onmyodo and the state

Onmyodo, a Japanese system of divination and calendar-keeping drawn from Chinese yin-yang thought, served the imperial court. The famed Abe no Seimei lived in the Heian period. The Meiji government abolished the official onmyodo bureau in 1870 and separated Shinto from Buddhism, which reshaped practice. In China, Taoist temples were closed during the Cultural Revolution and have partly revived. Women have long served as shrine maidens in Shinto and as priests in several Taoist lineages, though the top posts are mostly held by men.

Commerce and the West

Feng shui and fortune-telling are large industries in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the diaspora, and Japanese lucky charms are bought by tourists. Scholars debate the line between religion and superstition, a distinction introduced in Asia by modern states in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Practitioners tend to describe what they do as ritual service to the community. Taiwanese and Hong Kong temples and Japanese shrines are visited by large numbers of people, and communities overseas have built new shrines and temples.

Shinto and Taoist on EveryJaadu

The entries written up so far, best known first.

RegionSouth Asia Southeast Asia East Asia Central Asia and the Caucasus Middle East North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Europe North America Latin America and the Caribbean Oceania

KindTradition Rite Charm Oracle Substance Being Figure Text Illusion Belief

PurposeProtection Healing Seeing and foretelling Luck and prosperity Love and attraction Cursing and harm Cleansing and purification Speaking with spirits and the dead Change and initiation Binding and oaths Power and authority Wonder and entertainment

WhoShamans Folk healers Priests and ritual specialists Witches, sorcerers and cunning folk Diviners and readers Mediums and the possessed Ceremonial magicians and alchemists Households and ordinary people Stage magicians Scholars and sceptics

OccasionWeddings and betrothal Festivals Birth and childhood Death and remembrance Harvest, farming and weather New year Initiation and coming of age Illness and misfortune Journeys and voyages Everyday use

StandingLiving Revived Fading Historical Legendary Performed

OrderBest known A to Z Newest Living first

🇯🇵 JapanKitsuneきつね A Japanese fox spirit known for shapeshifting and trickeryBeing · Cursing and harm · Protection Legendary

🇯🇵 JapanKagura神楽 A Shinto ritual dance where performers embody deities to purify and welcome spiritsTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreDongyue Dadi東嶽大帝 The Chinese mountain god of Mount Tai who rules lifespans and underworld recordsBeing · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreAncestor veneration in China中國傳統宗法性宗教 Rites for dead kin who are thought to watch over the familyTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreMisogi禊 A Shinto rite of full-body purification using cold waterRite · Cleansing and purification · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇯🇵 JapanOmamori御守/お守り Japanese amulets from shrines and temples for luck and protectionCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living 🇯🇵 JapanOmamori (sample)お守り A small shrine charm in a brocade pouch.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇨🇳 ChinaJin Chan金蟾 A three-legged toad charm used in feng shui to attract wealth and guard against bad luckBeing · Luck and prosperity · Protection Living

🇨🇳 China and 4 moreFuji扶乩 Chinese planchette writing: gods and ancestors reply through a stylus on sandRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Seeing and foretelling Living

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreChinese shamanism巫教 (Wūjiào) Spirit-mediums of China who dance and trance to carry messages between people and godsTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Seeing and foretelling Living

🇯🇵 JapanHamaya破魔矢 A blunt arrow given at shrines to ward off evil and secure good luck for the new yearCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇯🇵 JapanUshi no toki mairi丑の時参り A Japanese ritual of cursing performed at a shrine during the early morning hours.Rite · Cursing and harm Historical

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreJiaobei筊杯 (jiǎobēi) Wooden crescent blocks thrown in pairs to ask temple deities yes or no questionsOracle · Seeing and foretelling · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇹🇼 Taiwan and 1 moreOng Yah王爺 (Ông-iâ) Royal Lord deities of Fujian and Taiwan who tour the land, driving out diseaseBeing · Protection · Healing Living

🇨🇳 China and 2 moreCoin-sword辟邪劍 (bì xié jiàn) A Chinese numismatic talisman made of cash coins strung on a rod to ward off evil spiritsCharm · Protection Living

🇯🇵 JapanUchide no kozuchi打ち出の小槌 A legendary Japanese magic hammer that taps out desired items from thin airFigure · Luck and prosperity · Power and authority Legendary 🇯🇵 JapanUkehi誓 A Japanese divination ritual using oaths and sortition to seek the will of the kamiRite · Seeing and foretelling · Cursing and harm Historical 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 moreJapanese numismatic charm絵銭 Coin-shaped charms from Japan used for protection, luck, and blessings.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇯🇵 JapanChinkon kishin鎮魂帰神 A Japanese spiritual practice combining soul calming with spirit possessionRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Healing Living

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreLock charms家锁 / 锁片 (jiā suǒ / suǒ piàn) A Chinese metal pendant shaped like a lock to protect children from harm and death.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical 🇯🇵 JapanJapanese superstitions Common beliefs in Japan about luck, numbers, and omens rooted in language and customBelief · Luck and prosperity · Protection Living 🇯🇵 JapanTanukitsuki狸憑き (たぬきつき) A Japanese folk belief where a tanuki spirit possesses a human, causing illness and strange behavior.Belief · Cursing and harm Historical

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreFalun Gong法轮功 A Chinese cultivation practice blending meditative exercises with moral principlesTradition · Healing · Protection Living

🇨🇳 China and 5 moreMoon rabbit月兔 (yuètù) A mythical figure seen in lunar markings, pounding elixirs or rice cakes across Asia and the Americas.Being · Wonder and entertainment Living

🇯🇵 JapanNamazu鯰 A giant catfish myth believed to cause earthquakes in JapanBeing Legendary

🇯🇵 JapanGashadokuroがしゃどくろ A giant skeleton spirit born from the bones of those who died in war or famine.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇯🇵 JapanRaijū雷獣 A Japanese lightning creature that sleeps in navels and falls from stormsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇯🇵 JapanMazoku魔族 Supernatural beings in Japanese myth and fantasy, often evil.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreQianliyan千里眼 A Chinese sea and door god with clairvoyant sight, guardian of the sea goddess MazuBeing · Protection Living

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreNuo folk religion傩 (Nuó) A Chinese exorcistic tradition using wooden masks and ancestor worship to drive away malevolent forcesTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇨🇳 ChinaPeaches of Immortality仙桃 Legendary Chinese fruits said to grant eternal life to deities and mortalsSubstance · Luck and prosperity · Change and initiation Legendary 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreKōshin庚申信仰 A Japanese folk belief involving vigils to prevent internal spirits from reporting human deeds to heavenBelief · Protection · Healing Living 🇯🇵 JapanOsakabehime刑部姫 A yōkai spirit said to inhabit Himeji Castle and reveal its fate.Being · Seeing and foretelling Legendary 🇯🇵 JapanŌnyūdō大僧正 A giant monk spirit in Japanese folklore, ranging from helpful helpers to menacing shadows.Being · Cursing and harm · Healing Legendary

🇨🇳 ChinaInterconnected-arm gibbon通臂猿 A mythical primate with linked arms that can extend one limb by pulling in the other.Figure · Power and authority Legendary 🇰🇷 South KoreaMago Halmi마고할미 A giant creator goddess in Korean mythology associated with hemp weaving and the separation of heaven and earth.Figure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇯🇵 JapanFutomani太占 A Shinto divination method using heated deer shoulder blades to read future patternsOracle · Seeing and foretelling Living

🇯🇵 JapanAmabieアマビエ A prophetic sea creature from Japan that wards off disease with its imageFigure · Protection · Seeing and foretelling Legendary

🇯🇵 JapanMagatama勾玉 A curved Japanese bead used as jewelry, status symbol, and sacred object in Shinto.Charm · Power and authority · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇯🇵 JapanDaigensuihō大元帥法 An Esoteric Shingon Buddhist rite for military defense and cursing enemiesRite · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical

🇯🇵 JapanOmamori御守/お守り Japanese amulets from shrines and temples for luck and protectionCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇯🇵 JapanBanchō Sarayashiki番町皿屋敷 A Japanese ghost story about a servant who dies unjustly and haunts her murderer by counting plates.Figure · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇨🇳 ChinaAo鰲 A colossal sea turtle of Chinese myth whose legs support the skyBeing · Protection · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇯🇵 JapanKuzunoha葛の葉 A kitsune spirit and mother of the famous onmyōji Abe no Seimei in Japanese folkloreFigure · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇯🇵 Japan and 1 morePower spotパワースポット A Japanese term for places believed to hold strong earth energy and healing power.Belief · Healing · Power and authority Living

🇯🇵 JapanAkabeko赤べこ A bobbing papier-mâché toy from Japan believed to ward off illnessCharm · Protection · Healing Living

🇯🇵 JapanGoryō御霊 A Japanese belief in appeasing vengeful spirits through Shinto shrinesBelief · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical 🇯🇵 JapanYakudoshi厄年 Traditional Japanese ages believed to bring bad luck and the rituals used to ward them offBelief · Protection Living

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Jin Chan: Tristanb, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Ao: David Jackson, CC BY-SA 2.0 uk, source
Chinkon kishin: Tomokiyo Yoshisane (友清歓真), also known as Tomokiyo Kyūgo (友清九吾), Public domain, source
Hamaya: Tomomarusan, CC BY 2.5, source
Curse: Katsushika Hokusai, Public domain, source
Jiaobei: Jnzl's Public Domain Photos, CC BY 2.0, source
Ong Yah: Suzuki1314 at Chinese Wikipedia, Public domain, source
Uchide no kozuchi: Yashima Gakutei, CC0, source
Kitsune: Yoshitoshi, Public domain, source
Kagura: Elstner Hilton, Public domain, source
Ancestor veneration in China: Three huntings, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Omamori: Leongboy1, Public domain, source
Moon rabbit: An artist, Public domain, source
Falun Gong: longtrekhome, CC BY 3.0, source
Namazu: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
Gashadokuro: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Nuo folk religion: Wikiwikiyarou, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Peaches of Immortality: Anonymous ( China ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
Banchō Sarayashiki: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Okiku ,, Public domain, source
Misogi: Ds13 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Daigensuihō: Kamakura-period artist; photo by Kudo Risaburo (工藤利三郎), Public domain, source
Magatama: Kakidai, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Amabie: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Chinese shamanism: No machine-readable author provided. +上帝+ assumed (based on copyright, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Coin-sword: Etnografiska museet, CC BY 2.5, source
Interconnected-arm gibbon: Xuande Emperor, Public domain, source
Fuji: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
Dongyue Dadi: H2v5o68z, CC0, source
Futomani: Miura Hiroyuki, Public domain, source
Lock charms: Scott Semans World Coins (CoinCoin.com)., CC BY 3.0, source
Qianliyan: 玄史生, CC0, source
Kuzunoha: Print artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) Print artist: Utagawa Hiroshige, Public domain, source
Power spot: ccfarmer, CC BY 3.0, source
Akabeko: Wdqh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Goryō: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892), Public domain, source