News
FestivalsDay of the Dead FestivalFestivalsDay Of The Dead Festival Hispanic HeritageDivination"Divining with the Elements: A Conversation about Astrology" with KL Mays and Alice Sparkly KatStage magicWhat Was Halloween Like 100 Years Ago?DivinationThe GPT Oracle: 1 in 10 Americans are reviving the pagan practice of prophecyLiving traditionsVoodoo and the School System in HaitiFestivalsFour Delightful Children’s Books About Día de los Muertos/Day of the DeadFestivalsCasa de México in Madrid unveils 2026 Day of the Dead altar inspired by Michoacán and Agustín LaraFestivalsDay of the Dead in Chicago: a celebration of (after) lifeCharmsHow Christian Amulets Preserved Ancient Roman Traditions Despite Religious ChangeFestivalsDay of the Dead FestivalFestivalsDay Of The Dead Festival Hispanic HeritageDivination"Divining with the Elements: A Conversation about Astrology" with KL Mays and Alice Sparkly KatStage magicWhat Was Halloween Like 100 Years Ago?DivinationThe GPT Oracle: 1 in 10 Americans are reviving the pagan practice of prophecyLiving traditionsVoodoo and the School System in HaitiFestivalsFour Delightful Children’s Books About Día de los Muertos/Day of the DeadFestivalsCasa de México in Madrid unveils 2026 Day of the Dead altar inspired by Michoacán and Agustín LaraFestivalsDay of the Dead in Chicago: a celebration of (after) lifeCharmsHow Christian Amulets Preserved Ancient Roman Traditions Despite Religious Change
EveryJaadu

Rites, spells and ceremonies

Things done in a set way: cleansings, offerings, blessings, binding and unbinding, initiations.

A flame: fire as it is used in rites of cleansing, offering and passage, from household hearths to great festivals.

A rite is something done in a set way: a cleansing, an offering, a blessing, an initiation, a binding. What marks it out is form, with fixed words, gestures, timing and often a specialist to lead it. Rites exist in every culture, from the Catholic exorcism and the Vedic fire offering to the Yoruba sacrifice and the Aboriginal ceremony. This page describes them as customs, in outline. Here they are described as customs and in outline only.

Parts of a rite

Most rites share a few parts: a prepared space, a purifying act, speech or song, a gesture, an offering, and a closing that returns everyone to ordinary life. Scholars such as Arnold van Gennep called rites of passage a sequence of separation, threshold and return. Many rites also mark a time: the new moon, the solstice, a death, a birth, a wedding. Some are done once in a lifetime and some every day, and the same gesture can be a rite in one house and a habit in the next.

Who may perform

Some rites belong to anyone in the household, such as sweeping the house at new year or tying a thread on a child's wrist. Others need an officiant: a priest, a medium, a shaman or an initiated elder. Women often hold domestic rites and are shut out of public priesthood, though in places such as Korea, the Philippines and parts of Africa women lead spirit rites. A rite is also tied to a community: it is done with others present, who witness it and agree that it counts.

Rites that hurt

Not every rite is gentle. Some involve animal sacrifice, which is a normal part of a number of living religions and is performed under rules of its own. Exorcism rites have caused real harm when applied to people with mental illness or to children accused of witchcraft, with deaths reported from beatings, fasting and restraint. Illness needs real medical care. Others are simple and joyful, such as a blessing over bread or a thread on a wrist, and carry no danger at all, which is why most rites are never remarked upon.

Change and commerce

Rites move with people. Diaspora communities adapt them to apartments, city streets and other languages. Some are now sold as retreats or workshops, which can strip them from their community and context. Tourism has also turned ceremonies into shows, and communities increasingly set rules about who may watch, photograph or join. Government rules shape rites too: some countries license ritual slaughter, others require permits for processions, and a few have banned particular ceremonies outright, so a rite can become a legal question as well as a religious one.

Rite on EveryJaadu

The entries written up so far, best known first.

RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
PurposeProtectionHealingSeeing and foretellingLuck and prosperityLove and attractionCursing and harmCleansing and purificationSpeaking with spirits and the deadChange and initiationBinding and oathsPower and authorityWonder and entertainment
WhoShamansFolk healersPriests and ritual specialistsWitches, sorcerers and cunning folkDiviners and readersMediums and the possessedCeremonial magicians and alchemistsHouseholds and ordinary peopleStage magiciansScholars and sceptics
BeliefHindu and TantricBuddhistJainMuslim and SufiJewishChristianSikhZoroastrianShinto and TaoistIndigenous and shamanicAfrican and Afro-diasporicPagan and NeopaganEsoteric and occultFolk and village customSecular and stageOther traditions
OccasionWeddings and betrothalFestivalsBirth and childhoodDeath and remembranceHarvest, farming and weatherNew yearInitiation and coming of ageIllness and misfortuneJourneys and voyagesEveryday use
StandingLivingRevivedFadingHistoricalLegendaryPerformed
OrderBest knownA to ZNewestLiving first
🇪🇬 EgyptCurse A spoken wish for misfortune to befall a person or placeBelief · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical 🇸🇪 Sweden and 1 moreSoul flight A trance practice where the spirit leaves the body to visit other realmsRite · Healing · Seeing and foretelling Historical 🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreChild sacrifice The ritual killing of children to appease deities or restore cosmic order in ancient culturesRite · Cursing and harm · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical 🇪🇬 EgyptAncient Egyptian afterlife beliefs A system of rituals and texts guiding the soul through the underworld to eternal rebirthTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical 🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreFoundation deposit Ritual burial of objects under buildings to protect them from ruinRite · Protection Historical 🇪🇬 Egypt and 2 moreLibation The ritual pouring of liquid as an offering to spirits or the deadRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Living 🇮🇳 IndiaTheyyam A ritual dance from Kerala where performers embody deities through elaborate costume and songRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Living 🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreKorean shamanismKorean shamanism (Korean: Korean shamanism) A traditional practice of ritual specialists who mediate between the human and spirit worlds.Tradition · Healing · Protection Living 🇲🇳 Mongolia and 2 moreMongolian shamanismBöö mörgöl The animistic and shamanic ethnic religion of the Mongol peoples, centered on sky worship and ancestral spirits.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living 🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreZārزار A spirit possession tradition and healing ritual in the Horn of Africa and Middle EastTradition · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living 🇳🇿 New Zealand and 5 moreFace tattoo Marks inked on the face for spiritual protection, identity, rank, and rite of passageTradition · Protection · Power and authority Living 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreAncestor worship Rites of respect for the dead that maintain family bonds and seek spiritual guidanceTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living 🇿🇦 South Africa and 5 moreTraditional healers of Southern Africa Practitioners who blend herbal medicine with ancestral divination in Southern AfricaTradition · Healing · Protection Living 🇸🇳 Senegal and 5 moreAncestor veneration Rituals of respect and offerings for the dead across many culturesTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living 🇿🇦 South AfricaUkuthwasa A spiritual calling and initiation process for traditional healers in Southern Africa.Rite · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living 🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreBoriBòòríí A traditional Hausa spirit possession system and healing practice in West AfricaTradition · Healing · Luck and prosperity Living 🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreSacred dance Movement used in worship to honour deities, heal communities, or connect with the spirit world.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreSandpainting A ritual art of pouring colored sand to create temporary images for healing or spiritual teachingTradition · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreDay of the DeadDía de los Muertos A Mexican holiday honoring the dead with altars, food, and humor during Allhallowtide.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Luck and prosperity Living 🇧🇷 Brazil and 5 moreSanto Daime A Brazilian syncretic religion using ayahuasca for spiritual work and healingTradition · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living 🇦🇺 AustraliaWelcome to Country A ceremony performed by Aboriginal elders to welcome visitors to their landRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living 🇦🇺 AustraliaSmoking ceremony A ritual using herbal smoke for cleansing and welcoming among Aboriginal AustraliansRite · Cleansing and purification · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living 🇻🇺 Vanuatu and 5 moreKava culture A shared ritual across Oceania where a root brew marks ceremony, respect, and social gathering.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Luck and prosperity Living 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreLaying on of handsסמיכה A physical gesture used across religions to convey authority, healing, or spiritual presence.Rite · Healing · Power and authority Living 🇲🇬 MadagascarFamadihana A Malagasy ritual to rewrap ancestors and celebrate their return to the spirit worldRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Luck and prosperity Fading 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreRainmaking rites Ceremonies performed to call rain through prayer, dance, or symbolic actsRite · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

Photo credits on this page

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

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven entries you may not know, what is on the calendar this week, and one rite drawn step by step.