All entries
2,660 entries so far, best known first. 2,250 more are on the list to be written. Narrow by region, kind, purpose, practitioner, belief world, occasion or how alive it is.
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
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreSatanism
A modern set of beliefs using the figure of Satan as a symbol or deity.Tradition · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomEnglish folklore
The myths, legends, and customs of England passed down through generations.Tradition · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreBrigid's crossCros Bhríde
A woven straw charm hung for protection, named after Ireland's patron saintCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreTetragrammatonיהוה
The four-letter name of God in the Hebrew Bible, written as YHWH.Belief · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇮🇪 Ireland and 4 moreWinter solstice
The shortest day and longest night of the year, marked by rites of solar returnTradition · Seeing and foretelling · Protection Living
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreSpirit possession
A global belief that spirits or demons can take control of a person's body and mindBelief · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Living
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreSnake worship
Veneration of serpents as divine or ancestral beings across global culturesTradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSt John's Eve
A Christian vigil marked by bonfires and plant gathering on the summer solstice eveRite · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇪🇸 Spain and 6 moreBurning of Judas
An Easter rite where an effigy of the betrayer is destroyed by fire or other meansRite · Cursing and harm · Cleansing and purification Living
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 4 moreBudaቡዳ
An Ethiopian and Eritrean belief in the evil eye and hyena transformationBelief · Cursing and harm · Protection Living
🇲🇽 Mexico and 3 moreFolk saint
Unofficially recognized holy figures venerated by local communities for intercession and miraclesBelief · Protection · Healing Living
🇬🇭 GhanaWitchcraft in Ghana
Beliefs in harmful magic and the social violence that follows accusations in GhanaBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoKindoki
A belief in spirit possession that leads to abuse and abandonment in the Congo regionBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreHoly well
A water source revered for healing and ritual across pagan and Christian traditionsTradition · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇸🇳 Senegal and 5 morePentagramπεντάγραμμον
A five-pointed star figure used across history for protection, ritual, and cosmologyCharm · Protection · Binding and oaths Living
🇯🇲 Jamaica and 5 moreObeah
A Caribbean tradition of ritual healing and spell-casting with African rootsTradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇨🇫 Central African Republic and 5 moreWitchcraft in Africa
Beliefs about supernatural harm and the social responses to accusations across the continentBelief · Cursing and harm · Protection Living
🇩🇪 Germany and 7 moreWalpurgis NightWalpurgisnacht
A spring vigil marking the eve of Saint Walpurga's feast day with bonfires and student festivalsRite · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇺🇸 United StatesPunxsutawney Phil
A groundhog who serves as the central figure in an annual American weather prediction festival.Belief · Seeing and foretelling Living
🇹🇴 Tonga and 5 moreTabootapu
A cultural prohibition that marks something as forbidden or sacredBelief · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 7 moreSaint Andrew's Day
A Christian feast day marked by national holidays in Scotland and Romania, and folk divination across Europe.Rite · Seeing and foretelling · Luck and prosperity Living
🇮🇪 Ireland and 4 moreFour-leaf clover
A rare plant mutation believed to bring good luck and used as a symbol of fortune.Charm · Luck and prosperity Living
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreVotive offering
Objects left in sacred places to honor a deity or fulfill a vow, never to be recovered.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇵🇭 PhilippinesPhilippine mythology
The indigenous myths and spirits of the Philippines, shaped by centuries of trade and colonial contact.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreScottish folkloreBeul-aithris na h-Alba
The myths, creatures and beliefs of the Scottish people, recorded from ancient times to the present.Tradition · Seeing and foretelling · Protection Living
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreSpirit
An invisible force or soul found in many cultures, linked to gods, humans, and nature.Being · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreAsian witchcraft
A broad overview of magical practices and persecution across Asian culturesTradition · Cursing and harm · Protection Living
🇦🇷 Argentina and 1 moreSpiritual mapping
A Christian practice of mapping locations to identify and pray against territorial demonsBelief · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇮🇱 Israel and 4 moreAngelמלאך
A supernatural messenger or intermediary spirit found in many religious traditions.Being · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Living
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreTerritorial spirit
A belief that demons or angels rule over specific lands and nations.Belief · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Living
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreTree of life vision
A symbolic prophecy in the Book of Mormon about salvation and spiritual perilBelief · Protection · Healing Living
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreWitchwiċċe
The English word for a magic-worker, from Old English wiċċe to WiccaFigure · Cursing and harm · Seeing and foretelling Living
🇬🇷 GreeceSacred mysteriesμυστήριον
Secret ceremonies and divine doctrines held to exceed human reasonBelief · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Change and initiation Living
🇮🇹 ItalyWitchcraft in Italy
Inquisition trials, a fertility cult and love magic in early modern ItalyTradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreAnima SolaÁnimas del purgatorio
A soul in purgatory depicted in art and prayer across Catholic and Afro-Caribbean traditionsBelief · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 2 moreChristian demonology
How Christian writers mapped demons: their fall, numbers, bodies and tricksTradition · Protection · Cleansing and purification Living
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreLutzelfrau
A German Alpine witch who brings fruit or punishes childrenFigure · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇺🇸 United StatesChristian views on magic
A spectrum of Christian beliefs about magical practices, ranging from strict condemnation to esoteric integration.Belief · Cursing and harm · Protection Living
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreUnclean spiritπνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον (pneuma akatharton)
A spirit of impurity in biblical belief, driven out by breath, smoke and wordsBeing · Cleansing and purification · Cursing and harm Living
🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreCrown of Immortality
A wreath of leaves, then a ring of stars, said to mark a life that does not endBelief · Power and authority Living
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreWitchcraft accusations against children
Historical and modern persecution of children blamed for witchcraftBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 5 moreApocryphal prayer
A folk prayer text blending church forms with apocrypha and incantations for protection and healingText · Protection · Healing Living
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreMammon in popular culture
The personification of wealth and greed across stories, games, and media.Figure · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Living
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreDamnation
A state of divine punishment or separation from the sacred after deathBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreSailors' superstitions
A global collection of omens, charms and taboos used by mariners to manage the risks of life at seaBelief · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreVanishing hitchhiker
An urban legend where a motorist picks up a passenger who vanishes, often leaving behind proof of their death.Belief · Seeing and foretelling · Wonder and entertainment Living
🇳🇬 Nigeria and 5 moreWitchcraft accusations against children in Africa
Violent persecution of children blamed for misfortune across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyondBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreSpiritualism
A metaphysical belief that spirits communicate with the living through mediums.Belief · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Anima Sola: Muñoz LC, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Crown of Immortality: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Xauxa, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Witchcraft in Latin America: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
- English folklore: J. R. Skelton, Public domain, source
- Tagalog religion: The original uploader was Rodsan18 at English Wikipedia . ( Original t, CC BY 2.5, source
- Spiritualism: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, source
- Tetragrammaton: Lakisletter.gif : derivative work: Filii Henoch ( talk ), Public domain, source
- Winter solstice: Image by Przemyslaw " Blueshade " Idzkiewicz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Spirit possession: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
- Snake worship: Alexandermcnabb, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- St John's Eve: Jules Breton, Public domain, source
- Magic circle: John William Waterhouse, Public domain, source
- Sacred mysteries: Johannes Hopffe, Public domain, source
- Burning of Judas: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Imbolc: Culnacreann, CC BY 3.0, source
- Buda: Aberdeen Bestiary, Public domain, source
- Folk saint: Sergio Serrano, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Christian views on magic: Athanasius Kircher, Public domain, source
- Unclean spirit: David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Satanism: Alexandre Cabanel, Public domain, source
- Witchcraft accusations against children: Radbot, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Witchcraft in Ghana: SALTN, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Holy well: The Speckled Bird, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Damnation: Didier Descouens, Public domain, source
- Pentagram: Tomruen, Attribution, source
- Obeah: Various, published by David Nutt, Public domain, source
- Spirit: Jastrow, Public domain, source
- Walpurgis Night: Luis Ricardo Falero, Public domain, source
- Lutzelfrau: Karel Rozum, Public domain, source
- Asian witchcraft: Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Public domain, source
- Punxsutawney Phil: Anthony Quintano, CC BY 2.0, source
- Angel: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Taboo: Jonathan McIntosh, CC BY 2.0, source
- Saint Andrew's Day: Henryk Siemiradzki, Public domain, source
- Sailors' superstitions: Siren Painter (eponymous vase), Public domain, source
- Four-leaf clover: Phyzome under the GFDL., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Christian demonology: Attributed to Michelangelo, Public domain, source
- Tree of life vision: David Hyrum Smith, Public domain, source
- Votive offering: Walter J. Pilsak, Waldsassen ( W.J.Pilsak at de.wikipedia ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source