All entries
2,161 entries so far, best known first. 3,219 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
馃嚫馃嚘 Saudi Arabia and 1 moreDhikr匕賽賰賿乇
Islamic remembrance of God through repeated recitation and prayerRite 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 1 moreCorpus Hermeticum
A collection of Greek writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus that shaped Western esoteric thoughtText 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Change and initiation Historical
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran and 2 moreHaoma
A divine plant and spirit in Zoroastrianism, linked to healing and ancient rituals.Substance 路 Healing 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 3 moreSama爻賲丕毓
A Sufi ritual of listening, music, and whirling to reach spiritual ecstasyRite 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Change and initiation Living
馃嚠馃嚪 IranPersian mysticism
A spiritual tradition in Iran blending ancient beliefs with Sufi practice and poetic thought.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Change and initiation Living
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 1 moreAiwass
A voice that dictated a foundational occult text to Aleister Crowley in 1904Being 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚠馃嚪 IranBalaibalan亘丕賱賷亘賱賳
An early constructed language from the Islamic world, likely created for sacred or poetic purposes.Text 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran and 5 moreKhidr丕賱禺囟乇
A Qur'anic guide and saint believed to hold hidden wisdom and aid those in need.Being 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Power and authority Living
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Marsilio Ficino: Marsilio Ficino, Public domain, source
- Khidr: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Dhikr: Eug猫ne Baugnies, Public domain, source
- Sama: myself, Public domain, source