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MuseumsEl Paso Museum of History explores Mexican spiritual tradition Witch-hunts12 of the Creepiest Places Where History Meets Folklore Stage magicLegendary master magician Lance Burton to bring tricks to Fox Cities PAC Witch-huntsWitching Hour in Salem and Beyond—The 12 Scariest Things to Do on Halloween Night MuseumsThis Week in Moab: Magic for Seekhaven and a New Museum Show, October 19–25 DivinationThe Secret Romani History of Tarot Living traditionsMalou Beauvoir Introduces OUR VODOU Book 2, Celebrating Haiti's Heritage Through Children's Storytelling DivinationInside Seattle's witchy side: Tarot, crystals and a little local magic FestivalsMoreno family’s Day of the Dead celebration returns to the Village Green Nov. 1 Stage magicThe Houdini Séance, once a Petaluma tradition, rises from the grave MuseumsEl Paso Museum of History explores Mexican spiritual tradition Witch-hunts12 of the Creepiest Places Where History Meets Folklore Stage magicLegendary master magician Lance Burton to bring tricks to Fox Cities PAC Witch-huntsWitching Hour in Salem and Beyond—The 12 Scariest Things to Do on Halloween Night MuseumsThis Week in Moab: Magic for Seekhaven and a New Museum Show, October 19–25 DivinationThe Secret Romani History of Tarot Living traditionsMalou Beauvoir Introduces OUR VODOU Book 2, Celebrating Haiti's Heritage Through Children's Storytelling DivinationInside Seattle's witchy side: Tarot, crystals and a little local magic FestivalsMoreno family’s Day of the Dead celebration returns to the Village Green Nov. 1 Stage magicThe Houdini Séance, once a Petaluma tradition, rises from the grave

EveryJaadu

All entries

2,683 entries so far, best known first. 2,203 more are on the list to be written. Narrow by region, kind, purpose, practitioner, belief world, occasion or how alive it is.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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

BeliefHindu and Tantric Buddhist Jain Muslim and Sufi Jewish Christian Sikh Zoroastrian Shinto and Taoist Indigenous and shamanic African and Afro-diasporic Pagan and Neopagan Esoteric and occult Folk and village custom Secular and stage Other traditions

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

🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreBogeyman A mythical creature used across cultures to frighten children into obedienceFigure · Cursing and harm Living

🇨🇳 ChinaPixiu貔貅 A winged Chinese creature that guards wealth and wards off evil spiritsFigure · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreKrampus A horned Alpine figure who punishes misbehaving children on KrampusnachtFigure · Cursing and harm Living

🇨🇳 China and 2 moreEight Immortals八仙 Eight legendary Taoist figures of China, each with a power and a vesselFigure · Protection · Healing Living

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreJack A trickster hero from English folklore who outwits giants and oppressorsFigure · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity 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

🇮🇹 ItalyBefana An Italian witch-like figure who delivers gifts on Epiphany EveFigure · Luck and prosperity · Wonder and entertainment Living

🇵🇹 Portugal and 5 moreCocoCoca A monster used to frighten children into obedience across the Iberian world and Latin America.Figure · Cursing and harm · Binding and oaths Living

🇨🇱 Chile and 1 moreMachi Mapuche spiritual authorities and healers who bridge herbal knowledge and spirit realmsTradition · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 morePersonifications of death Figures from many cultures that embody the end of life and guide soulsFigure · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living 🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreSaciSaci-pererê A one-legged prankster of Brazilian folklore who hides in dust devils and wears a magic red cap.Figure · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Living

🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreTooth fairy A childhood figure who exchanges lost baby teeth for gifts or coins.Figure · Luck and prosperity Living

🇷🇺 Russia and 12 moreOgnyena MariaОгнена Марија A Slavic fire goddess linked to lightning, rain, and seasonal fire bansFigure · Protection · Healing Living 🇸🇻 El SalvadorChasca A spirit of the water in Salvadoran folklore who blesses respectful fishermenFigure · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇳🇵 NepalLakheyलाखे (Lākhe) A masked demon figure from Newar folklore, performed in festivals across Nepal.Figure · Protection · Wonder and entertainment Living

🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSack Man A folk figure used to frighten children into good behaviour by threatening to put them in a sackFigure · Cursing and harm 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

🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreLutzelfrau A German Alpine witch who brings fruit or punishes childrenFigure · Protection · Cursing and harm Living 🇦🇷 Argentina and 1 moreSan Baltasar A folk saint of African origin, honoured in Argentina with drums and dance on 6 JanuaryFigure · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇳 IndiaPulimaranja Thondachan A theyyam deity of North Malabar, born from a shapeshifter who became a leopard.Figure · Protection · Power and authority Living

🇳🇱 Netherlands and 3 moreZwarte Piet A companion of Saint Nicholas in Low Countries folklore, now the subject of major cultural debate.Figure · Luck and prosperity Living 🇯🇵 JapanChīsai-ojisan小さいおじさん A tiny Japanese cryptid said to bring luck when spotted in everyday placesFigure · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇸 IcelandYule catJólakötturinn A giant feline from Icelandic folklore that threatens those without new Christmas clothesFigure · Cursing and harm Living

🇨🇳 ChinaDragon turtle龍龜 (Lóngguī) A Chinese mythic creature with a dragon body and turtle shell, used as a Feng Shui charm.Figure · Luck and prosperity · Power and authority Living

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreFangxiangshi方相氏 An official Chinese exorcist who cleared demons from houses and tombsRite · Protection · Cleansing and purification Living

🇵🇱 Poland and 4 moreMoranaМорена A Slavic goddess of winter and death, whose effigy is drowned to welcome springFigure · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Living

🇹🇭 ThailandNang Kwakนางกวัก A Thai figure who beckons customers and money luck into shops and homesBeing · Luck and prosperity Living

🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreCompanions of Saint Nicholas Dark figures who accompany the gift-bringer to discipline children across Central EuropeFigure · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Living

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreMoney tree搖錢樹 A mythical tree of fortune and a Chinese New Year custom for wealthFigure · Luck and prosperity · 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.

Bogeyman: Francisco Goya, Public domain, source
Pixiu: Sol lc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Yule cat: Christine Rondeau, CC BY 2.0, source
Dragon turtle: Jonathan O'Donnell, CC BY 2.0, source
Fangxiangshi: Gary Todd, CC0, source
Morana: Marta Malina Moraczewska, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Magic circle: John William Waterhouse, Public domain, source
Tooth fairy: Eden, CC BY 2.0, source
Krampus: Naturpuur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Eight Immortals: Fanghong, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Personifications of death: No machine-readable author provided. Kirtap assumed (based on copyrigh, CC BY 2.5, source
Companions of Saint Nicholas: unknown, unreadable signature on bottom right hand side, Public domain, source
Nang Kwak: Günter Trageser, Public domain, source
Jack: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, source
Dongyue Dadi: H2v5o68z, CC0, source
Befana: El Ágora, Public domain, source
Coco: Francisco de Goya, CC0, source
Lutzelfrau: Karel Rozum, Public domain, source
Pulimaranja Thondachan: Uajith, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Zwarte Piet: The illustrator is Daan Hoeksma, who died in 1935. The author is liste, Public domain, source
Ognyena Maria: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Money tree: Pratyeka, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Machi: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Lakhey: Less than 3, CC BY 2.0, source
Sack Man: Ponscor, CC BY-SA 2.0, source

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.