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
🇩🇪 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 Kingdom and 4 moreTelling the bees
A Western European custom of informing bees about major household eventsRite · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreBonfire
A large outdoor fire used in seasonal festivals and religious feasts across many culturesRite · Cleansing and purification · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreYule log
A large wooden log burned in the hearth during winter festivals across Europe and North America.Tradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomMari LwydY Fari Lwyd
A Welsh winter custom featuring a horse skull carried through villages for song and hospitality.Rite · Luck and prosperity · Wonder and entertainment Revived
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreMaypoleMaibaum
A tall wooden pole raised for European spring festivals, accompanied by dance and celebration.Tradition · Luck and prosperity · Love and attraction Living
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreTrick-or-treating
A Halloween custom where costumed visitors ask for treats from homesTradition · Luck and prosperity · Wonder and entertainment Living
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreTrial by ordeal
An ancient judicial test where a dangerous physical trial determined guilt or innocenceRite · Cursing and harm Historical
🇮🇪 Ireland and 4 moreMay Day
A European spring festival marking the start of summer with flowers, poles and fire.Tradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreBeating the bounds
A ceremonial walk along parish or town borders to reaffirm boundaries and community memory.Rite · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomTaghairm
A Scottish Gaelic divination rite using sensory deprivation and animal skins to summon spirits.Rite · Seeing and foretelling Historical
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 5 moreKukeriкукери
A costumed ritual in Bulgaria to chase away evil spirits and welcome springRite · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreMummers' play
A folk drama featuring a fight and a resurrection, performed by amateur troupes in the British Isles.Rite · Luck and prosperity · Speaking with spirits and the dead Revived
🇫🇮 Finland and 5 moreMolybdomancy
A divination method using molten metal poured into water to read omensRite · Seeing and foretelling · Cursing and harm 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
🇮🇹 Italy and 2 moreAugury
A Roman rite of reading bird behavior to learn the will of the godsRite · Power and authority · Seeing and foretelling Historical
🇮🇪 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
🇪🇸 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
🇨🇭 SwitzerlandMagic circle
A ritual boundary drawn or visualised to create sacred space and protectionTradition · 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
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreHalloween
A Christian vigil on 31 October for the dead, now marked by costumes and carved vegetablesRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomBeltane Fire Festival
A modern Edinburgh performance celebrating the start of summer with fire and danceRite · Wonder and entertainment · Power and authority Living
🇬🇧 United KingdomSt Mark's Eve
An English folk custom to witness omens of death and future marriage on the eve of a saint's feast dayRite · Seeing and foretelling · Cursing and harm Historical
🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreAstragalomancy
Divination by casting marked bones, carved rods, or numbered diceOracle · Seeing and foretelling · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇸🇪 Sweden and 5 moreMidsummerJāņi; Joninės; Jaanipäev; Enyovden; Litha; Juhannus
A summer solstice festival marked by bonfires, maypole dancing, and feasting across Europe.Tradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreNeed-fireNotfeuer
A ritual fire lit by friction to protect livestock and people from disease and witchcraftRite · Protection · Cleansing and purification Historical
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreBuilders' rites
Ceremonies performed during construction to ensure stability and mark progress.Rite · Power and authority Historical
🇩🇪 Germany and 2 moreEaster FireOsterfeuer
Bonfires lit at Easter to mark the Resurrection and spring renewalRite · Cleansing and purification · Power and authority Living
🇮🇹 ItalyBadaliscBadalisch
A mythical goat-headed creature from the Italian Alps, captured and mocked during Epiphany celebrations.Being · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Living
🇮🇪 IrelandStatue rubbing
A tourist custom of touching statues to attract luck, love, or a return visit.Belief · Luck and prosperity · Love and attraction Living
🇮🇹 Italy and 2 moreHaruspicy
Reading animal entrails to discern divine will and omensRite · Seeing and foretelling · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
🇫🇮 Finland and 1 moreFrog coffin
A Finnish folk magic burial of a frog in a tiny coffin to steal luck or reflect harmRite · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical
🇸🇪 SwedenÅrsgång
An archaic Swedish divination ritual performed on Christmas Eve to glimpse the coming year.Rite · Seeing and foretelling Historical
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreKeeningcaoineadh
A Gaelic vocal lament for the dead, performed by hired mourners in Ireland and ScotlandRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
🇬🇧 United KingdomCantrip
A Scots word for a small spell or witch's trick, now a term in fantasy gamesRite · Wonder and entertainment Living
🇪🇸 SpainQueimada
A Galician punch set alight while a spell is recited to drive off bad spiritsTradition · Protection Living
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreLutzelfrau
A German Alpine witch who brings fruit or punishes childrenFigure · Protection · Cursing and harm Living
🇮🇹 ItalySegnature
An Italian folk healing rite using gestures and prayers to cure illness and remove cursesRite · Healing · Protection Living
🇪🇸 SpainAkelarre
The Basque name for a witches' sabbath, an assembly said to answer to a black he-goatBelief · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇷🇴 Romania and 2 moreCaloian
A Romanian clay effigy ritual for rain and fertility, featuring a mock funeralRite · Luck and prosperity Fading
🇫🇮 Finland and 2 moreSaint Knut's Daytjugondag jul; nuutinpäivä
A January festival ending the Christmas season with tree removal and traditional visits.Rite · 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
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Augur: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Haruspicy: Lokilech, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Banshee: W.H. Brooke, Public domain, source
- Winter solstice: Image by Przemyslaw " Blueshade " Idzkiewicz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Jack-o'-lantern: Toby Ord, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Morana: Marta Malina Moraczewska, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- St John's Eve: Jules Breton, Public domain, source
- Magic circle: John William Waterhouse, Public domain, source
- Burning of Judas: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Beltane Fire Festival: Stefan Schäfer, Lich, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Astragalomancy: Roland zh, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Segnature: SeAnstapa, CC0, source
- Midsummer: Kora27, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Need-fire: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Builders' rites: U.S. Government, Public domain, source
- Easter Fire: Jürgen Eissink, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bonfire: S Marshall, CC BY 3.0, source
- Yule log: Pehr Arvid Säve (1811—1887), Public domain, source
- Mari Lwyd: Thomas Christopher Evans (Cadrawd), Public domain, source
- Queimada: No machine-readable author provided. Rapomon assumed (based on copyrig, Public domain, source
- Maypole: Uploaded by Mikael Häggström, CC0, source
- Trick-or-treating: Toyah Anette B, Public domain, source
- Trial by ordeal: James Sibree, Public domain, source
- May Day: Bryan Ledgard, CC BY 2.0, source
- Badalisc: Luca Giarelli, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Beating the bounds: Andrew Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Walpurgis Night: Luis Ricardo Falero, Public domain, source
- Akelarre: Francisco Goya, Public domain, source
- Lutzelfrau: Karel Rozum, Public domain, source
- Kukeri: Nenko Lazarov, CC BY 2.5, source
- Statue rubbing: Matthias Rosenkranz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Mummers' play: Aladjov, CC BY 3.0, source
- Molybdomancy: Micha L. Rieser, Attribution, source
- Caloian: Costică Acsinte Archive, No restrictions, source
- Saint Andrew's Day: Henryk Siemiradzki, Public domain, source