All entries
2,158 entries so far, best known first. 3,227 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
馃嚦馃嚞 Nigeria and 1 moreBoriB貌貌r铆铆
A traditional Hausa spirit possession system and healing practice in West AfricaTradition 路 Healing 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚫馃嚘 Saudi Arabia and 5 moreIslamic exorcism乇賯賷丞
A rite to expel spirits through Quranic recitation and negotiationRite 路 Healing 路 Cleansing and purification Living
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 5 moreSacred dance
Movement used in worship to honour deities, heal communities, or connect with the spirit world.Tradition 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
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
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 4 moreSufi whirlingSemazen
A spinning meditation practiced by Sufi dervishes to reach spiritual connection through music and movement.Rite 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Change and initiation Living
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 3 moreSufi whirlingSemazen
A spinning meditation practiced by Sufi dervishes to reach spiritual connection with Allah.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Love and attraction Living
馃嚫馃嚘 Saudi Arabia and 2 moreBay'ah亘賷毓丞
An oath of loyalty and obedience given to a political or spiritual leader in Islamic traditionRite 路 Binding and oaths 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚠馃嚩 Iraq and 3 moreUmayyad tradition of cursing Ali
A state policy to denounce Ali during communal prayers under the Umayyad CaliphateRite 路 Cursing and harm 路 Binding and oaths Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Bori: Tremearne, A. J. N. (Arthur John Newman), 1877-1915, Public domain, source
- Islamic exorcism: Unknown Calligrapher, Public domain, source
- Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali: Anwar Rizvi, CC BY 2.0, source
- Sacred dance: Jorge Barrios, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dhikr: Eug猫ne Baugnies, Public domain, source
- Sama: myself, Public domain, source