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
馃嚮馃嚭 VanuatuLand divingnanggol
A ritual jump from a wooden tower using vines to ensure a good harvestRite 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚮馃嚭 VanuatuJohn Frum
A Melanesian cargo cult figure on Tanna Island who promises wealth and the return of American supplies.Figure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚮馃嚭 Vanuatu and 5 moreKava culture
A shared ritual across Oceania where a root brew marks ceremony, respect, and social gathering.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesHawaiian religion
The traditional spiritual practices of the Indigenous people of Hawai驶i, centered on deities and ancestral guardians.Tradition 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚘馃嚭 AustraliaWelcome to Country
A ceremony performed by Aboriginal elders to welcome visitors to their landRite 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚦馃嚳 New ZealandKarakia
M膩ori recitations used for spiritual guidance, protection, and formal greetingsTradition 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚘馃嚭 AustraliaSmoking ceremony
A ritual using herbal smoke for cleansing and welcoming among Aboriginal AustraliansRite 路 Cleansing and purification 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚭馃嚘 Ukraine and 5 moreBullroarer
A wooden slat on a string that produces a roaring sound for ritual and communication.Tradition 路 Protection 路 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.
- John Frum: Tim Ross, CC BY 3.0, source
- Kava culture: Jaejay77, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hawaiian religion: Jacques Arago, Public domain, source
- Welcome to Country: Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0 au, source
- Smoking ceremony: Shillings1005, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Land diving: Paul Stein, CC BY-SA 2.0, source