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2,261 entries so far, best known first. 3,022 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

🇮🇳 IndiaKuttichathanകുട്ടിചാത്തൻ A guardian spirit of Malabar folklore known for illusions and household pranksBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical 🇷🇺 RussiaVolkhovnikВолховник A lost Old Russian divination book of omens and signsText · Seeing and foretelling · Healing Historical 🇬🇧 United KingdomThe Cheltenham Ghost A late nineteenth century English haunting investigated by the Society for Psychical ResearchBelief Historical

🇪🇬 EgyptIslam and astrology The historical study of stars in the Islamic world and the religious debate over its permissibility.Tradition · Seeing and foretelling · Protection Historical

🇸🇾 SyriaArslan Tash amulets Assyrian limestone charms found in Syria that ward off demons through inscribed prayersCharm · Protection Historical 🇪🇬 EgyptWadj amulet A papyrus-shaped charm for eternal youth in the afterlifeCharm · Healing · Luck and prosperity Historical

🇮🇹 ItalyTredesin de Mars A Milanese spring celebration marked by a flower fair and a legendary stoneTradition · Luck and prosperity · Wonder and entertainment Historical 🇮🇳 IndiaA Treatise on White Magic An esoteric textbook by Alice Bailey outlining fifteen rules for spiritual service and initiation.Text · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Change and initiation Historical 🇪🇸 SpainGeomantic figures Sixteen four-line symbols used in geomancy to interpret questions through elemental and astrological correspondences.Oracle · Seeing and foretelling Historical

🇪🇬 EgyptSekhem scepter An ancient Egyptian staff symbolizing power and authorityCharm · Power and authority Historical

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreBloody Bones A bogeyman figure used to frighten children in English and North American folkloreFigure · Cursing and harm Historical

🇪🇸 SpainHuman sacrifice in the ancient Iberian Peninsula Ancient ritual killings by Lusitanian and Vetton peoples for divination and warRite · Seeing and foretelling · Cursing and harm Historical 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreElder Mother A guardian spirit of elder trees in English and Scandinavian folkloreBeing · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical 🇬🇷 GreeceTrophoniusΤροφώνιος A Greek hero turned subterranean oracle god at LebadeaFigure · Seeing and foretelling · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical 🇺🇸 United StatesCurse of the Boulder Valley A legend attributed to Chief Niwot about the valley's beauty and its futureBelief · Cursing and harm Historical

🇪🇬 Egypt and 2 moreAnra scarab Ancient Egyptian-style seals bearing an undeciphered glyph sequence found across the Levant and Egypt.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical 🇮🇶 Iraq and 1 moreAdam and Eve cylinder seal A small Akkadian stone seal once linked to the Genesis storyCharm · Power and authority Historical

🇮🇹 ItalyLunula A crescent-shaped amulet worn by girls in ancient Rome for protection.Charm · Protection Historical

🇬🇷 GreeceAmulet MS 5236 A stamped gold amulet from ancient Greece invoking ApolloCharm · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical

🇫🇷 France and 1 moreDogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie A foundational treatise on ritual magic by Éliphas Lévi, structured around the tarot.Text · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Historical 🇮🇱 IsraelEisheth Zenunimאֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים A demonic epithet for Lilith in Kabbalah and Western esotericismFigure · Cursing and harm Historical

🇬🇭 GhanaWitch camp Settlements in Ghana where women accused of witchcraft seek refuge from violence and persecution.Tradition · Protection Historical

🇵🇱 PolandFrankenstein town gravediggers scandal A 1606 witchcraft trial in Silesia that may have inspired Mary Shelley's novelBelief · Cursing and harm Historical

🇩🇪 Germany and 3 moreKlabautermann A North Sea ship kobold that aids sailors and signals a vessel's doom.Being · Protection · Wonder and entertainment Historical 🇮🇱 IsraelMessiah ben Josephמָשִׁיחַ בֶּן־יוֹסֵף A Jewish eschatological figure who wages war and dies before the final age of peaceFigure · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical

🇮🇱 Israel and 1 morePardesפרד״ס A four-level method for interpreting Jewish scriptureText · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical

🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreKarzełekСкарбник, Кладенец A Slavic mine spirit that guards treasures and guides miners.Being · Protection · Power and authority Historical 🇺🇸 United StatesChepi A spirit of the dead in Narragansett belief, called upon for vengeance.Being · Cursing and harm · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical 🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreMagical motto A chosen name used by occultists to separate their spiritual identity from their everyday life.Belief · Power and authority Historical 🇫🇮 Finland and 1 moreKyöpelinvuori A Finnish mountain where dead women are said to gather after deathBelief Historical 🇸🇾 Syria and 5 moreInsufflation A ritual breath used in Christian rites to drive out evil or invite the spirit.Rite · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical

🇯🇵 JapanDaigensuihō大元帥法 An Esoteric Shingon Buddhist rite for military defense and cursing enemiesRite · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical

🇺🇸 United StatesBelled buzzard A folklore omen of disaster, depicted as a vulture wearing a bellBelief · Cursing and harm Historical

🇫🇮 Finland and 2 moreTietäjä A traditional Finnic healer and sage whose power came from memorised spells and deep knowledge.Figure · Healing · Protection Historical

🇳🇿 New Zealand and 4 moreFeather cloak A garment of feathers worn by royalty and gods across cultures to signal rank or enable flightCharm · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Historical

🇵🇦 PanamaPanama Creature A decomposing sloth carcass mistaken for a monster in PanamaBeing Historical

🇺🇸 United StatesMartian Monkey A 1953 Atlanta hoax involving a tailless monkey dressed as an alienBelief · Wonder and entertainment Historical 🇨🇳 ChinaChinese sorcery scares A series of moral panics in Imperial China driven by fears of magical harm and hair cuttingBelief · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical

🇬🇷 Greece and 3 morePalladium A sacred image or object believed to guarantee the safety of a city or nationCharm · Protection Historical 🇮🇹 ItalyOmen (ancient Rome)omen A sign in ancient Rome believed to reveal the future, good or bad.Belief · Seeing and foretelling Historical

🇩🇪 Germany and 3 moreDrude A Germanic nightmare spirit and the pentagram charm used to keep it outBeing · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical 🇬🇧 United KingdomCain bairns A Scottish folk belief that witches took children as a tax to the DevilBelief Historical

🇮🇸 Iceland and 3 moreDeal with the Devil A cultural trope of trading one's soul for worldly favours in exchange for demonic aidBelief · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Historical

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAstral body A subtle vehicle of emotion and dream said to travel beyond the physical formBelief · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Change and initiation Historical

🇪🇬 EgyptMenatmnj.t A beaded necklace and rattle linked to Hathor for protection and luck in ancient EgyptCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical

🇩🇿 AlgeriaTassili Mushroom Figure Neolithic cave art in Algeria interpreted by some as depicting psychedelic mushroom use.Belief · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Wonder and entertainment Historical 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreBogle A Northumbrian and Scots household spirit or ghost known for perplexing people.Being · Cursing and harm · Wonder and entertainment Historical

🇬🇧 United KingdomMadgy Figgy's Chair A granite rock in Cornwall linked to a legendary witch and her storm conjuringFigure · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Lunula: Anonymous ( Category:Roman Empire ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
Anra scarab: Temerarius, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Tassili Mushroom Figure: I redrawn the rock art written by ancient people., Public domain, source
Menat: Anagoria, CC BY 3.0, source
Astral body: Rad el Baluvar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Palladium: Marie-Lan Nguyen ( Jastrow ), Public domain, source
Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie: Eliphas Levi, Public domain, source
Witch camp: Hasslaebetch, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Frankenstein town gravediggers scandal: Jacek Halicki, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, source
Klabautermann: Anton von Werner, Public domain, source
Pardes: Anonymous (photo by Adrian Pingstone), Public domain, source
Karzełek: Krystian Hasterok, CC BY 2.5, source
Daigensuihō: Kamakura-period artist; photo by Kudo Risaburo (工藤利三郎), Public domain, source
Belled buzzard: Saturday Evening Post Irvin Cobb Douglas Durr, Public domain, source
Tietäjä: Robert Wilhelm Ekman, Public domain, source
Feather cloak: Lusanaherandraton, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Panama Creature: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl, CC BY 2.5, source
Martian Monkey: Tim Farley, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Drude: Ramessos, Public domain, source
Deal with the Devil: Christoph, Public domain, source
Madgy Figgy's Chair: Jim Champion, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Islam and astrology: Ahmad Ibn Musa Ibn Shakir, Public domain, source
Arslan Tash amulets: National Museum of Aleppo, Public domain, source
Tredesin de Mars: A ntv, Public domain, source
Sekhem scepter: Maler der Grabkammer der Nefertari, Public domain, source
Human sacrifice in the ancient Iberian Peninsula: Manuel Parada López de Corselas User:Manuel de Corselas ARS SUMMUM, Ce, Public domain, source
Amulet MS 5236: Martin Schøyen, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bloody Bones: ArtemisiaGentileschiFan, CC0, source

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Photo credits on this page

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