All entries

2,212 entries so far, best known first. 3,117 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

🇪🇬 EgyptBarakahبركة A spiritual blessing power in Islam and Arabic ChristianityBelief · Protection · Power and authority Living

🇹🇷 Turkey and 4 moreSufi whirlingSemazen A spinning meditation practiced by Sufi dervishes to reach spiritual connection through music and movement.Rite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Change and initiation Living

🇬🇷 GreeceAstrology and astronomy Two disciplines that shared a history before splitting into science and divinationTradition · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Historical

🇾🇪 Yemen and 2 moreQueen of Shebaמַלְכַּת שְׁבָא (Hebrew), ملكة سبأ (Arabic), ንግሥተ ሳባ (Geʽez) A legendary queen from ancient Arabia or Ethiopia who visited King Solomon.Figure Legendary 🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreScyphomancy Divination by reading signs in a cup of water or listening for voices within the glass.Oracle · Seeing and foretelling Historical

🇸🇾 SyriaMoleosophy Divination by reading the shape and place of moles on the bodyOracle · Seeing and foretelling Historical

🇹🇷 Turkey and 3 moreSufi whirlingSemazen A spinning meditation practiced by Sufi dervishes to reach spiritual connection with Allah.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Love and attraction Living

🇪🇬 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 🇮🇶 Iraq and 1 moreAramaic Uruk incantation A Seleucid-era magical tablet written in Aramaic using cuneiform signsText · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical 🇮🇷 IranBalaibalanباليبلن An early constructed language from the Islamic world, likely created for sacred or poetic purposes.Text · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Wonder and entertainment Historical

🇮🇷 IranArzhang Divارژنگ دیو A demon chief in Persian epic who is defeated by the hero RostamFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇮🇱 IsraelMelchom A demon of hell and former Ammonite idol described in the Dictionnaire InfernalBeing · Power and authority Historical 🇾🇪 Yemen and 1 moreSimthud Durarسمط الدّرر A poem praising the Prophet Muhammad, recited in ritual gatherings across the Indian Ocean.Text · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇷 IranAkvan Divاکوان دیو A shape-shifting demon from Persian mythology that disguises itself as a wild horse.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇮🇱 IsraelEisheth Zenunimאֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים A demonic epithet for Lilith in Kabbalah and Western esotericismFigure · Cursing and harm 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

🇸🇾 SyriaEchidnaΈχιδνα A half-woman, half-snake monster in Greek myth who mothered many famous beastsBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇮🇱 IsraelSeder hishtalshelusסדר השתלשלות A Kabbalistic cosmology mapping the descent of divine light through spiritual realms to the physical world.Belief · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Living 🇸🇾 SyriaAscusἌσκος A Greek giant flayed by Hermes after chaining DionysusBeing Legendary

🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreTanninתַּנִּין A sea monster of chaos in Canaanite and Hebrew myth, later a symbol for Egypt and Babylon.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇹🇷 TurkeyKhirqaخرقه An initiatory cloak in Sufism that passes spiritual lineage and blessings from teacher to student.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living 🇾🇪 YemenʿAnāqأناق بنت آدم A monstrous daughter of Adam in Islamic extra-Quranic traditionFigure · Cursing and harm Historical 🇮🇱 IsraelPulsa diNuraפולסא דנורא A Kabbalistic curse invoking destroying angels to block forgiveness and cause deathRite · Cursing and harm Historical

🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreBalakבָּלָק A biblical king who sought a sorcerer's curse against the IsraelitesFigure · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreAgathos Daimonἀγαθὸς δαίμων A noble spirit and serpent deity of Greek and Egyptian traditionBeing · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical

🇮🇱 Israel and 4 moreChaiחי A Hebrew word and symbol meaning 'alive', used as an amulet and in Jewish culture.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living 🇮🇱 IsraelQlippothקְלִיפּוֹת Impure spiritual forces in Jewish mysticism, opposites of the holy sefirotBeing · Cursing and harm Historical 🇮🇱 IsraelAdne Sadehאַדְנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה A wild humanoid from Jewish folklore tethered to the earth by its navelBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary 🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreDream questionShe'elat Halom A Jewish divination practice seeking prophetic answers through dreamsOracle · Seeing and foretelling · Healing Historical 🇮🇷 IranPersian mysticism A spiritual tradition in Iran blending ancient beliefs with Sufi practice and poetic thought.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Change and initiation Living

Photo credits on this page

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

Div: Unknown Calligrapher, Public domain, source
Arzhang Div: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Melchom: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
Pardes: Anonymous (photo by Adrian Pingstone), Public domain, source
Echidna: Daderot, Public domain, source
Seder hishtalshelus: Daderot, Public domain, source
Tannin: Zakariya al-Qazwini, Public domain, source
Khirqa: Unknown author, CC0, source
Balak: Philip De Vere, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Agathos Daimon: Carole Raddato, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Chai: BASWIM, CC BY 3.0, source
Sama: myself, Public domain, source
Barakah: عامر شاہین, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Astrology and astronomy: anonymous, Public domain, source
Queen of Sheba: Jacopo Tintoretto, Public domain, source
Moleosophy: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Islam and astrology: Ahmad Ibn Musa Ibn Shakir, Public domain, source

All entries

Photo credits on this page

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