Who does it
Shamans, folk healers, priests, witches, diviners, mediums, ceremonial magicians, ordinary households, stage magicians and scholars.
ShamansSpecialists who travel to or call the spirit world on behalf of a community.25Folk healersCuranderos, sangomas, hakims and the village healer, who mix remedy and ritual.30Priests and ritual specialistsOfficiants of a religion who perform rites, blessings and exorcisms within it.40Witches, sorcerers and cunning folkThose a community names as workers of magic, whether feared, consulted or both.8Diviners and readersBabalawos, astrologers, card readers and others who read signs.12Mediums and the possessedPeople who host spirits, ancestors or gods and speak for them.4Ceremonial magicians and alchemistsLearned practitioners working from books, orders and systems.3Households and ordinary peopleGrandmothers, parents and neighbours doing the small things: the knot, the salt, the red thread.83Stage magiciansConjurers and illusionists who entertain by deception, and say so.7Scholars and scepticsAnthropologists, historians and investigators who study magic and test its claims.68