Magic in East Asia
Taoist talismans, the I Ching and feng shui, onmyodo and the omamori, and the mudang of Korea. 308 entries on EveryJaadu so far.
Places of magic
Kyoto 5Beijing 3Edo 3Mount Tai 3Shikoku 3Akita 2Asakusa 2Guangdong 2Himeji Castle 2Kifune Shrine 2Kumano Sanzan 2Mount Hiei 2Mount Ōmine 2Mukden 2Nagano Prefecture 2Sado Island 2Sendai 2Seoul 2Shimane Prefecture 2Aikoku Station 1Aizu region 1Akishino-dera 1Amami Ōshima 1Amoy 1Anyang 1Aojiang 1Aomori prefecture 1Ariake Sea 1Asagaya 1Awaji Island 1
Rites of the region
Writing and burning a fu talismanJoss paper and the Hungry Ghost offeringKau cim and jiaobeiThe I Ching and the yarrow stalksFeng shui placementSetsubun bean-throwingHarai, the Shinto rite of purificationOmamori and ofuda renewalOmikuji fortune slipsGut, the Korean shaman rite
Countries
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
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreGuanyin觀音 (Guānyīn)
The Bodhisattva of compassion, worshipped across East Asia as a listener to human sufferingBeing · Protection · Healing Living
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreEight Immortals八仙
Eight legendary Taoist figures of China, each with a power and a vesselFigure · Protection · Healing Living
🇨🇳 ChinaNeidan内丹
A Taoist practice using the body as a cauldron to refine inner energies for longevity and immortalityTradition · Healing · Power and authority Living
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreDaeboreum대보름
A Korean lunar holiday marking the first full moon with nut-cracking and field firesTradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇯🇵 JapanYutaユタ
Okinawan folk shamans who guide families through spirits and fortune-tellingTradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇹🇼 Taiwan and 1 moreOng Yah王爺 (Ông-iâ)
Royal Lord deities of Fujian and Taiwan who tour the land, driving out diseaseBeing · Protection · Healing Living
🇯🇵 JapanChinkon kishin鎮魂帰神
A Japanese spiritual practice combining soul calming with spirit possessionRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Healing Living
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreFalun Gong法轮功
A Chinese cultivation practice blending meditative exercises with moral principlesTradition · Healing · Protection Living
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreKōshin庚申信仰
A Japanese folk belief involving vigils to prevent internal spirits from reporting human deeds to heavenBelief · Protection · Healing Living
🇨🇳 ChinaBenzhuism本主教
The indigenous patron worship of the Bai people in Yunnan, ChinaTradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 morePower spotパワースポット
A Japanese term for places believed to hold strong earth energy and healing power.Belief · Healing · Power and authority Living
🇯🇵 JapanAkabeko赤べこ
A bobbing papier-mâché toy from Japan believed to ward off illnessCharm · Protection · Healing Living
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreFengshui woodland風水林
A protected grove in East Asia believed to shape the local environment and bring luck to nearby communities.Tradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Guanyin: JL Cogburn, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Eight Immortals: Fanghong, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chinkon kishin: Tomokiyo Yoshisane (友清歓真), also known as Tomokiyo Kyūgo (友清九吾), Public domain, source
- Neidan: A16898, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ong Yah: Suzuki1314 at Chinese Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Daeboreum: hojusaram, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Falun Gong: longtrekhome, CC BY 3.0, source
- Benzhuism: G41rn8, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Power spot: ccfarmer, CC BY 3.0, source
- Akabeko: Wdqh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fengshui woodland: 猫猫的日记本 (Cat's diary), CC BY-SA 3.0, source