News
Witch-huntsHeading to Salem this October? 5 spots with true ghost storiesWitch-huntsScottish council votes to apologise to women persecuted as witches centuries agoStage magicHow Harry Houdini Became the Best Magician of All TimeCharmsThe Horns Hand Gesture: One Sign With Five Very Different MeaningsWitch-huntsSpooky Day Trips in Connecticut: Witchy History for HalloweenCharmsA Jurassic fossil turned talisman in Morocco links science and faithStage magicHarry Houdini returns from the grave in AI-generated Fox Nation series 100 years after his deathWitch-huntsConnecticut's forgotten witch trial pastFestivalsDay of the Dead festival resurrected at West Palm Beach arts hubStage magicIllusionist Leon Etienne brings magic to Oshkosh this monthWitch-huntsHeading to Salem this October? 5 spots with true ghost storiesWitch-huntsScottish council votes to apologise to women persecuted as witches centuries agoStage magicHow Harry Houdini Became the Best Magician of All TimeCharmsThe Horns Hand Gesture: One Sign With Five Very Different MeaningsWitch-huntsSpooky Day Trips in Connecticut: Witchy History for HalloweenCharmsA Jurassic fossil turned talisman in Morocco links science and faithStage magicHarry Houdini returns from the grave in AI-generated Fox Nation series 100 years after his deathWitch-huntsConnecticut's forgotten witch trial pastFestivalsDay of the Dead festival resurrected at West Palm Beach arts hubStage magicIllusionist Leon Etienne brings magic to Oshkosh this month
EveryJaadu

Magic in Latin America and the Caribbean

Vodou, Santeria, Candombl茅 and Obeah, curanderismo and brujeria, Andean offerings to the earth, and Amazonian plant healing. 147 entries on EveryJaadu so far.

Places of magic

Bois Ca茂man 2Chilo茅 archipelago 2La Paz 2Port-au-Prince 2Quicav铆 2Recife 2Rio de Janeiro 2Alto de Pinheiros 1Antigua Guatemala 1Ara莽oiaba da Serra 1Araucan铆a 1Aux Cayes 1Bel茅m 1Belmont 1Boa Sorte 1Calama 1Cerro Azul 1Chilo茅 1Colonia Merced Balbuena 1Company Villages 1Corrientes 1Cuero 1Cueva de Quicav铆 1El Cibao 1Greater Buenos Aires 1Guanarito Municipality 1Guant谩namo 1Guatemala City 1Huautla de Jim茅nez 1Jacmel 1

Rites of the region

Limpia with an eggDay of the Dead ofrendaSanteria initiation (kariocha)Candombl茅 ebo offeringHaitian Vodou serviceAndean despacho and pago a la PachamamaA curanderismo healing sessionAyahuasca ceremonyObeah in Jamaica

Countries

馃嚘馃嚞 Antigua and Barbuda 2馃嚘馃嚪 Argentina 25馃嚙馃嚫 Bahamas 5馃嚙馃嚙 Barbados 7馃嚙馃嚳 Belize 5馃嚙馃嚧 Bolivia 16馃嚙馃嚪 Brazil 67馃嚚馃嚤 Chile 27馃嚚馃嚧 Colombia 13馃嚚馃嚪 Costa Rica 3馃嚚馃嚭 Cuba 23馃嚛馃嚥 Dominica 12馃嚛馃嚧 Dominican Republic 10馃嚜馃嚚 Ecuador 8馃嚫馃嚮 El Salvador 4馃嚞馃嚛 Grenada 1馃嚞馃嚬 Guatemala 19馃嚞馃嚲 Guyana 10馃嚟馃嚬 Haiti 48馃嚟馃嚦 Honduras 5馃嚡馃嚥 Jamaica 17馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico 63馃嚦馃嚠 Nicaragua 3馃嚨馃嚘 Panama 3馃嚨馃嚲 Paraguay 10馃嚨馃嚜 Peru 27馃嚨馃嚪 Puerto Rico 5馃嚢馃嚦 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1馃嚤馃嚚 Saint Lucia 3馃嚮馃嚚 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1馃嚫馃嚪 Suriname 8馃嚬馃嚬 Trinidad and Tobago 15馃嚭馃嚲 Uruguay 7馃嚮馃嚜 Venezuela 11
KindTraditionRiteCharmOracleSubstanceBeingFigureTextIllusionBelief
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
OccasionWeddings and betrothalFestivalsBirth and childhoodDeath and remembranceHarvest, farming and weatherNew yearInitiation and coming of ageIllness and misfortuneJourneys and voyagesEveryday use
StandingLivingRevivedFadingHistoricalLegendaryPerformed
OrderBest knownA to ZNewestLiving first
馃嚨馃嚜 Peru and 1 moreSupay An Andean spirit of the underworld who balances life and death forcesBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Protection Historical 馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 2 moreAluxaluxo'ob A small Maya spirit believed to guard fields and cause mischief if offended.Being 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living 馃嚡馃嚥 Jamaica and 5 moreObeah A Caribbean tradition of ritual healing and spell-casting with African rootsTradition 路 Protection 路 Healing Living 馃嚟馃嚬 Haiti and 2 moreBokorb貌k貌 A Haitian Vodou practitioner said to serve spirits for both protection and harmTradition 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living 馃嚚馃嚭 Cuba and 5 morePalo An Afro-Cuban religion centered on spirit vessels and ancestral powerTradition 路 Healing 路 Cursing and harm Living 馃嚙馃嚪 BrazilBoitat谩 A fiery serpent of Brazilian folklore that guards forests or frightens childrenBeing 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living 馃嚥馃嚱 MexicoNagualn膩hualli A Mesoamerican belief in humans who shapeshift into animal counterparts.Belief 路 Power and authority 路 Cursing and harm Living 馃嚟馃嚬 Haiti and 3 moreVoodoo doll A pin-stuffed figure linked to magic in popular culture, not Haitian VodouCharm 路 Cursing and harm Historical 馃嚙馃嚪 Brazil and 2 moreCurupira A backwards-footed forest guardian from Brazilian indigenous myth who punishes loggers and misleads travelers.Being 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚨馃嚪 Puerto Rico and 5 moreChupacabrachupacabras A legendary creature said to drain livestock of blood, emerging from Puerto Rico in the mid-1990sBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 2 moreChild sacrifice The ritual killing of children to appease deities or restore cosmic order in ancient culturesRite 路 Cursing and harm 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical 馃嚟馃嚬 HaitiBois Ca茂man The sacred site where enslaved Africans planned the Haitian Revolution through a Vodou ceremony.Rite 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Historical 馃嚮馃嚜 Venezuela and 1 moreEl Silb贸n A Venezuelan and Colombian legend of a cursed spirit who carries his father's bones.Figure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Seeing and foretelling Legendary 馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 5 moreLa Llorona A vengeful ghost in Hispanic American folklore who mourns drowned children near water.Figure 路 Cursing and harm Living 馃嚚馃嚤 ChileTrauco A small forest spirit from Chilo茅 mythology known for seducing women and causing pregnancyBeing 路 Love and attraction 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 5 moreObsidian Volcanic glass used for sharp tools, mirrors, and ritual divinationSubstance 路 Cursing and harm 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical 馃嚙馃嚪 Brazil and 1 moreQuimbanda An Afro-Brazilian religion focused on male and female street spirits for worldly mattersTradition 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living 馃嚨馃嚜 Peru and 1 moreChullachaqui A one-footed forest spirit of the Amazon that lures or challenges humansBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Legendary 馃嚙馃嚪 Brazil and 2 moreMapinguari A hairy Amazonian monster with a belly mouth and backwards feetBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚚馃嚧 Colombia and 1 moreTunda A shapeshifting entity from the Pacific coast of Colombia and Ecuador that lures people into the forest.Figure 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚥馃嚱 MexicoChaneque Mexican folklore sprites that guard nature and homesBeing 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚙馃嚪 Brazil and 1 moreSaciSaci-perer锚 A one-legged prankster of Brazilian folklore who hides in dust devils and wears a magic red cap.Figure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Living 馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 5 moreSihuanaba A shapeshifting spirit that lures men with beauty before revealing a monstrous faceBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚬馃嚬 Trinidad and Tobago and 5 moreSoucouyant A shape-shifting vampire spirit of Caribbean folklore that sheds its skin to fly as a fireballBeing 路 Cursing and harm Living 馃嚙馃嚪 BrazilThe Hairy LegPerna cabeluda A Brazilian urban legend of a detached leg that attacks people at nightFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical 馃嚮馃嚜 VenezuelaSayona A vengeful Venezuelan ghost who hunts men for breaking marital vowsFigure 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚘馃嚪 Argentina and 1 moreSpiritual mapping A Christian practice of mapping locations to identify and pray against territorial demonsBelief 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living 馃嚥馃嚱 MexicoCamazotz A bat spirit of the Maya underworld linked to night, death, and sacrificeBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Legendary 馃嚚馃嚧 ColombiaPatasola A Colombian jungle monster that lures men with beauty before revealing a one-legged formBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚥馃嚱 MexicoAhuizotl膩huitzotl A legendary Aztec water creature said to lure people to their deathsBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚡馃嚥 Jamaica and 3 moreDuppy A Caribbean term for a ghost or malevolent spirit, rooted in West African folklore.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Living 馃嚛馃嚧 Dominican Republic and 1 moreCiguapa A back-footed forest spirit of the Dominican Republic known for seduction and jealousyBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Love and attraction Legendary 馃嚨馃嚲 ParaguayAo Ao A Guarani mythic beast that hunts humans and frightens children in ParaguayBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚚馃嚤 Chile and 1 moreCuerotr眉lke wekuf眉 An aquatic creature from Mapuche and Chilote myth that drags victims into the depths.Being 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚘馃嚪 ArgentinaLegendary creatures of the Argentine Northwest region Myths and spirits from the Andean highlands of ArgentinaBeing 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Historical 馃嚦馃嚠 Nicaragua and 3 moreHeadless priestel cura sin cabeza / paring pugot A headless Catholic spirit that haunts Central America and the Philippines as a warning against sacrilege.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Cleansing and purification Living 馃嚟馃嚬 HaitiBizango Haitian secret societies linked to Vodou and social controlTradition 路 Cursing and harm 路 Binding and oaths Living 馃嚬馃嚬 Trinidad and Tobago and 1 moreDouen A faceless creature with backwards feet from Trinidad and Tobago folkloreBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚚馃嚤 Chile and 1 moreImbuncheif眉nche A deformed child-monster of Chilote folklore that guards a warlock's cave and serves as an instrument of curse.Figure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Legendary 馃嚚馃嚤 ChileWarlock of Chilo茅brujo chilote A legendary network of sorcerers from the Chilean archipelago and their mythical powers.Belief 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Legendary 馃嚚馃嚧 Colombia and 1 moreLa Bolefuego A fiery apparition from the Llanos that hunts travelers and avoids prayer.Figure 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚙馃嚳 BelizeTata DuendeNukuch Tat A thumbless forest spirit of Belizean folklore that protects animals and warns children.Being 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living 馃嚙馃嚙 Barbados and 2 moreObeah and Wanga A Caribbean folk magic tradition and a Haitian charm packet, referenced in Western occult texts.Tradition 路 Power and authority 路 Cursing and harm Living 馃嚙馃嚪 BrazilLobisomem A South American shape-shifter born from family fate or sin, often linked to the full moon.Being 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚚馃嚤 Chile and 1 moreKalku A Mapuche sorcerer who works with negative powers and malevolent spiritsBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚞馃嚲 Guyana and 1 moreBaccoo A half-wood spirit from Guyanese and Surinamese folklore that serves as a mercenary or a haunting presence.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary 馃嚞馃嚬 Guatemala and 1 moreEl Sombrer贸n A tall, hat-wearing figure from Guatemalan legend who courts young women and haunts neighborhoods at dusk.Figure 路 Love and attraction 路 Cursing and harm Legendary 馃嚚馃嚤 Chile and 3 moreGualichu An evil spirit feared in Mapuche and Tehuelche traditions, and a word for bad luckBeing 路 Cursing and harm Historical
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Photo credits on this page

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

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven entries you may not know, what is on the calendar this week, and one rite drawn step by step.