Magic in Middle East

The evil-eye bead, the djinn, ruqyah and the talisman, Kabbalah and Jewish amulets, and the ancient Babylonian and Persian arts. 175 entries on EveryJaadu so far.

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

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 1 moreDhikrذِكْر Islamic remembrance of God through repeated recitation and prayerRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living

🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreJabir ibn Hayyanجابِر بِن حَيّان A legendary Islamic alchemist and philosopher whose writings shaped medieval magic and chemistryText · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Historical

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreSacred dance Movement used in worship to honour deities, heal communities, or connect with the spirit world.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreGematriaגימטריה A numeric writing system that assigns numerical values to words and phrases for interpretation.Text · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Living

🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreBibliomancy Divination by opening a book at random and reading the first passage foundOracle · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Living

🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreQareenقرين A spiritual companion or double assigned to every human in Islamic beliefBeing · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Living 🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreAstrology in the medieval Islamic worldعلم النجوم (Ilm an-Nujūm) The study of celestial influences on earthly affairs within the medieval Islamic traditionTradition · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Historical 🇯🇵 Japan and 3 moreBahamutبهموت A cosmic fish or bull that supports the earth in medieval Islamic cosmographyBeing · Power and authority Legendary

🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreSolomon's shamirשָׁמִיר A legendary worm or stone used to carve stone without iron toolsBeing · Power and authority Legendary

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreMawlidمولد An annual festival commemorating the birth of the Prophet MuhammadTradition · Power and authority Living

🇪🇬 EgyptBarakahبركة A spiritual blessing power in Islam and Arabic ChristianityBelief · Protection · Power and authority Living 🇬🇧 United KingdomUwaisiأُوَيْس A Sufi method of spiritual transmission between master and disciple without physical contact.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living 🇮🇱 IsraelShekhinahשְׁכִינָה The divine presence of God dwelling among people in Jewish and Islamic thoughtBelief · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living

🇹🇷 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 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 2 moreBay'ahبيعة An oath of loyalty and obedience given to a political or spiritual leader in Islamic traditionRite · Binding and oaths · Power and authority Living

🇮🇶 Iraq and 3 moreUmayyad tradition of cursing Ali A state policy to denounce Ali during communal prayers under the Umayyad CaliphateRite · Cursing and harm · Binding and oaths Historical

🇪🇬 Egypt and 4 moreAlchemy in the medieval Islamic world The study of matter and spirit by scholars in the early Islamic CaliphateTradition · Change and initiation · Power and authority Historical

🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreKhidrالخضر A Qur'anic guide and saint believed to hold hidden wisdom and aid those in need.Being · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Living

🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 moreHadraحضرة A collective Sufi ritual of remembrance and chanting to experience Divine PresenceRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living

Photo credits on this page

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

Qareen: عامر شاہین, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bibliomancy: Albert Robida, Public domain, source
Solomon's shamir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberhard_Werner_Happel, Public domain, source
Khirqa: Unknown author, CC0, source
Jabir ibn Hayyan: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali: Anwar Rizvi, CC BY 2.0, source
Alchemy in the medieval Islamic world: An Islamic artist 739H/1339, probably in Baghdad, Public domain, source
Sacred dance: Jorge Barrios, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Gematria: Bethsheba Ashe, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Khidr: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Dhikr: Eugène Baugnies, Public domain, source
Hadra: Zeinebtakouti, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mawlid: Firdaus Latif, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Barakah: عامر شاہین, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Magic in Middle East

Places of magic

Rites of the region

Countries

Photo credits on this page

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