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. 152 entries on EveryJaadu so far.
Places of magic
Rome 11Jerusalem 5Meron 5Thebes 3Uruk 3Constantinople 2Damascus 2Mecca 2Paphos 2Persepolis 2Tiberias 2Alaca Höyük 1Amuka 1Andaman Islands 1Arima 1Assur 1Babylon 1Bawit 1Behistun 1Beqaa Valley 1Bern 1Bethlehem 1Bibliothèque nationale de France 1Brisone River 1Carnuntum 1Cerrillos Hills 1Cilicia 1Deir el-Bahari 1Dur-Sharrukin 1Ecbatana 1
Rites of the region
Esfand, the wild rue smokeChaharshanbe Suri fire-jumpingThe nazar boncuğu, the blue beadRuqyah recitationKapparotThe red thread and Rachel's tombWriting a Jewish amulet (kame'a)
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
🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreCleromancy
A divination method that uses random chance to reveal divine willOracle · Seeing and foretelling · Speaking with spirits and the dead 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
🇮🇶 Iraq and 1 moreLibanomancy
Divination by reading the smoke and ash of burning frankincenseOracle · Seeing and foretelling Historical
🇸🇾 SyriaMetoposcopy
A divination method that reads personality and fate from forehead linesOracle · Seeing and foretelling Historical
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreCapnomancy
Divination by reading the shapes and movements of smoke from fires or incenseOracle · Seeing and foretelling · Protection Historical
🇸🇾 SyriaAlectryomancy
Divination using a rooster to select letters from grainOracle · Seeing and foretelling Historical
🇲🇬 Madagascar and 4 moreGeomancy
A cross-cultural system of divination using earth, sand, and landforms to read the future or align spaces.Oracle · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Living
🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreMyomancy
A divination practice that reads omens in the actions of rats and miceOracle · Seeing and foretelling Historical
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreDream questionShe'elat Halom
A Jewish divination practice seeking prophetic answers through dreamsOracle · Seeing and foretelling · Healing Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Bibliomancy: Albert Robida, Public domain, source
- Libanomancy: 4174332, CC0, source
- Metoposcopy: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
- Capnomancy: Tigerzeng, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Alectryomancy: Konstantin Makovsky, Public domain, source
- Geomancy: Jacopo188, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Myomancy: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cleromancy: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Public domain, source