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. 149 entries on EveryJaadu so far.
Places of magic
Rome 11Meron 5Jerusalem 3Thebes 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
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 1 moreDhikrذِكْر
Islamic remembrance of God through repeated recitation and prayerRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living
🇮🇱 IsraelBanishing
Ceremonial magic rites used to clear a space of spiritual influences before other workings.Rite · Cleansing and purification Living
🇪🇬 EgyptBarbarous name
A magical word whose meaning is unknown or ignored, valued for its sound alone.Text · Power and authority Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Barbarous name: Aktiophis, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dhikr: Eugène Baugnies, Public domain, source