Magic in North America
Hoodoo and conjure, Appalachian folk magic, Indigenous ceremony (some of it closed to outsiders), modern Paganism and the stage magic of Houdini to Las Vegas. 187 entries on EveryJaadu so far.
Places of magic
New Orleans 6Salem 4Boston 2Chicago 2Harlem 2Liverpool 2Los Angeles 2San Francisco 2Adams 1Alaska 1Alberta 1Albuquerque 1Alexian Brothers Hospital 1Atlanta 1Balzac 1Beaman 1Bell Witch Cave 1Berks County 1Big Horn County 1Blythe 1Boulder Valley 1Braddock Heights 1Brisbane 1Bristol 1Broadway 1Brownsville 1Buffalo 1Central Park 1Chattanooga 1Chesapeake Bay 1
Rites of the region
Pennsylvania German powwowAppalachian charm for stopping bloodHoodoo mojo bagHoodoo floor washingCasting a Wiccan circleSpiritualist seanceThe Ouija boardSmudging, and who may do itNavajo sandpainting
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
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesHex sign
Pennsylvania Dutch barn symbols that range from folk art to talismansCharm 路 Protection 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚚馃嚘 CanadaSpoon bending
A magic trick and paranormal claim involving the deformation of metal cutleryBelief 路 Wonder and entertainment 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesHodag
A fabricated American cryptid from Wisconsin folklore and tall talesFigure 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreFearsome critters
Tall tale animals from North American logging camps used to jest and explain the wild.Figure 路 Wonder and entertainment 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚝馃嚠 Finland and 1 moreV盲in盲m枚inen
An ancient Finnish demigod and master singer from the Kalevala epicBeing 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 5 moreVanishing hitchhiker
An urban legend where a motorist picks up a passenger who vanishes, often leaving behind proof of their death.Belief 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesMartian Monkey
A 1953 Atlanta hoax involving a tailless monkey dressed as an alienBelief 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 5 moreHaunted doll
A doll claimed to be haunted or possessed, often linked to film and urban legend.Belief 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesThe Occult: A History
A 1971 survey of occult figures and latent human powers by Colin WilsonText 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Spoon bending: Sgerbic, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hodag: Gourami Watcher, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hex sign: Smallbones, CC0, source
- V盲in盲m枚inen: Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Public domain, source
- Fearsome critters: Coert Du Bois, Public domain, source
- Martian Monkey: Tim Farley, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Haunted doll: Cayobo, CC BY 1.0, source