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 States and 2 moreLouisiana Voodoo
An African diasporic religion practiced in Louisiana from the 18th to early 20th centuriesTradition 路 Healing 路 Protection Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 2 moreRabbit's foot
A charm carried for luck, often linked to graveyards and strict folk rulesCharm 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚥馃嚱 MexicoAztec religion
The polytheistic and monistic belief system of the Aztec Empire in central MexicoTradition 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesFolk healer
An unlicensed community member who provides healing care using local plants and traditional knowledge.Tradition 路 Healing 路 Protection Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 2 moreSpiritualism
A nineteenth-century religious movement focused on communicating with the dead.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesCurse of the Bambino
A sports superstition linking a long championship drought to a player saleBelief 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesStamping
A childhood gesture believed to capture luck from specific animals or objectsBelief 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesJewett City vampires
A 19th-century New England family's belief in undead plague and their violent response to it.Belief 路 Protection Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesGhost shirt
A sacred garment of the Ghost Dance believed to protect the wearer from bulletsCharm 路 Protection Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesNew England vampire panic
A folk response to tuberculosis involving the exhumation and burning of organsBelief 路 Protection 路 Healing Historical
馃嚚馃嚘 CanadaPinga
An Inuit goddess of the hunt and medicine who oversees caribou herds and souls.Being 路 Healing 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreDianism
A 19th-century American practice of sexual contact without ejaculationTradition 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesCurse of Rocky Colavito
A baseball superstition linking a 1960 player trade to decades of team failureBelief 路 Luck and prosperity Historical
馃嚡馃嚨 Japan and 1 moreChain letterFukou no Tegami
A message that demands copying and forwarding to avoid bad luck or gain fortuneBelief 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesKa-Bala
A 1967 talking board game that claims to tell the future with a spinning marble and tarot cards.Illusion 路 Seeing and foretelling 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.
- Folk healer: calliopejen, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Louisiana Voodoo: I cropped, original authors are Ridpath, John Clark, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Curse of the Bambino: National Photo Company, Public domain, source
- Rabbit's foot: Sobebunny, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Spiritualism: Rossington, W. W. and Garrett, J. Ellwood, Public domain, source
- Dianism: Guillaume Seignac, Public domain, source
- Chain letter: Alpha, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ghost shirt: Wolfgang Sauber, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Aztec religion: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- New England vampire panic: no credited author, Public domain, source