News
Stage magicFox Nation to Debut AI-Generated ‘Houdini’ Series Tied to 100th Anniversary of Harry Houdini’s DeathStage magicFox Nation to Debut AI-Generated ‘Houdini’ Series Tied to 100th Anniversary of Harry Houdini’s DeathLiving traditionsMexican principal questions progressive and shamanic content in public school materialsStage magicMaster illusionist Leon Etienne is bringing his Magic Rocks! show to The Grand at UW-OshkoshFestivalsElgin's Day of the Dead walk is more than just a 5KMuseumsHans Baldung GrienLiving traditions‘Mystical shaman’ plans Wānaka templeFestivalsWhere to celebrate Day of the Dead in San AntonioFestivalsSIPA to hold Samhain at Gaia House on Oct. 24Living traditions5 ancient bathing rituals across the worldStage magicFox Nation to Debut AI-Generated ‘Houdini’ Series Tied to 100th Anniversary of Harry Houdini’s DeathStage magicFox Nation to Debut AI-Generated ‘Houdini’ Series Tied to 100th Anniversary of Harry Houdini’s DeathLiving traditionsMexican principal questions progressive and shamanic content in public school materialsStage magicMaster illusionist Leon Etienne is bringing his Magic Rocks! show to The Grand at UW-OshkoshFestivalsElgin's Day of the Dead walk is more than just a 5KMuseumsHans Baldung GrienLiving traditions‘Mystical shaman’ plans Wānaka templeFestivalsWhere to celebrate Day of the Dead in San AntonioFestivalsSIPA to hold Samhain at Gaia House on Oct. 24Living traditions5 ancient bathing rituals across the world
EveryJaadu

Magic in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ifa divination and the orisha, sangomas and inyangas, nkisi figures, masquerades, spirit possession and the fear of witchcraft. 92 entries on EveryJaadu so far.

Places of magic

Gambaga 2Kukuo 2Matopo Hills 2Osogbo 2Ajido 1Akodessawa 1Akwa Ibom State 1Aného 1Bonyasi 1Clarens 1Cross River State 1Dar es Salaam 1Ficksburg 1Fouriesberg 1Ghanzi 1Gnani 1Harar 1Harper 1Hogsback 1Horn of Africa 1Ile-Ife 1Khartoum 1Khetlhakone 1Kingdom of Dahomey 1Kinshasa 1Kpatinga 1KwaZulu-Natal 1Land of Frankincense 1Matatane 1Mautse 1

Rites of the region

Ifa divinationEgungun masqueradeSangoma calling and bone-throwingLibation to the ancestorsNkisi nkondi power figuresMami Wata devotionBori possessionFamadihana, the turning of the bonesDebtera amulet scrollsRainmaking and the Rain Queen

Countries

🇦🇴 Angola 6🇧🇯 Benin 19🇧🇼 Botswana 3🇧🇫 Burkina Faso 1🇧🇮 Burundi 1🇨🇲 Cameroon 6🇨🇻 Cape Verde 1🇨🇫 Central African Republic 3🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo 5🇪🇷 Eritrea 5🇸🇿 Eswatini 2🇪🇹 Ethiopia 23🇬🇦 Gabon 3🇬🇲 Gambia 5🇬🇭 Ghana 19🇬🇳 Guinea 2🇨🇮 Ivory Coast 2🇰🇪 Kenya 9🇱🇸 Lesotho 3🇱🇷 Liberia 2🇲🇬 Madagascar 9🇲🇼 Malawi 1🇲🇱 Mali 12🇲🇷 Mauritania 1🇲🇿 Mozambique 3🇳🇦 Namibia🇳🇪 Niger 5🇳🇬 Nigeria 34🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo 4🇷🇼 Rwanda 1🇸🇳 Senegal 7🇸🇱 Sierra Leone 6🇸🇴 Somalia 3🇿🇦 South Africa 28🇸🇸 South Sudan 3🇹🇿 Tanzania 9🇹🇬 Togo 7🇺🇬 Uganda 4🇿🇲 Zambia 2🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 8
KindTraditionRiteCharmOracleSubstanceBeingFigureTextIllusionBelief
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
OccasionWeddings and betrothalFestivalsBirth and childhoodDeath and remembranceHarvest, farming and weatherNew yearInitiation and coming of ageIllness and misfortuneJourneys and voyagesEveryday use
StandingLivingRevivedFadingHistoricalLegendaryPerformed
OrderBest knownA to ZNewestLiving first
🇳🇬 NigeriaOrunmilaỌ̀rúnmìlà Yoruba deity of wisdom and the creator of the Ifá divination systemBeing · Seeing and foretelling · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living 🇿🇦 South AfricaUkuthwasa A spiritual calling and initiation process for traditional healers in Southern Africa.Rite · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

Photo credits on this page

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

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven entries you may not know, what is on the calendar this week, and one rite drawn step by step.