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Living traditions‘Mystical shaman’ plans Wānaka temple FestivalsWhere to celebrate Day of the Dead in San Antonio FestivalsSIPA to hold Samhain at Gaia House on Oct. 24 Living traditions5 ancient bathing rituals across the world FestivalsMidtown venue hosts Day of the Dead dinner WitchcraftPaul Carus’ *The History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil* (1899)Stage magicHoudini historical marker dedication set for Halloween FestivalsCelebrating Oxi Day, Castanyada and Samhain Safely in 2026 Witch-huntsSNP councillors ignore potholes to demand apology for historic witch trials Witch-huntsSNP councillors ignore potholes to demand apology for historic witch trials Living traditions‘Mystical shaman’ plans Wānaka temple FestivalsWhere to celebrate Day of the Dead in San Antonio FestivalsSIPA to hold Samhain at Gaia House on Oct. 24 Living traditions5 ancient bathing rituals across the world FestivalsMidtown venue hosts Day of the Dead dinner WitchcraftPaul Carus’ *The History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil* (1899)Stage magicHoudini historical marker dedication set for Halloween FestivalsCelebrating Oxi Day, Castanyada and Samhain Safely in 2026 Witch-huntsSNP councillors ignore potholes to demand apology for historic witch trials Witch-huntsSNP councillors ignore potholes to demand apology for historic witch trials

EveryJaadu

Historical practices

Documented in the past; no continuous living tradition today.

Living
Revived
Fading
Historical
Legendary
Performed

RegionSouth Asia Southeast Asia East Asia Central Asia and the Caucasus Middle East North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Europe North America Latin America and the Caribbean Oceania

KindTradition Rite Charm Oracle Substance Being Figure Text Illusion Belief

PurposeProtection Healing Seeing and foretelling Luck and prosperity Love and attraction Cursing and harm Cleansing and purification Speaking with spirits and the dead Change and initiation Binding and oaths Power and authority Wonder and entertainment

WhoShamans Folk healers Priests and ritual specialists Witches, sorcerers and cunning folk Diviners and readers Mediums and the possessed Ceremonial magicians and alchemists Households and ordinary people Stage magicians Scholars and sceptics

BeliefHindu and Tantric Buddhist Jain Muslim and Sufi Jewish Christian Sikh Zoroastrian Shinto and Taoist Indigenous and shamanic African and Afro-diasporic Pagan and Neopagan Esoteric and occult Folk and village custom Secular and stage Other traditions

OccasionWeddings and betrothal Festivals Birth and childhood Death and remembrance Harvest, farming and weather New year Initiation and coming of age Illness and misfortune Journeys and voyages Everyday use

OrderBest known A to Z Newest Living first

🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreBirkat haMinimברכת המינים A Jewish liturgical curse against apostates and Christians within the daily standing prayerRite · Cursing and harm · Binding and oaths Historical

🇮🇶 Iraq and 3 moreUmayyad tradition of cursing Ali A state policy to denounce Ali during communal prayers under the Umayyad CaliphateRite · Cursing and harm · Binding and oaths Historical

Photo credits on this page

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

Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali: Anwar Rizvi, CC BY 2.0, source

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.