Living practices
Practised today by communities who hold it as their own.
- Living
- Revived
- Fading
- Historical
- Legendary
- Performed
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
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 StatesRing shout
A sacred circle dance of African American origin using rhythmic movement and call-and-response singingRite 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 5 moreMojo bag
A flannel pouch holding charms for protection and luck in African American Hoodoo traditionCharm 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 5 moreRainmaking rites
Ceremonies performed to call rain through prayer, dance, or symbolic actsRite 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesGhost DanceNanissaanah
A circular movement seeking spiritual renewal and reunion with ancestorsRite 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Change and initiation Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreCalifornian white sage
A California shrub used by Indigenous peoples for food, healing, and ritual cleansingSubstance 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreGroundhog DayGrund'sau d氓k
A North American custom using a burrowing rodent to forecast the end of winterTradition 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesDianic Wicca
A female-only pagan tradition honoring the Goddess and women's experienceTradition 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚚馃嚘 Canada and 1 moreInternational Brotherhood of Magicians
A global organization for professional and amateur magicians founded in 1922.Illusion 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 2 moreJack-o'-lantern
A hollowed vegetable carved with a face and lit from within, worn as a Halloween symbolCharm 路 Protection 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 3 moreMediumship
The practice of mediating communication between the living and spirits of the dead.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesSociety of American Magicians
A global professional group for magicians that preserves the art and ethics of stage illusionIllusion 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 4 moreRainmaking
Efforts to induce rain through technology, ritual, or prayer.Tradition 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚡馃嚨 Japan and 1 moreAinu religion
The animist spiritual beliefs and ritual practices of the Ainu people of Japan and RussiaTradition 路 Protection 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesDeliverance ministry
A Christian practice to remove evil spirits believed to cause personal afflictionRite 路 Cursing and harm 路 Cleansing and purification Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 2 moreS茅ance
A gathering to communicate with spirits, ranging from religious services to stage performances.Rite 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Healing Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 3 moreSandpainting
A ritual art of pouring colored sand to create temporary images for healing or spiritual teachingTradition 路 Healing 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚚馃嚘 CanadaNanabozho釗囜搰釔翅敁
A shapeshifting spirit and trickster in Anishinaabe storytelling from North AmericaBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesNavajo medicine
Traditional healing practices of the Navajo people focused on restoring harmonyTradition 路 Healing 路 Protection Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 4 moreFortune-telling
A practice of predicting future events or personal details through various methods and tools.Rite 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreOjibwe religion
The traditional spiritual practices of the Ojibwe people of North AmericaTradition 路 Healing 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 3 moreHoodoo
A spiritual tradition of the African diaspora in the American South using herbs and charms for protection and justice.Tradition 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesHopi mythology
The creation stories and spirit traditions of the Hopi people of the American SouthwestTradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Protection Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 5 moreSatanism
A modern set of beliefs using the figure of Satan as a symbol or deity.Tradition 路 Power and authority 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreMedicine wheel
Circular stone formations built by Indigenous peoples of North America for ceremony and astronomy.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚚馃嚘 Canada and 1 moreTotemdoodem
A spirit or symbol linking a group to nature, from Ojibwe clan systems to Australian kinshipBelief 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 5 moreFriday the 13th
A Western superstition marking a specific calendar date as unlucky.Belief 路 Luck and prosperity Living
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
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesPenn & Teller
A long-running American magic duo known for comedy acts and skeptical advocacyIllusion 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚟馃嚬 HaitiBaron Samedi
A Haitian Vodou spirit of the dead who also controls healing and resurrection.Being 路 Healing 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 morePunxsutawney Phil
A groundhog who serves as the central figure in an annual American weather prediction festival.Belief 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚠馃嚦 IndiaStreet magic
Public performance of illusions for passersby, from traditional busking to impromptu guerrilla tricksIllusion 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 2 moreCups and balls
A classic stage illusion where objects vanish and reappear under inverted coversIllusion 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesBloody Mary
A mirror ritual to summon a spirit that reveals the future or brings harmBelief 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 1 moreNeotantra啶ㄠさ啶むえ啷嵿い啷嵿ぐ (navatantra)
A Western movement blending Tantra with modern views on sacred sexualityTradition 路 Love and attraction 路 Change and initiation Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreBarnstar
A painted or carved star used to decorate barns in parts of the United States and Canada.Charm 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Wonder and entertainment Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 5 moreNeoshamanism
A modern spiritual movement adapting shamanic techniques for Western seekers outside their traditional cultures.Tradition 路 Healing 路 Change and initiation Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 5 moreNeoshamanism
A modern spiritual practice adapting shamanic techniques for Western seekersTradition 路 Healing 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreJinx
A curse or attribute believed to attract bad luckBelief 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesFeri Tradition
An American ecstatic witchcraft tradition founded on the West Coast in the mid-twentieth century.Tradition 路 Power and authority 路 Change and initiation Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 5 moreFriday the 13th
A Western superstition marking a specific calendar date as unluckyBelief 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesLemon pig
A carved fruit figure made for amusement and later linked to New Year luckCharm 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚘馃嚭 Australia and 2 moreTheatrical superstitions
Beliefs and rituals among actors to avoid bad luck and ward off spiritsBelief 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesOinomancy
A divination method that reads the future in wine patterns and sedimentOracle 路 Seeing and foretelling Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesThe Gray Man
A coastal ghost from South Carolina said to warn of hurricanesBeing 路 Protection Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 5 moreFriday the 13th
A Western superstition that a specific calendar alignment brings misfortuneBelief 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United StatesMothman
A humanoid cryptid from West Virginia folklore, linked to large birds and a bridge collapse.Being 路 Seeing and foretelling Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 4 moreTooth fairy
A childhood figure who exchanges lost baby teeth for gifts or coins.Figure 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreNew Thought
A spiritual philosophy linking mental states to physical health and prosperityTradition 路 Healing 路 Luck and prosperity Living
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Street magic: Hieronymus Bosch and workshop / Workshop of Hieronymus Bosch / After H, Public domain, source
- Barnstar: Una Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Neoshamanism: Carptrash, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mediumship: Harvey Metcalfe, Public domain, source
- Society of American Magicians: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Rainmaking: George Catlin, Public domain, source
- Halloween: Toby Ord, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- S茅ance: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Sandpainting: Mnolf, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nanabozho: D. Gordon E. Robertson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Navajo medicine: Edward S. Curtis, Public domain, source
- Friday the 13th: Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, source
- Hopi mythology: Sailko, CC BY 3.0, source
- Satanism: Alexandre Cabanel, Public domain, source
- Totem: Jami430, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lemon pig: GenesisNZ, CC0, source
- Hex sign: Smallbones, CC0, source
- Penn & Teller: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CC BY 2.0, source
- Baron Samedi: markbenecke, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ring shout: Attributed to John Rose, Public domain, source
- Punxsutawney Phil: Anthony Quintano, CC BY 2.0, source
- Mothman: Tim Bertelink, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tooth fairy: Eden, CC BY 2.0, source
- Medicine wheel: U.S. Forest Service Photo, Public domain, source
- Hoodoo: Hoodoowoman, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ojibwe religion: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fortune-telling: Taras Shevchenko, Public domain, source
- The Gray Man: Phoebe, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ainu religion: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Dianic Wicca: Jean-Baptiste Tuby I (Italy, active France, Paris and Versailles, 1635, Public domain, source
- Groundhog Day: Anthony Quintano, CC BY 2.0, source
- Californian white sage: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ghost Dance: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Rainmaking rites: SJasminum, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- New Thought: Nyttend, Public domain, source
- Mojo bag: Liza Khomenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, source