Pre-Islamic Indonesia embraced a vast pantheon of divinities, which incorporated Hindu-Buddhist gods and animist deities. In spite of obvious traces of Indian mythology, Semar is believed to be a local deity indigenous to Java. Traditionally, Semar is considered the elder brother of the god Batara Guru, i.e. the Hindu god Śiva in traditional Javanese wayang […]

Whether one likes to actually wear amulets or just simply prefers to collect them, at one point or another a so-called pusaka pouch will come in very handy. When going out and about one can bring one’s amulets along in this pouch, thereby continuously being able to benefit from the mystical properties of the sacred items […]

In many ways, Islamic mysticism and Indonesian occultism seem to go hand in hand regarding the ancient practice of ritual magic. True masters of the occult are upholding the authentic mystical tradition in Indonesia today, using their profound spiritual knowledge and practical skills to make and consecrate powerful amulets and talismans, or taweez as they […]

Indonesian mystical tradition has a very large array of magic spells, incantations and prayers (e.g. mantras, du’a, hymns, etc.). A vast number of spells has been systematically incorporated into the practice of ritual magic. To the layperson the complexity of magical formulas used in Indonesian ritual magic sometimes seems rather intimidating due to the overwhelming […]

Indonesian shamanic tradition is syncretic in nature, not only in its origin but also in its beliefs. Therefore one can find a considerably rich diversity of mystical teachings in Indonesian shamanism. In this context, the ancient Javanese animist belief system (Kejawen) seems to go hand in hand with contemporary Islamic mysticism (i.e. Sufism; Kebatinan). This […]