What Distinguishes Witchcraft From Satanic Rituals?

Satanism and Wiccan rituals are two distinct religions with different beliefs and practices. Satanism is a form of religion that uses supernatural or occult powers to bring harm upon others, while Wiccan rituals aim to bring about positive changes and honor the divine in nature. Witchcraft, a term used to describe harm brought upon others through these practices, is a common practice among Satanists.

Witchcraft involves three characteristics: worshipping the character in the Bible, Lucifer, and organizing these “Satanists” into a group. While Satanic acts were later ruled out, they feel their beliefs are often confused with Satan worship. The interpretation of Lucifer is central to this discussion, as he can be seen as a crossover deity that appears with different meanings both within non-satanic and satanic contexts.

While individual beliefs are diverse, virtually all theistic Satanists, also known as Luciferians or Setians, worship or venerate Satan in some form or another. From the late 1980s until the mid-1990s, allegations of children being sexually abused and even killed in the course of rituals associated with Devil worship or Wicca were made in Britain.

A second, far broader definition uses the term witchcraft to describe a varied range of ritual practices intended to manipulate the occult. Ritual homicide, ritual child abuse, and blood rituals appear to be common features in Satanism-related crime in the United States, Britain, and South Africa. However, they achieve this philosophy in very different ways and have many major differences.

The Christian campaign against witchcraft, satanism, and the occult did not begin with allegations of the ritual abuse of children. Instead, it focuses on understanding the various aspects of Satanism and Wicca, including their differences and the importance of understanding the physical body of witches in spurring demonological beliefs and prosecution.