this thread is terribly off topic, but since it's here, i can't let this
misinformation float around the ethernet.
satanism & pre-christian european religions (otherwise known as witchcraft,
goddess worship, neo-paganism, etc.)  have nothing to do with each other
because the chritians invented satan.  using pagan images of fertility gods
such as pan, who were not evil, but life-giving.  satanists were rebellious or
disillusioned christians, not witches (whose gods & goddesess were derived from
forces of nature, not from polarized concepts such as good & evil- i.e. fire is
neither good nor bad, but something that must be in balance with other forces).
i've never met a "satanist" & doubt that in modern times many practicing groups
remain (perhaps they rarely existed in the past- alchemists, scientists, &
ceremonial magicians were often mis-labeled as satanists).  anton lavey's group
was mostly media hype, more a philosophy of self-empowerment than anything
sinister.  however, modern-day witches do exist , in the tens of not hundreds
of 1000's in north america & europe, & in my experience are the most
life-affirming& ethical people i've ever met.  in the sf bay area (sodom
central , to right-wingers), many large,open public halloween rituals are held.
 one of them  usually attracts 1000-1300 people from all faiths, & far from
containing grotesque sacrifice or evil spells, is a way of mourning losses of
the previous year.  personal losses- of humans or animals-  & global losses- of
whole species, redwood groves,groups of people lost in wars,  & whatever is of
importance to the attendees.  at the end, a list of babies born that year to
the group is read out loud & celebrated.  first time i went, almost 20 years
ago, i was scared (& curious) but far from finding anything creepy, was
overwhelmed by the wholesomness & love of the event.  much like in buddhism, as
least theoretically, if you feel yourself to be part of the web of life-every
part, from lava to dirt to sky, you must behave responsibly, not only
refraining from causing harm, but actively to protect all life from harm.  
it saddens & angers me to see the misinformation that goes around , especially
at this time of year.  for those interested, try pagan resources on the web., &
for those who disagree, please try to open your heart enough to see us simply
as having another religion, such as hinduism or siberian shamanism or any
other, rather than as unique bearers of decadence & evil.  

just to clarify something i said in a previous message about the difference
between  satanists & christians-  i said christians invented satan, but i meant
that satan in his current incarnation, with horns & hooves, was largley based
on pre-christian gods.  the church during the middle ages was having a hard
time stamping out pagan worship, so turned a pagan pan-like god into a symbol
of evil ( & incorporated pagan rituals into its own-i,e, bunnies ,eggs, &
flowering bulbs like lilies, from spring rebirth rituals became part of easter,
winter solstice & the sun's rebirth into longer days part of xmas, etc., etc.)
satan did exist in the old testament, but more abstractly.
the other point is that pat may be right about {*filter*}y druid stuff, but this
bears little resemblance to modern-day celtic inspired ritual.   just as
semitic peoples no longer sacrifice mammals as part of their worship (we won't
get into political
sacrifices!)  somebody somewhere had to start "traditions"  & that seems to be
what's been happening the last few decades in the wicca revival.
hope this has been somewhat relevant- your next doctor or patient may secretly
(or in the sf bay area, not so secretly)  practicing magic.  (secrecy is often
warranted- though robertson may feel that xians are persecuted, it's pagan who
have borne the brunt of death threats, vandalizing sacred sites, groups praying
for their death, etc.  pagans don't want to wipe out xians- just left alone).
this is so complicated- by magic i mean focusing energy on a desired result- a
form of prayer or meditation , though usually more complex.  i've never run
into
"black magic"(although in a non-organized way, it probably exists), but only
"white".  if we want to protect headwaters forest, we don't imagine harm to
pacific lumber's owners, but rather protection to the forest, & it's increasing
vitality, & the enlightenment of people involved.  & , of course, take action -
 see econet site, part of igc.org).