Satanism refers to a wide range of mostly
left-handed faiths, including (but not limited to):
a) Reverse Christianity
b) Setianism
c) Sat/tanism
d) Luciferianism (or original satanism)
e) LaVeyan satanism
f) Symbolic (or modern) satanism.
As a short description of each:
The most readily-recognised of these is reverse
christianity. This refers to those who espouse
vice rather than
virtue and act in all ways to perform '
evil'. However, it is also the minority.
After that, LaVeyan satanism is the next most easily recognised. LaVeyan satanism is an ethical egoist organisation (that is, it supports the idea that the individual should serve themselves). It also contains a sense of pantheism, in that it holds that all people are connected to power and can use it to perform magic. It is based on the satanic laws of the earth, and was founded by LaVey.
Luciferianism is the veneration of Lucifer as a positive role. It derives from Gnosticism (a christian sect which believed that God was pure wisdom, and we should seek this wisdom), some members of which decided that God could not possibly be wise and that it was Lucifer who should be venerated, as a positive, wisdom-bringing deity.
Sat/Tanism is more obscure. The name is a pun on "being and becoming", and is a combination of self-venerating practices and earth magic ultimately aimed at apotheosis (becoming a god).
Setianism is a mystery cult (a religion in which one is initiated into higher and higher levels, a little like freemasonry), based around the veneration of Set, from the Egyptian pantheon.
Finally, Symbolic satanism is a catch-all term for anti-theistic or self-venerating practices, often involving magic.
a) Alfie is a reverse christian. He does evil for evil's sake.
b) Beth is a Setianist. She's about to take another initiation in following Set.
c) Craig is a Sat/tanist. He thinks he's found the road to apotheosis; we'll see.
d) Diana is a Luciferian. She venerates Lucifer in the hope that he will save her soul and grant her wisdom.
e) Ethel is a LaVeyan satanist. She follows the Eleven Laws of Satanism, and will act in her self-interest whenever possible.
f) Frank is a symbolic satanist. He performs ritual magic and hopes to perfect himself, but doesn't claim a long pedigree for his faith.