sorcellerie

Sorcellerie is the practice or art of influencing events, people, or natural forces through alleged supernatural powers. The term originates from the French sorcier (sorcerer) and -erie, denoting a field of practice; in English, sorcery or witchcraft are used to translate similar concepts. Scholarly usage distinguishes sorcery as techniques that claim to manipulate unseen forces, separated from religion or science, though these borders vary by culture.

Historically, sorcellerie has appeared in many societies. In Europe, it was tied to folk magic, healing traditions, and, under persecutions, to witchcraft accusations that culminated in trials from the 15th to 18th centuries. In other regions, analogous practices exist under different names—for example, traditional healing, divination, and protective or harmful rites in Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. Practices commonly associated with sorcellerie include herbal remedies, charms and amulets, divination methods, prophecies, and invocations intended to influence luck, illness, or weather.

Sorcellerie has varied social roles: practitioners can be healers, midwives, or ritual specialists; they may be perceived as beneficial or dangerous, depending on local beliefs and power relations.

In contemporary contexts, interest in sorcellerie intersects with neopaganism, anthropology, and cultural heritage. In many regions, it remains a contested or criminalized practice, whereas in others it is openly practiced as part of traditional religious life or revived as a form of spiritual identity.