Here is a link to a pretty amazing syllabus from a philosophy class called "philosophy of magic".
There are hyperlinks to many key essays and entries on the topic and is a pretty exhaustive survey of the whole affair from a European perspective.
It is my opinion that European witchcraft/magic is unique and primary to the European mindset in that it is a kind of "anti-shamanic" stance towards the preternatural. It is a ti1shamanic in the sense that
here is a (fairly short) essay about language and it's magical effects which speaks to my recent fascination with the metaphysical
Most sociological theories of magic go Religion---->Magic----->science
Some switch the order of religion and magic.
The general idea is that religion is kind of a passive affirmation of the individual as to his/her total reliance on the social. Religion is the passive element of the "religio-magical"