Can someone please explain Wicca & Satanism to me?

Question

I am a christian, an no I'm not sayng these two are the same, I'm just wondering WHAT they are. explain?

Answer 1

That is like comparing apples to hedgehogs. Wicca is a peaceful nature religion, focusing on a Mother Goddess and a God of Nature. It was started by Gerald Gardner, and others imitating him, around the 1930's to 1950's. It came to the United States in the 1960's, and was heavily influenced by Environmentalism and Feminism.

Satanism is a religion of self-worship, and extreme individualism. Some Satanists believe in a literal Satan figure, who for them represents freedom and rebelion. Others are philosophical atheists who see Satan as an allegorical figure representing indulgence and individualism.

Pretty much the only thing that Wicca and Satanism have in common is that both were to some degree influenced or inspired by Aleister Crowley, and his religion/philosophy of Thelema -- Thelema is all about finding your True Will, your True path or purpose in life, and doing your Will. The Law of Thelema is "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law," and, "Love is the Law, Love under Will." Wicca changes this to "An it harm none, do as ye Will," but the essence of the message is pretty much the same. Thelema and Wicca both are all about respecting the Will of other people. Satanists are more selfish, and see no problem dominating another person or imposing their will on them.

Answer 2

Wicca is a religion created by Gerald Gardner circa 1950 purporting to be a Stone Age religion. It's actually a combination of other occult systems. According to Adian Kelly, Gardner created Wicca mostly to satisfy a fetish of needing to be beaten by strong willed women.

Satanism usually means a personality cult centered around the late Anton LaVey, a high school dropout who was a cannibal, wife beater and pimp who died bankrupt.

Answer 3

Wicca was started in the 50's by a man named Gerald Gardner. They believe in a God and a Goddess, and all gods and goddesses are aspects of these two. They practice rituals for worship and magic, though magic itself is too complex to get into here. To put it simply, it is more like a prayer, except instead of asking god to do something for you, you will it to happen. It's nothing like in the movies.

Satanism is actually primarily atheistic. The image of Satan is used to represent human nature, and to piss off Christians. I don't know as much about it, but I do know it's not an evil religion that loves to hurt others. They actually are told not to hurt other people, unless someone has wronged you.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/ has more information on both religions and many others.
http://wicca.timerift.net/wicca101/index.shtml is a FAQ for non Wiccans about Wicca.
A quick google brought up this on satanism, looks like a good resource: http://www.modernsatanism.com/satanism.html

Hope this helped.

Answer 4

Well, the only thing I know about Satanism is that it isn't really about worshipping Satan or doing evil. True practitioners just believe in themselves, and their motto basically is "If it feels good, do it."

As a former Wiccan, I can tell you that it doesn't have anything to do with Satan (and thankyou for clarifying that you don't think they are the same). Its about worshipping the earth and the Mother God. Sure there are "spells", but it is mostly about sending out energy into the universe to accomplish things. They are firm believers that whatever energy you send into the universe comes back on you times 3, that's why it doesn't make since to use black magick. The only things I ever used spells for was to brighten the energy around me, because I had alot of negativity around me at the time.

Answer 5

Wikipedia has decent articles on both. Adequately condensing a description of an entire religion into a Y!A answer is really not feasible.

Good link for atheistic Satanism: churchofsatan.com
link for theistic Satanism: joyofsatan.com
(my) link for Wicca: wicca.timerift.net

Answer 6

Wicca is a neopagan religion based in ancient pagan beliefs of nature worship. We believe in the ALL, as source of all life. The All has a female aspect as well as a male aspect. These aspects are known to us as the Goddess and the God.

Wicca is a religion that embraces Magick. Not all people who practice Magick are Wiccans, just like not all Wiccans practice Magick.

We do not believe in the existence of Satan. We believe that we are responsible for our own acts. Not in that "the devil made me do it".

Satanism is a religion in which the people worship a being known as Satan. As far as I know, the Satan they worship is not the same person refered to in some religious Holy Books.

Answer 7

No they are not the same... I am new to Wicca so I will let some better suited explain it. But basically it is about mother earth and worshiping the God and Goddess.

Answer 8

Wicca is a pagan religion that recognize multiple masculine and feminine deities, they revere nature and life and celebrate holidays in each season, reincarnation, and karma. Whatever you send out comes back increased.

There is no "bible" or holy text. They don't believe in Satan or the devil, heaven or hell.

Check out www.witchvox.com

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Satanism - I'll come back and add if others don't hit this one first.

((KJV - get a life and stay out of questions you don't have any knowledge about))

Answer 9

Those a two entirely different belief systems and neither can be adequately answered here.

It would take volumes to even begin explaining what Wicca is all about for example.

Answer 10

Satanism is a religion founded in 1966 by Anton LaVey. Its teachings are based on individualism, social Darwinism, self-indulgence, and "eye for an eye" morality, with influence from Friedrich Nietzsche and Ayn Rand, while its rituals and magic draw heavily from occultists such as Aleister Crowley. Borrowing Crowley's terminology, its adherents define Satanism as a "Left-Hand Path" religion, rejecting traditional "Right-Hand Path" religions such as Christianity for their perceived denial of life and emphasis on guilt and abstinence. Unlike Theistic Satanism, which is rejected by the Church of Satan as Christian heresy rather than Satanism, it does not literally worship Satan, but rather uses "Satan" as a symbol for people's natural inner desires.