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Satanism vs. Wicca: Two alternatives, often confused, little in common
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The only Satanic bible and one of many Wiccan ones.
Two of the most well-known alternative religions are that of Wicca and Satanism. Both of these religions have adherents in Orlando and it's surrounding environs and both seem to be growing. This reality, however, does not't just sit badly with Christians. In fact it seems other alternative religions spend more time trashing either variants of Wicca or modern (often called "LaVeyan") Satanism than fundamentalists do from the pews. This sad commentary leads me to provide a brief summary of what separates these two valid, legal, Constitutionally protected religions.
Traditionally these two religions hate each other's guts. Really. Wiccans have long blamed Satanists for giving their peaceful, loving religion a bad name, and Satanists find the only thing that separates a Wiccan from a Christian is a deity with a vagina. Wiccans have remained intentionally ignorant of Satanic dogma so they can freely throw out the statement "We don't do that (insert some bad religious thing here---say, animal or virgin sacrifice,) SATANISTS do that!" Satanists likewise have ridiculed Wiccans as, quoting a one time Satanic leader, "having unsupported breasts and notions."
Satanists found that Wiccans colluded with Christians during the Satanic Panic of the 1980's by scapegoating Satanists, vilifying them, in order to be accepted by the Christian mainstream. Wiccans essentially felt that Satanists were asking for trouble by choosing a name that incorporated a Christian deity of evil. So, historically, these two religions are not at all chummy.
The Goth movement did not't help. By merging the Satanic aesthetic with Wiccan philosophy even more confusion arose, and then both groups had to contend with teenagers thinking themselves vampires and playing a sort of AIDS Roulette by cutting and biting and drinking and implying it was all religiously based. Yuck.
So, for my Orlando neighbors, I give to you a quick primer on the primary religious differences between these two groups who are your neighbors, but who you are highly unlikely to bump into at Holy Land: The Experience.
The most obvious ways to describe a religious philosophy are,
1. Deity
2. Dogma
3. Karma
4. Organization
5. Afterlife
Deity
Wicca has as many denominations as Christianity. Some are based on specific cultures or specific historical time frames. Some are based on specific deities. Most are eclectic, incorporating any number of features to make the religion manful to the follower. Most Wiccan acknowledge a 5 point deity structure. This structure includes a Triple Goddess in the guise of maiden, Mother, & Crone, while the God form is represented by the Son and the Father/Lover. The Goddess can also be seen as Gaea, the earth Mother, with the God represented by a horned God of the hunt. This form has often led to the confusion that Wiccans worship a devil type being, but that is completely untrue. Some Wiccans see all these as metaphor/archetype. Others see them as literal entities and are inherently polytheistic.
Satanists, not to be confused with Christian Heretical Devil Worshipers, are atheists who use the archetype of Satan as a metaphor. Satan is seen in the Miltonian ideal, as he who refuses to kneel or worship any god or devil or angel or demon or hobbit or faerie, etc....To the Satanist each individual is completely responsible for their own life and is therefore their own personal god. Satanists often define themselves as "Militant Atheists."
Dogma
Wicca has several redes or rules that apply to most denominations. The most universal is "An if it harm none, do what thou wilt." This applies to both life and religious magic. Beyond that, which is pretty all encompassing and rather demanding, one is pretty much free to do anything they want. Of course different traditions offer more specified rules, particular holidays, and supported magical workings. The book above, A Witches Bible Complete, by Janet & Stewart Farrar applies to a specific sect of Wicca called the "Alexandrian Tradition," formed by Alex Sanders. I use it here because it probably is the most complete religious text in Wicca currently available. Wiccans generally dislike the very concept of dogma, but considering you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a gazillion Wicca books, obviously some stuff demands application to paper.
The Church of Satan/Satanism is highly dogmatic and has a written canon that clearly outlines the religious rules of a Satanist. Starting with The Satanic Bible and continuing with more books by Satanism founder Anton LaVey, by Blanche barton, and now The Satanic Scriptures by current Church of Satan High Priest Peter Gilmore, Satanism acknowledges it is a very young religion, still growing. The most important rules that most are unaware of are that a Satanist is prohibited to ever hurt a child, and killing an animal except for food is forbidden---so much for that sacrifice silliness. Satanists likewise are religiously ordered to follow the law implicitly and the Church of Satan is well known for reporting members who break the law to law enforcement.
Karma
Wiccans believe that all things return to the doer threefold, in this lifetime. The term is "threefold karma," and it applies to both magic and actions in life.
Satanists believe only in cause and effect and that there is no Karmic Scorekeeper.
Organization
Wiccans practice in solitary, in small or large coven groups, in large Neo-Pagan churches, and all things in between. These groups are mostly autonomous but some are federated with many branches. Some are incorporated as legal churches, and some meet only in one's living room. Generally groups are led by a Priestess, but even that is not universal, as priests are more and more popular. Some groups are formal, some not. Some follow one trad, and some are eclectic. In Wicca there is very definitely something for everyone.
While recently there have been many new Devil Worshiping Christian sects that identify themselves as Spiritual Satanists, or Traditional Satanists, (called "Flipparoos" in genuine Satanic circles,) in 1966 no group of people had ever, in the history of the world, identified themselves as Satanists. The term was used by Christians to ridicule or vilify those who did not agree with them. So. starting in 1966 Anton LaVey used the name to denote those atheists who still had the religious human need for ritual and dogma and fellowship, if not the need for an external God. Satan was originally a Hebrew word, not name, that meant the accuser, opposer, and adversary of the status quo, and the Church of Satan became home for those with a need for a religion without a need for God. Today the Church of Satan still accepts lifetime memberships and has a religious clergy and hierarchy based on merit in the real world.
Afterlife
Wiccans embrace the concept of reincarnation. Some take an eastern approach involving levels of existence and perfection, others a learning symbolism, but on the whole Wiccans accept that after death the Wiccan re-rejuvenates in "The Summer lands" before their next go on the cosmic wheel.
Satanists believe this is the only life the Satanist will have, so it is urgent to live it to the fullest. After death there is only decomposition.
I hope this clears up the primary differences between two exciting and ever-evolving religions. Neither are dangerous as made out by the mainstream churches who have a vested interest in vilifying them. On the whole you could not find better neighbors who support law and order, kindness and generosity, and most of all the beauty of minding one's own business!
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