To come to know the difference between a “witch” and a “satanist” is first to define both terms and know what you are asking. By witch, do you mean a person following the Wiccan religion, or do you simply mean a person who practices witchcraft? There is a difference between the two. By satanist, do you mean a person who worships the devil?
Of course, in today’s world, there are so many different meanings to every word that it is hard to find a “simple” definition.
Wicca is a religion or spirituality that worships many earth concepts.
It can be monotheistic (such as Christianity), polytheistic, agnostic, or even atheistic. It depends on the person involved with this religion. Also depending on the person, he/she use “magic” in a sense of “witchcraft.” Wicca has it not a religion worshiping the devil. The “head honcho” is usually a moon goddess-given the name Diana. Once again, depending on the person, there is also a sort of god-like creature named Pan (half-goat, half-human) who has horns. This is oftentimes where the confusion lies. Many people confuse Satan with this horned creature, but they are not one and the same.
Just as Christianity has a cross and Judaism has the Star of David, Wicca has the pentagram (or pentacle as referred by some). This is a 5 point star inscribed in a circle. Each point refers to an element: Earth, Air, Fire, & Water. The 5th point at the top of the star is “Spirit” and is considered the most important point.
Another common misconception about Wicca is their set of “rules” or, well, the ten commandments of Wicca. This is called the Wiccan Rede, and one of the most important parts is the statement “An Ye Harm None, Do As Ye Will.” This does not, by any means, do whatever you want. If you think about it closely, it is something that any person can live by. It means that as long as you don’t hurt yourself, others, the earth, nature, society, or any other animate or inanimate object, do whatever it is that you need to. That narrows the spectrum considerably.
And then there is Satanism
Once again, there is no simple definition of what this is. Many people who consider themselves satanist do not consider themselves devil worshipers. There is also a star symbol associated with satanism, but it is an inverted pentagram (an upside-down star). This can, in some circles, represent Satan as the scapegoat is seen in the upside-down stars (the two points upward are the horns). This is not the only interpretation. It is also seen as the reversal of what mankind stands for. This doesn’t mean that it is okay to kill or do such things. It represents to take into account mankind’s animalistic basic nature. Instead of oppressing the primal instincts of man, it embraces them and sees humans as we truly are.
Satanists don’t necessarily even practice magic, and Wiccan’s don’t either. It is the sole choice of the worshiper. A “witch” who is not Wiccan can be of any religion. A witch does not worship the Devil. It is a matter of choice, but when a person doesn’t worship the Christian God it doesn’t make him/her worship the Devil, they just believe something else.
Wiccans vs Satanists
Wiccans and Satanists can be considered completely opposite or even the same if you look at the Wiccan mother-earth point of view compared to the Satanist primal instinct point of view. Witchcraft and satanism can also be completely opposite, but they can be one and the same. It depends on the worshiping people whether or not there is a huge difference or none at all.
