Those are two very VERY different religions. Wiccans celebrate the Earth and give thanks, whereas Satanists worship themselves. (Or depending on which kind of Satanism you're talking about, Satan).
Wicca is a monotheistic belief. The Church of Satan is a non-theistic belief and is more of a philosophy (if we're talking about modern day Satanism referred to as LaVeyan Satanism).
Wicca perform rituals based around their belief. The Church of Satan performs rituals based around theistic Satanism tradition (since there's nothing wrong with a little bit of tradition).
Satanism is about independence and strength. Indulging in sin because it feels good. It's generally accepted that there is no Satan, but as a Satanist you embrace all that Satan stands for. It's not the inverse of Christianity, that's devil worship. Satanists don't worship Satan.
Wicca, I admit I know little about. There's something about a Goddess and nature, that's all I can say on the matter.
Well, first of all, the CoS is more organized than "Wicca". Heck, we can't even agree on who is Wiccan and who isn't. CoS has temple rolls and a central government.
There's really very very little in common between the two, I don't know how anyone whose done ten minutes of research could confuse them.
Like so many others here have said, it's an unfair comparison as the two are entirely different religions. Might as well ask what the difference is between Taoism and Judaism.
A simple comparison is that there is none: Wicca worships Nature, Satanists worship the human experience and believe nothing should bar one from that experience, however defined.
Wicca is a "Noe-pagan" religion that covers a vast number of "traditions", or paths of belief. Despite this, all traditions have several things in common that band them together under the banner of "Wicca": belief in a female aspect of divinity or a literal female deity (and most believe in a likewise male aspect or male deity); that the goddess/gods are as much a part of Nature as we; and reincarnation happens.
Wicca does not stem from the Abrahamic religions and as such has no link of the God of the Christians, Jews or Muslims. As such, there is no Satan who was created by that God.
In other words, there is no comparison as they are entirely unrelated with no shared deities.
totally different faiths
Wiccan is about earth based Prue monotheistic practices
The Wiccan Reed
http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/rede.htm
explains it all basically
With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart. Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you.These Eight words the Rede fulfill:
"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"
the Church of Satan
http://www.churchofsatan.com/home.html
The Nine Satanic Statements outline what "Satan" represents in the Church of Satan
1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence.
2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams.
3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit.
4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on psychic vampires.
5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek.
6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires.
7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his "divine spiritual and intellectual development", has become the most vicious animal of all.
8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification.
9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years.
http://www.angelfire.com/empire/serpenti?
The Origins of Satanism
Satanism is not a Christian invention
Satanism predates Christianity and all other religions
Satanism is not about spooks, goblins, vampires, Halloween monsters or other related entities
Satanism is not about "evil"
Satanism is not an invention of, or a "reaction" to Christianity
Satanism is not a creation of Anton LaVey
Satanism is not about death
True Satanism is about elevating and empowering humanity to reach equality with the Gods, which was our True Creator (Satan's) intention
"IN THE SECRET OF MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO GOD BUT ME"
-SATAN
From "Peace Be Unto Him"
Due to centuries of misinformation, lies, and the systematic removal of knowledge, few people these days understand or even know what ?Satanism? really is all about.
Christianity has been at liberty to dictate without any opposition, what they CLAIM Satanism to be. In order to accomplish this, the truth had to be destroyed. The Catholic Church (the original Christian Church, from which all Christian sects have evolved), heinously tortured to death and mass-murdered millions of innocent men, women and children in what was known as "The Inquisition." Some children who were burnt to death in what were known as "witch houses" were as young as two years of age.?
Christians forever rant and rave concerning the "one world order" where all identities, cultures, personal privacy's, and liberties will be lost and humanity, after being systematically bar-coded, will be lumped into a one-world slave state. What they fail to see is how their own so-called "religion" and bible have always been and are the roots of and blueprint for this regime. Everything in the Judeo/Christian Bible has been stolen and corrupted from religions predating Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from hundreds to thousands of years. Through Judaism and its tool of Christianity, all of the original spiritual teachings from around the world, (which are CONCEPTS) have been stolen from, lumped together into the "one," and corrupted into Jewish archetypes and characters and fictitious places. This has given the Jewish people as a whole a false history, political power and "spiritual" authority to which they are not entitled.
The bible is a very powerful subliminal tool to control the masses. One can see this is a man-made work as there are endless contradictions. The bible has been systematically drummed into the minds of the populace from a very early age. A lie must always be enforced as opposed to the truth which can stand on its own. Because spiritual knowledge and occult power have been removed and kept in the hands of a "chosen" few, the unknowing populace has been helpless against it. The agenda here is to create a one-world slave state with the "chosen" few ruling at the top. The perpetrators of course blame Satan to create a necessary distraction, while they use occult power to accomplish their ends. They have a history of stealing from and blaming their enemies for everything they really are and do, while always holding themselves in the highest esteem and innocence.
The original religions now known as "Satanism" (by the way, "Satan" means "enemy" in Hebrew), were all based upon what is known as the "Magnum Opus" or Great Work. The one known as "Satan" is our True Creator God. He was prevented by the other Gods from finishing his work on humanity, that of the godhead. The godhead is physical and spiritual perfection. Now, if you continue to read on, I will prove this.
The serpent is seen everywhere in ancient relics and structures. The serpent was held sacred in all areas of the ancient world. Satan is the God Ea, aka ENKI, one of the first of the Nephilim to arrive on this planet and establish the first civilization. In Sumerian mythology, Enki's symbol was always the serpent.
The serpent represents the DNA, the life force and the kindling and has survived as the emblem of the American Medical Association and Veterinary medicine, where it is symbolic of life and healing. Only with the coming of Judeo/Christianity, has this sacred symbol been desecrated and blasphemed.
Churh of Satan (COS): generally atheists. Satan is a symbol, not a literal being.
Wicca: are theists. We believe in a Higher Power in the form of God (father) and Goddess (mother). We also don't believe in Hell or Satan or devils and such.
COS: believes man is carnal and should ultimately give into his carnal nature
Wicca: Sees man as a physical and spiritual being... and emphasizes the mind/body/spirit connection and striking a healthy balance in all things.
COS: promotes revenge and crushing your enemies
Wicca: promotes just defending yourself as necessary & turning the other cheek; seek proper justice if called for (like legal help), rise above it and move on.
Those are just a few off the top of my head.
Both the COS and Wicca believe in leaving others to believe what they will and follow their own path. So in that respect, they get along, even though they disagree theologically on a lot of things.
There are many differences, which most of the other answers have pointed out. However, there is one MAJOR thing that they do indeed have in common. They both take your eyes OFF the truth. The Almighty Creator, the One True Living God, and His Son Jesus Christ.
Wicca was Founded by Gerald Gardner.
The Church of Satan was Founded by Anton LeVey.
What they have in common; both Gardner and LeVey knew Aleister Crowley. In many ways, both Wicca and the Church of Satan can be a fulfillment of Crowley's "New Age" (Aeon) philosophy, attaining ones will. However, there the similarities end.
What's the difference between Wicca and the Church of Satan?
