An interesting fact about paganism vs satanism is that between 40,000 and 100,000 people were executed in Europe for supposed witchcraft and Satanism during the 15th to 18th centuries. This dark chapter in history shows just how badly the concepts of paganism and satanism got mixed up through misunderstanding and old-fashioned religious persecution.
I’ve found that a lot of people still get these two belief systems confused. Truth is, Neo-Paganism and Satanism are completely different paths. Neo-Pagans don’t believe in the Christian Devil or any evil entity at all. Meanwhile, modern Satanism, which really got started in 1966 when Anton LaVey founded the Church of Satan, often takes more of an atheistic approach – they see Satan as a symbol rather than an actual deity.
In this article, I’ll walk through the histories, beliefs, and practices that make these paths distinct from each other. There’s been centuries of confusion around the question “is paganism satanic?” – and the answer comes down to historical misrepresentation rather than actual theological reality. Let’s clear things up.
The Historical Origins of Paganism and Satanism
Image Source: Project Gutenberg
Tracing the roots of paganism takes us way back to prehistoric times, when humans worshiped natural phenomena long before organized religion came along. I find it fascinating that the word “paganism” actually comes from the Latin “pāgānus” meaning rural or rustic. Early Christians in the fourth century started using this term to describe polytheistic practices. They basically slapped this label on polytheistic Roman religions and any ethnic traditions outside Judaism, creating a clear “us versus them” division.
Ancient pagan traditions and their diversity
Pagan spiritual practices popped up in diverse cultures all around the world. From what I’ve researched, archaeological evidence shows that fertility-focused worship dates back as far as 30,000 BCE, with artifacts like the Venus of Willendorf figurine backing this up. When the Neolithic era kicked off (around 10,000 BCE), agricultural societies developed religious practices centered on natural cycles – birth, death, planting, and harvest.
Ancient paganism wasn’t just one thing – it covered tons of different traditions. You had your Greek and Roman pantheons, Celtic practices, Germanic beliefs, and Slavic tribal customs. While these traditions shared some common ground – like reverence for natural cycles, believing in multiple gods, and celebrating seasonal changes – each kept their own distinct cultural identity and deities. I’ve always found it remarkable how these diverse traditions developed similar themes despite being separated by vast distances.
The Christian concept of Satan and its development
The Satan we think of today isn’t the same figure that appeared in early religious texts. When Satan first showed up in Hebrew scriptures, he wasn’t God’s enemy but actually worked as part of the divine council with the title “ha-Satan” (the adversary). This early Satan was more like a prosecutor or tester than some embodiment of evil.
Satan’s transformation into the bad guy we know today really picked up speed under Persian influence. Zoroastrianism introduced cosmic dualism with the concept of Angra Mainyu (the destructive spirit), which gave a template for an independent source of evil. By Jesus’s time, Satan had evolved into what Christian theology calls “the ruler of this world.”
The New Testament writings really cemented Satan as Christ’s opponent, portraying him as tempter, deceiver, and leader of demons. The Book of Revelation put the final touches on this transformation, showing Satan as a dragon cast out of heaven along with a third of the angels. This evolution always struck me as a fascinating example of how religious concepts change over time.
How the term ‘Satanism’ emerged in religious discourse
Here’s something most people don’t realize – the actual term “Satanism” didn’t show up until 1517-1700 during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation period. Catholics and Protestants weren’t accusing each other of actually worshiping Satan – they were basically saying their theological opponents had strayed from true Christianity. It was more of a smear campaign than an actual description.
I found it interesting that a Roman Catholic tract from 1565 condemned the “heresies, blasphemies, and sathanismes” of Protestants, while an Anglican work from 1559 described Anabaptists as “swarmes of Satanistes”. Throughout the 19th century, “Satanism” mainly described people living an immoral lifestyle, only later shifting to mean conscious veneration of Satan.
Modern religious Satanism as an organized practice is actually pretty recent. It really got going with Anton LaVey’s founding of the Church of Satan in 1966. This is a key point that many people miss – what we call “Satanism” today is largely a modern invention, not some ancient tradition stretching back centuries.
Core Theological Differences Between the Belief Systems
When you really dig into paganism and Satanism, you’ll find they represent completely different spiritual worldviews. Despite folks often mixing them up, these belief systems couldn’t be more different in how they understand divinity, relate to nature, build their philosophical foundations, and approach ethics.
Pagan polytheism vs. Satanic symbolism
Paganism fully embraces polytheism—meaning they believe in multiple deities or divine forces. From what I’ve seen, modern pagans typically look at the natural world as being full of numerous gods, goddesses, and spirits worthy of reverence. Many pagans I’ve encountered are what’s called “hard polytheists,” seeing their deities as “individuals, volitional and unique beings much like individual humans” rather than just metaphorical concepts.
On the flip side, most forms of Satanism don’t actually involve worshiping a deity at all. LaVeyan Satanism, which is the most common modern form, actually starts with atheism. I remember reading a quote from Church of Satan High Priest Peter Gilmore where he explained, “By being your own God, you are comfortable about making your own decisions about what to value.” For LaVeyan Satanists, Satan is just a symbol of individualism, not a real being they think exists.
Nature worship in Paganism
Nature worship sits right at the heart of pagan spirituality. Pagans see Earth as a living entity with its own consciousness and believe everything in nature has spiritual essence. This idea, which we call animism, teaches that “trees, animals, rocks, and rivers all have their own spirits or energy” that people can connect with.
For pagans, natural elements often become deified—think ancient Greek traditions where Poseidon ruled the sea or Celtic beliefs where Thor controlled thunder. What’s more, pagan rituals typically line up with seasonal cycles, equinoxes, solstices, and moon phases, really reinforcing their deep connection to natural rhythms. I’ve attended a few seasonal pagan rituals, and the way they connect to these natural cycles is impressive.
Satanism’s relationship with Christian theology
Here’s something that might surprise you – Satanism is fundamentally defined by its relationship to Christianity. There’s “no satanism without antichristianisme.” Unlike paganism, which has its own independent theological framework, Satanism exists specifically as a contradiction to Christian beliefs. Satan isn’t considered a separate reality but rather an opposition to the Christian God.
Most Satanists don’t believe in an afterlife or spiritual realm at all. The Satanic tradition often deliberately flips Christian rituals and values, which you can really see in the “black mass” that parodies the Christian Eucharist. This reactionary nature makes Satanism fundamentally different from paganism, which exists completely independent of Christianity.
Different views on morality and ethics
The ethical frameworks between these traditions are night and day. Many pagan paths, particularly Wicca, really emphasize the principle of causing no harm (the Wiccan Rede) and believe in threefold consequences—basically that any action will come back to the sender multiplied by three.
Satanism, on the other hand, typically champions personal sovereignty and self-interest. LaVeyan Satanism promotes what they call “rational hedonism” and individualism—values that Christianity has historically painted as evil. While pagan ethics focus on harmony with nature and community, Satanic philosophy often celebrates individual freedom above collective concerns. Simple as that.
The Horned God Misconception
Image Source: Wikipedia
When it comes to misunderstandings between paganism and satanism, nothing creates more confusion than the whole horned deity issue. You’ve probably seen it – that image of a horned figure that’s now practically synonymous with evil in Western culture. What most folks don’t realize is that this association is actually pretty recent in religious history.
Cernunnos, Pan, and other horned deities in Pagan traditions
Ancient pagan pantheons gave horned deities some pretty important roles. Take Cernunnos, a Celtic god who shows up in archaeological records with antlers – not horns. This is a distinction worth noting since antlers are shed yearly while horns stick around permanently. Whenever I see depictions of Cernunnos sitting cross-legged with torques and money bags, it’s clear he’s associated with wealth and hunting, not anything evil.
Then there’s the Greek god Pan, who represented wild spaces, shepherds, and rustic music. I always found it fascinating that despite both figures having animal attributes, they served completely different purposes in their respective traditions. Neither one was ever portrayed as evil or malicious in their original contexts.
The “Horned God” concept that many modern pagans follow actually came about much more recently, primarily through Egyptologist Margaret Murray’s 1931 book The God of the Witches. This 20th-century creation mixed elements from various traditions into a composite deity that’s now central to Wiccan belief. If you look at today’s Horned God imagery, you’ll notice it typically features antlers rather than goat horns – basically showing that Cernunnos won out over Pan in modern pagan iconography.
How Christian demonization transformed pagan symbols
The transformation of horned deities into evil symbols started early in Christianity’s development. As Christianity spread across Europe, it basically reinterpreted pagan symbols through its own theological lens. St. Augustine of Hippo in the fourth century was one of the first to explicitly demonize Pan and satyrs, calling them incubi.
After that, Christian historian Eusebius of Caesarea really cemented the connection between Pan and Satan, which helped establish the devil’s goat-like appearance in Christian imagery. This wasn’t just random – it served a very strategic purpose. By linking indigenous religious figures with evil, Christian missionaries could convert local populations more effectively.
The demonization went way beyond just horned gods to include all sorts of pagan elements. The end result? The misconception that continues to this day – that paganism is somehow connected to satanic worship, when historically these were completely separate religious expressions. Simple as that. The propaganda was so effective that even today I have to explain to people that no, pagans aren’t worshipping the Christian devil.
Modern Expressions of Both Paths
Image Source: Britannica
The contemporary versions of paganism and Satanism have come a long way from their historical representations. Over the years, I’ve watched both paths develop their own distinct organizations, practices, and philosophical frameworks.
LaVeyan Satanism and atheistic philosophy
Anton Szandor LaVey established the Church of Satan in 1966, creating what scholars call a “new religious movement”. Here’s what surprises most people – LaVeyan Satanists don’t worship a supernatural being at all. Instead, they follow an atheistic philosophy that uses Satan as a symbol representing pride, liberty, and individualism.
LaVeyan Satanism mixes together humanism, hedonism, and bits of pop psychology. These folks consider themselves their own gods – High Priest Peter Gilmore describes it as moving from atheism to “I-Theism”. This philosophy is all about individualism, self-indulgence, and social Darwinism while giving a thumbs-down to altruism and community mindedness. Pretty much the opposite of what you’d expect from a religious organization, right?
Theistic Satanism: a minority approach
Now, unlike their more common atheistic cousins, theistic Satanists actually do venerate Satan as a real deity or supernatural entity. These practitioners typically gather in small, loosely connected groups or independent cabals.
What’s interesting is that theistic Satanism doesn’t necessarily follow Christian concepts. Many followers mix in beliefs from Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Neo-Paganism, and Western esoteric traditions. Their religious practices often involve magical workings and highly personalized spiritual paths. While their numbers have been growing since the 1990s, most scholars still consider theistic Satanists a minority within the broader Satanist community. I’ve only met a handful of these folks over the years, which seems to confirm this assessment.
Neo-Paganism’s diverse traditions
Neo-Paganism kicked off in the mid-20th century as a revival of ancient polytheistic and nature-based religions. It’s actually more like a decentralized family of new religions that includes Wicca, Druidry, Heathenry, and reconstructionist paths centered on specific cultural pantheons.
Modern Pagan movements range from reconstructionist approaches (trying to be historically accurate) to eclectic ones that blend elements from various sources. The core beliefs typically include the interconnectedness of all beings, the sacredness of nature, and reverence for multiple deities. Having attended several pagan gatherings, I can tell you that the diversity within these communities is truly remarkable – no two groups practice exactly the same way.
The Satanic Temple’s political activism
Founded in 2013, The Satanic Temple (TST) represents something completely different – a non-theistic religious movement focused on political activism. Even the IRS recognizes them as a religion, though they’re quite different from both LaVeyan Satanism and traditional religious institutions.
TST sees Satan not as supernatural but as a literary symbol representing “the eternal rebel” against arbitrary authority. These folks actively challenge religious influence in government through initiatives like After School Satan clubs (which counter Christian programs in schools) and abortion access campaigns. In 2023, they even opened a telehealth abortion clinic in New Mexico named “Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic,” framing abortion as a religious rite protected under First Amendment rights. Talk about making a statement!
The evolution of these different paths shows just how complex and varied modern spiritual movements can be. Far from the simplistic stereotypes many people hold, both paganism and Satanism have developed nuanced and sophisticated approaches to religion, spirituality, and social engagement.
Conclusion on Paganism vs Satanism
After digging into all this research about Paganism and Satanism, one thing stands crystal clear to me – these are totally different spiritual paths, despite centuries of folks mixing them up. Paganism celebrates nature-based polytheism with roots going all the way back to prehistoric times. Satanism, on the other hand, is primarily a modern movement that either completely rejects supernatural beliefs or redefines them through its own unique lens.
Why did they get confused in the first place? Simple. Historical persecution and deliberate misrepresentation led people to conflate these traditions. The demonization of pagan symbols like the Horned God is probably the biggest culprit here. But when you actually examine their core beliefs, the differences jump right out at you. Pagans embrace nature worship and community-focused values, while Satanists typically champion individualism and personal sovereignty.
The modern expressions of both paths make their separation even more obvious. Neo-Paganism continues those ancient traditions of nature reverence and polytheistic worship. Meanwhile, contemporary Satanism ranges from LaVey’s atheistic philosophy to The Satanic Temple’s political activism. These distinct approaches show that linking Paganism with Satanism comes from historical prejudice rather than theological reality.
I think this is why I find the whole subject so fascinating – it’s a perfect example of how religious misunderstanding can persist for centuries if not actively corrected. The next time someone tries to tell you that pagans worship Satan, you can set them straight with what you’ve learned here. These are different paths with different histories, different beliefs, and different purposes. Understanding the distinction isn’t just about religious literacy – it’s about undoing centuries of harmful stereotypes that have real consequences for people practicing these traditions today.
