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The pentagram tends to be
THE religious symbol of the Pagan religions. It encompases our elemental beliefs and is one of the strongest protective amulets
ever "designed".
The Pentagram dates back thousands of years to pre-Babylonian
Sumer ... roughly about 3500 BC. Many
religions have once used this symbol ... the Jewish people saw it as a symbol of the Five Books of Moses, and Christians once
used it as a protective amulet. It has been called such things as the Druid's Foot and the Witches' Star.
Each point
of the Pentagram traditionally represents one of the five metaphysical elements of the ancients. The topmost point represtents
Spirit, The upper left point represents Air, the upper right point represents Water, the lower left point represents Earth,
and the lower right point represents Fire. In this fashion, the pentagram represents Spirit ruling over the four elements.
The pentagram is readily worn as jewelry and used upon the altar for spell work. As jewelry it can bring protection, wisdom,
and empowerment. For spell work it connects us with the five elements.
The Pentacle
The Pentacle is simply
a pentagram with a circle around it. This symbolizes eternity, totality, and unity. It emphasizes the interconnectivity of
all of the elements. The direct and indirect relation of one element to the other.
It would seem as though the Pentacle
is gaining a new meaning in Modern-day Paganism ... in that it is seen as a unifying symbol of the Pagan community. In modern
day WitchCraft, the Pentacle tends to be used more than the pentagram.
In The Inverted form
In antiquity,
the Inverted Pentagram/Pentacle was used to draw the energy of the Spirit into the body , or as the Spirits decent into the
material elements. Even though there is a use for the inverted pentagram, (such as a second degree symbol) Pagans VERY RARELY
use it in modern times, since it has become associated with Satanism.
In modern times, the inverted pentagram has become
a symbol of Satanism. It represents the Baphomet's Goat head. It also represents the lack of power "above", the addition of
power below, and/or the belief that a person is their own God/Goddess.
(Note: Some European countrys still widly use the
inverted pentacle, but in the US, its use has dropped dramatically)
Satanism has NO connection to Paganism ....
The
Pentagram / Pentacle tends to be THE religious symbol of the Pagan religions. It encompasses our elemental beliefs and is
one of the strongest protective amulets ever "designed".
Although the Pentagram is now mainly used by the Pagan religions,
it was not always that way.
Date of First Use
The Pentagram dates back thousands of years to pre-Babylonian Sumer.
The exact date of creation varies widely between books, but a rough date would be somewhere around 3500 BC to 2000 BC. Some
books suggest that it started to become widely used around 2000 BC to astronomically plot the movements of the planet Venus.
Historical Uses of the Pentagram / Pentacle
The general 5 pointed star and the pentagram was a symbol of Istar
in her warrior state for the Sumerian peoples. This was also the symbol of the Morning Star.
As stated above, the movements
of Venus were ploted through use of the Pentagram around 2000 BC.
As the Pentagram became more popular, it was adopted
as a general steller sign during Sumerian and Egyptian times. Some studies also indicate that the Pentagram (as opposed to
the 6 pointed star or hexagram) was the design used as the "original" Seal of Solomon during these times.
From around
300 BC to 150 BC, it became the official seal of Jerusalem.
The Pythagoreans, in Greece, used the Pentagram as an emblem
or amulet of Health and Mystical harmony. They interpreted the symbol to mean the union of Heaven and Earth. They arrived
at this meaning through the addition of the number 2 (which stands for the earthly and Feminine power) and the number 3 (which
stands for the Heavenly and Masculine powers), creating the number 5. Once the Pythagoreans adopted the Pentagram, the use
of this symbol started to become widespread.
Occultists, Gnostics, and alchemists found many uses and meanings for the
Pentagram, including, but not limited to, the association to the 5 elements, Solomon's powers over nature and the spirit world,
and mystickal power. It has been called such things as the Druid's Foot and the Witches' Star.
Christians once used the
Pentagram to symbolize the 5 wounds of Christ. Hence, it was used as a protective amulet.
The Jewish peoples found that
the 5 pointed pentagram symbolized the 5 books of Moses.
Varying religions found the Pentagram to symbolize the North
Star. (adopting its original astronomical references) Hence, the Pentagram could be seen as a "guiding light", one to protect
and guide a person through the most troubling of times.
Latin and/or Cabbalistic Hebrew lettering is closely associated
with placing the Pentagram within a circle (a Pentacle) to create a protective amulet. The pentacle was also used as the Masonic
symbol "The Flaming Star or "Blazing Star" ... an aspirational symbol that symbolizes regeneration and the mystical center.
Current Uses of the Pentagram / Pentacle
Today, the Pentagram and Pentacle are, by far, most used by Pagans, Occultists,
Wiccan, Heathens, Witches and other "Earth Spirituality" practitioners.
Each point of the Pentagram traditionally represents
one of the five metaphysical elements of the ancients. The topmost point represents Spirit, The upper left point represents
Air, the upper right point represents Water, the lower left point represents Earth, and the lower right point represents Fire.
In this fashion, the Pentagram represents Spirit ruling over the four elements.
The Pentagram / Pentacle symbolizes
protection, wisdom, empowerment, harmony, health, mystickal powers. The pentagram is readily worn as jewelry and used upon
the altar for spell work. As jewelry it can bring protection, wisdom, harmony, health, and empowerment. For spell work it
connects us with the five elements and can effectively also be used for protection and empowerment rituals.
The Pentacle
is simply a pentagram with a circle around it. This symbolizes eternity, totality, and unity. It emphasizes the inter-connectivity
of all of the elements. The direct and indirect relation of one element to the other.
It would seem as though the Pentacle
is gaining a new meaning in Modern-day Paganism ... in that it is seen as a unifying symbol of the Pagan community. In modern
day WitchCraft, the Pentacle tends to be used more than the Pentagram.
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