Five Pointed Star

 

The Pentacle and the Pentagram, both symbols are associated with Witchcraft. What is the difference you ask? The pentagram is simply a five pointed star. The pentacle is the same five pointed star but with a circle surrounding it. The pentagram represents an ancient concept that can be found in philosophical thought in both East and West. Over 8,000 years old, the pentagram tells us that we have the ability to bring Spirit to Earth; this applies to every area of practical day-to-day living, as well as spiritual thought. The ability of bringing Spirit to Earth is what makes us whole. The pentacle does the same but the encompassing circle represents the God/Goddess.

What do you get when you cut an apple in half? A five pointed star. Each arm representing an idea, sustenance, life, secret knowledge and the hidden mysteries within the earth. So why did this symbol get such a bad reputation? In the tale of Adam and Eve, the apple signified hidden knowledge which was forbidden to human kind. The Apple tree is also the most sacred of trees to the Sisters of Avalon, just as the Oak was to the Druids. Other early cultures encouraged holy and learned persons in their search for divine wisdom. For example, the Vedas state that the universe and ourselves are One, and that by realizing this and tapping into that Universal energy and state, we achieve wholeness and bliss. These concepts were known to many ancient civilizations. For most of the western culture, sacred knowledge was designated as the right of the One Deity only. It was considered heretical to study the Divine workings of the Universe. The apple signified that which we should not attempt to know, and many attempts over the centuries to obtain knowledge of the Universe (and therefore, ourselves) were suppressed.

It is interesting to note that fivefold symmetries are fairly unique to organic life and rarely found in non-organic life. For example the pattern is seen in the form of the human hand, a starfish, flowers, plants and many other living things. This pattern of five exists even down to a molecular level. The number five it seems is the very essence of life. The pentagram has been a sacred symbol to many cultures for many years including Egypt, India, Persia and Greece. Almost all cultures had a fivefold symbol, which was very important to their religious and spiritual life. The sacred nature of five, the important nature of "five-ness" is amply attested to in Celtic tradition from which much of modern Paganism is derived. Five appears in numerous Celtic contexts: Ireland had five great roads, five provinces and five paths of the law. The fairy folk counted by five's, and they wore five fold cloaks.

History

As far back as 500 B.C.E.(Before Current Era) good ole Pythagoras had , as already mentioned in the Numerology section been using and teaching the divine mysteries. Pythagoras set up a school where he taught many people, both male and female, who flocked to him in pursuit of divine knowledge. Not surprisingly the school was forced underground. Pythagoreans considered the five-pointed star to be a symbol of life and of the divine human. Therefore, it became the secret sign of the pythagorean followers, "so that they may know each other," The Pythagorean schools continued on in secret and from this line of descent came the Gnostic and Hermetic Mystery Schools (which contained both men and women and were Christian to varying degrees), as well as the Masonic Guilds, expert stonemasons initiated into Mystery Schools learning which included sacred geometry. Even though the Church considered the Masons to be quite heretical, they hired them to build the most sacred structures in Europe- the great cathedrals-many of which contained pentagonal or fivefold symmetries.

At the same time as the emergence of the Masonic culture there were the alchemists of medieval Europe, scientists, philosophers and magicians, both male and female, who studied the mysteries of the Universe. These societies held onto this fivefold symbol which kept its positive, ancient attributes and hidden knowledge. This ancient wisdom lived on underground through the mystery schools and other sources and continued throughout the Middle Ages up until modern times. However, because this Divine knowledge threatened the authority and power of the Church, those who pursued it and the symbols they used were severely persecuted. The star of life, which had been a symbol of divine illumination, became associated with heretical thought and eventually as something evil. Modern media continues to distort the meaning of the pentagram by showing it in both its upright and inverted position, yet portraying all who use it as evil. There may be Satanists who use the pentagram upside down for Devil worship...who knows but "The Eastern Star" uses the pentagram as it's symbol, and upside down. The Eastern Star are not devil worshipers, either. They're the women's group/reflection of the Masons, which require a belief in God, etc. They're international and are known for their humanitarianism.

The Elemental Pentacle

Traditionally, each of the five angles has been attributed to the five metaphysical elements of the ancients:

 

EARTH: (lower left hand corner) represents stability and physical endurance.
FIRE: (lower right hand corner) represents courage and daring.
WATER: (upper right hand corner) represents emotions and intuition.
AIR: (upper left hand corner) represents intelligence and the arts.
SPIRIT: (at the topmost point) represents the All and the Divine.

 

For modern-day Pagans, the Pentacle contains many wonderful layers of symbolism. The five points symbolize the four directions with the fifth point as the sanctity of Spirit, within and without. ""Another interpretation is that there is not one point upward -- but three. In numerology, three is the number of harmony, best expressed in the classical formula: thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. In other words, it is the middle point that harmonizes the opposing outer points. The Celtic love of triads (the most common form of their 'wisdom literature') has its roots in this model. The upper three points are thus placed above the lower two points, which represents dualistic opposites that cannot be integrated or harmonized (seeing everything in black and white). Yet another interpretation of the upright pentagram is that it symbolizes the most common view of deity in Witchcraft. The upper three points represent the Goddess in her threefold aspect of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. The lower two points represent her consort God, in his twin aspects of God of Light and God of Darkness. However, in all these interpretations, it is important to remember that all the points are connected -- each an aspect of the other, all part of the same whole(1)." The circle around the star symbolizes the God/Goddess, unity and wholeness. It represents the quest for Divine Knowledge, a concept which is ancient in origin and universal in scope from the earliest written ritual texts in Babylon, to the Celts, to the Native American traditions. Similar to other figures which are made of a single unbroken line, this symbol is used to mark off magical enclosures or ritual areas, especially when used for invocation of deities or spirit.

A pentacle in the form of a flat disc is often the a main feature of the altar and is a widely used ritual tool. The symbol is used to decorate magickal tools or items such as a chalice, cauldron, or the handle of the athame itself. For some it represents feminine energy relating to the Goddess and may be used to bind elemental spirits of the earth as well as to hold consecrated objects such as candles, herbs, amulets and crystals. The spoken or chanted text of a spell or invocation may be repeated five times to help insure its effectiveness. The pentacle is worn both ornamentally and symbolically by many Pagans for protection and to signify that they are involved in the world of magick and divine wisdom.

The pentacle crafted from silver represents Moon energy and psychic forces. The same symbol made in gold represents the Sun energies of power and strength. Many pentacles come with embedded stones which can represent birth months or a particular energy that the wearer wants to attract. Pentacles may also be made of brass, copper, clay stained glass or wood. During the Inquisition many witches took to forming pentacles out of dough, so that it could be destroyed quickly. To be caught with a pentacle in your position meant certain death.

It symbolizes the higher mind over the lower elements of our being. It signals the awakening of cosmic consciousness and the beginnings of our own human psyche moving beyond the realms of our physical form and the limitations of our five senses. The pentacle is a portrayal of Spirit ruling over the five elements. When the pentagram is placed within a circle, it's energy is focused and directed.

The Pentacle can be traced back to the most ancient of civilizations. As far back as pre-Babylonian Sumeria, it has been revered by many civilizations. To the Jewish peoples, it symbolically designated the Pentateuch, the Five Books of Moses. It has survived under a variety of titles, such as "The Druid's Root" and "The Witches Star". To the followers of Pythagoras, it was called "The Pentalpha" being composed of five interlaced A's or Alphas.

In spite of many attempts to banish the Pentagram and Pentacle the symbols have survived. They continue to be used by those of us who search for divine knowledge. Both sacred symbols maintain their wonderful and magickal ancient attributes, and will continue to be the symbol of life. So mote it Be!

 

(1) Quoted from Mike Nichols