The pentagram significance and its meaning is more than just having good luck symbols on your home altar. Learn about the history, meaning, and spiritual significance of the pentagram today.
When it comes to Halloween pranks or generic horror props, the pentagram or pentacle has been a go to for people who want a quick way to scare Tthose who don’t know its true meaning. The true meaning of the pentagram dates back thousands of years and has been used by countless different groups of people to mean many different things.
What is the Pentagram?
The pentagram is a five-pointed star and is a sacred symbol that has been used since as early as 3,500 BCE. Pentagrams have been used by people such as Sumerians, Babylonians, the Greeks, Hebrews, Christians, and the ancient Chinese. It has represented blessings, protection, fertility, luck, magic, power, and positive energy.
Mystical Christian Eliphas Levi said “ The pentagram expresses the mind’s domination over the elements and it is by this sign that we bind the demons of the air, the spirits of fire, the spectres of water, and the ghosts of the earth.” The pentacle has been used to represent the universe, human beings, the power symbols of deities like Ishtar and Marduk, as well as health and general wellbeing, and to the Greeks, pentagrams symbolized perfection itself.
Pentagrams are sometimes used the same way a similar symbol, called the pentacle, but what is the difference between them?
Pentacle Vs Pentagram
The pentagram is the five-pointed star, and the pentacle is that same star enclosed in a circle. Many have used the pentagram unenclosed while others use the enclosed pentacle. Typically, you see pentacles on modern magical working altars and as jewelry. Some say the circle drawn around the pentacle represents the very circle that is cast in Wiccan ritual, and others say it represents containing the magic within that circle.
The pentacle is used in magical ritual by some Freemasons, Ceremonial Magicians, and Occultists as well as Wiccans, of course, and there are various different pentacles with different symbols that are used for different purposes.
Multiple different pentacles can be found in the grimoire, The Key of Solomon the King, all of which have their own magical meaning, and are believed to cause different things to happen. Let it be known that once the decision to use the magical operations given in this or any other grimoire are decided upon, it is imperative that the rituals be done exactly as they are written. These are ancient spellworking manuals and the rituals are specifically written a certain way. If the ritual is deviated from in any way whatsoever, there is no guarantee of what the result of this will be.
Both symbols, and variants of them have been used multiple ways, in multiple different forms, for at least five thousand years by a plethora of different people. It is impossible to know every last meaning ascribed to the symbols, but a brief overview can be provided of some history of the symbols and who they were sacred to.
Who Was The Pentagram Sacred To?
Considering the fact that the pentagram symbol is thousands of years old and has been found in multiple places all over the world, it is fair to say, it has been held as sacred to many different people. Three groups, those who follow Judaism, Christianity, and Neo Paganism have held the pentagram as a way of how to bring positive energy into your life because of its sacredness.
Judaism & The Pentacle
One of the many sacred symbols the Jewish people have used is the pentacle. It is used to represent the five books of the Torah and has been used by them since at least 300 BCE. It represents mercy, justice, and wisdom. This is not to be confused with the Star of David, which is two interlocking triangles that form a six-point star. The Star of David represents revelation, creation, and redemption. The pentacle, on the other hand, was at one time the official seal of Israel and it also represents splendor and complete understanding.
Christians & The Pentacle
Believe it or not, there was a time the pentacle was a powerful symbol for Christians, and it was more widely used than they crucifix. The pentacle represented both the five wounds of Christ and also Christ himself. It was considered to represent the Alpha and Omega, or the beginning and ending of all things, because it could be drawn in one mark without picking the writing instrument up off the page. The pentacle was said to represent the Christian religion itself for close to five hundred years and the modern Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has used both upright and inverted pentagrams in architecture citing the scriptural passage from The Book of the Revelations.
Neo Pagans & The Pentacle
Today groups of people who call themselves Wiccans, New Agers, some Intuitives, and Satanists may use the pentacle or pentagram as a sacred symbol.This is because the pentacle is one of the symbols that bring positive energy into their lives.
For Wiccans, the five points of the pentagram represent the elements air, water, earth, fire. Most importantly, the element of spirit, which human and all living beings embody is represented by the top point of the star. Right side up it represents the bright blessings of spirit transcending the material, and inverted, it represents a symbol of love of the material. It was the followers of Pythagoras who are believed to have first used the pentacle to represent the five elements, not Wiccans.
For Satanists, the pentacle and pentagram represent something different. Theirpentagram inverted and contains the image of Baphomet within it,it’s also surrounded by the Hebrew letters for Leviathan. This symbol is called The Sigil of Baphomet and is the official symbol for Satanism. It was chosen in the 1960’s by the founder of Satanism, Anton LaVey, as he believed it embodied the beliefs of that faith. The Satanist pentagram represents rejection of salvationism, the elements earth, air, water, and fire of the world, and represents materialism, carnality, and being in touch with watching out for yourself instead of letting people use you. The worship of the biblical Satan is not present in Satanism, believe it or not.
Myths and Misconceptions Of The Pentagram
There are a lot of misconceptions out there about the pentagram and pentacle, including the use of them. Pop culture and history often show a very different story behind these symbols, with films and TV showing pentagrams in a ghoulish or negative light.
Devil Worship With Pentagrams
One myth is that the pentacle and pentagram are used in devil worship. Some people may swear they are feeling energy coming off them that is demonic, but the fact is, that’s not accurate. There is actually no recorded organized worshipping of the biblical devil, although the Satanic panic of the 1980’s had throngs of frightened people thinking otherwise.
Games like Dungeons and Dragons, some glam Rock n’ Roll, and fictional films were stated to be used as recruitments tools to entice young people into Satanic circles where they were sexually abused, forced to do animal sacrifices, and forced to help kill and cannibalize human babies. No evidence was ever found for any of this, but of course, pentacles and pentagrams were considered ritual tools used by these so-called Satanic abusers. Multiple professionals like Carl Sagan spoke skeptically about these allegations and by the mid 1990’s the organized lawsuits and charges against people stopped.
A Way to Summon Evil
Some believe that the pentacle and pentagram do nothing but act as a channel through which evil can come into the world. Not only is it believed by some to be the symbol of Satanic ritual that abuses people, but it is believed to act as a sort of portal that spirits can use as a doorway into human beings' lives.To these people their good luck charms, symbols of protection would be the crucifix, which would keep evil from appearing, meaning it would ward evil off. Certain people believe summoning evil has to be a part of a structured ritual, but others believe all you must do is draw on paper, or own a pentacle or pentagram, and desire evil to come. Inanimate objects have been suspected since the dawn of time of either being able to give positive energy, or bring harm, but no evidence the pentagram or pentacle act as a channel for evil to enter has ever been established, despite what some frightened people say.
Ways to Scare Your Family or Rebel
The pentagram is seen as a way to rebeal against more conservative family members. As seen in many films, a person adorning all black, pentagram symbols and burning black candles can be a way to ‘rebel’ or shock people. Rock n’ Roll bands sometimes ues the pentacle or pentagram in their artwork, supporting the aesthetic use of the symbol. Behind the smoke and flame of mainstream pop culture is the sacredness of the pentacle and pentagram, but to many, it is just a fashion statement that aligns with modern alternative styles. Rock culture has always been a counterculture that sought to uplift young people who were breaking out of outdated and constrictive societal norms. By wearing the imagery these bands promote it helps some people feel they are coming together with thosewho are similarly recreating society to suit the changing times.
The Pentagram & You
The pentagram or pentacle won’t cast a spell to get what you want instantly, and it won’t change society although it might scare your parents if they think it represents a devil. It won’t conjure up evil spirits, even though some people believe it will. If the pentacle is a sacred symbol you use to connect with spirit energy, using it is a great way of bringing positive energy into your life. It can be a way to connect with your spirit self and bring positivity into your life as a symbol of protection.
Mysticsense Psychics & Symbols Besides sacred charms like the pentagram, learning more about how you should use symbols and how they can help you in a positive way is a powerful decision. However, if symbols aren’t for you, and you prefer to speak to an expert in all things psychic, contact our psychic team today. We have psychics that specialise in all areas of the unknown, plus dedicated psychics for love and career advice.
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