How to Cast a Circle of Protection

The True Meaning of The Pentagram

  What is a Pentagram?

   The pentagram is perhaps one of the most recognizable symbols that Wiccans and Pagans use. The base symbol is the five-pointed star, which can be drawn non-stop without lifting pen from paper. Enclosing the pentagram is often a circle. For many Wiccans and Pagans the pentagram is a symbol that represents magic and magical workings as a whole. For others it's used as a talisman, a connection to the divine, to open and close circles and a myriad of other ritual uses.

  Whether seen as a symbol of magic and light, or of evil and dark – the pentagram is probably one of the first things that people associate with Wicca when it comes to symbolism

   One of the reasons the interpretation of and uses for the pentagram varies so widely is because it is in fact an ancient symbol, dating back thousands of years. The pentagram has been used to represent religious and spiritual ideas from a wide array of beliefs and religious practices.

  So, to better understand this symbol and how it relates to the modern Wiccan or Pagan, let's take a closer look at it's origins.

   The Origins of the Pentagram

  Some of the earliest known depictions of the pentagram come from areas such as the Near East and Egypt. A jar dating to 3100 BCE was found north of Thebes with a pentagram inscribed on it, and as common with modern ways of creating the distinctive five-pointed star shape, appears to have been inscribed in one continuous motion. In Egyptian hieroglyphics the pentagram enclosed in a circle (argued to be labelled as the pentacle in many circles) meant the netherworld – the underworld where the dead roamed.

   In ancient Mesopotamia pentagrams have been found, and one dates back to a similar period as the jar in Thebes – 3200BC. At sites such as Uruk and Jemder Nasr pentagrams were found on a tablet and pottery respectively. Although archaeologists hesitate to interpret the meaning of these symbols dating so far back, later depictions in Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform texts refer to the five-pointed star as showing the regions of the inhabited world. They may also have represented planetary alignments, with Ishtar 'Goddess of the Heavens' at the top.

  In Ancient Greece the pentagram was seen as a way of expressing the 'golden ratio', and Pythagoreans considered it to be an emblem of perfection. It was called the Pentalpha and one reason it was thought to symbolize perfection was due to the five geometrically perfect A's that the lines of the star make.

   Over time the pentagram has appeared in a huge range of cultures and belief-systems, and meanings have varied in each one. 

  Pentacle vs. Pentagram

   Essentially the only real difference between a pentacle and a pentagram is that they have different origins – one from Greek (pentagram) and one from Latin (pentacle). Some schools of Wiccan thought state that a pentacle is the five-pointed star with a circle enclosing it, and the pentagram is simply the five-pointed star by itself. Some Wiccans argue that the pentacle as a five-pointed star with a circle enclosing it represents white magic.

   However, there appears to be little evidence to suggest this is more than a personal preference traditionally speaking in distinguishing between the two words, based on each individual or coven's leanings. It is worth noting that in popular tarot decks, such as the Rider Waite deck, the suit of pentacles is represented as the five-pointed star with a circle enclosing it. This could be one of the reasons for that interpretation amongst many Wiccans.

  The Upside-Down Pentagram

   An upside-down pentagram is usually referred to as being 'reversed' or 'inverted.'

 The inverted pentagram is often thought to symbolize negative forces such as Satanism, demons or evil in general, not least owing to the use of it in numerous Hollywood horror movies over the years! If there's a dark wood and people running screaming through it you can bet a pentagram is going to show up somewhere! (Blair Witch anyone?!)