Origins
The five-pointed star known as a pentagram or pentacle (with and without a circular outline) has long been used as a spiritual, ceremonial and philosophical symbol. Today it's mostly associated with Satanism, darkness and the occult; but its history extends further than this. Metal music bands from hardcore punk outfits like Onslaught to extreme thrashers Dimmu Borgir and Chile's own Pentagram Chile all employ it.
The Penteagram is based on geometric ratios first documented by Greek mathematician Pythagoras and widely believed by various pagan and Wiccan groups to symbolize fire, air, water, earth and spirit elements. Pythagoras popularised its basic form as part of Christian symbolism during medieval Christianity until being replaced by cross. Furthermore, this ancient Babylonian magic had great influence in Renaissance occultism.
This occult movement led to new interpretations of the pentagram and its meanings, including that it represents human souls binding demons together. Eliphas Levi proposed that an inverted pentagram symbolized mind's dominion over nature by binding spirits of air and fire together while at the same time holding back water spectres and earth ghosts in check.
Modern Satanists and others exploiting its use have corrupted its meaning to use as an icon for evil; as a result of this misuse it has come to symbolize this ancient symbol in a negative context, misleading many into misinterpreting its true nature and power.
Symbolism
The Penteagram, more commonly referred to as a Pentalpha or Pentangle is a star polygon composed of five intersecting lines with all right-angled angles defining it. When drawn with a circle surrounding its points it forms a pentcle which is often utilized by Wiccans and pagan occultists for magic rituals and spellcasting practices.
Pentagrams have been an iconic symbol for millennia, from Mesopotamian Chaldeans to modern pagan and Satanist communities. This magical and mysterious design has many interpretations within different religions and cultures alike.
Pythagoreans of ancient Greece were drawn to the mathematical purity of this shape. They believed it held within itself the Golden Ratio found throughout nature and assigned each ancient element - earth, water, air and fire as the lower four points; spirit at its top point - to one point of this pentagram as per mythology; this arrangement signified material matter being subservient to spirit.
In medieval Europe, Christians saw the basic pentagram without its circle as Christ's sign to ward off evil spirits and protect from harm. However, during The Inquisition all symbols associated with pagan beliefs were seen as evil and were considered dangerous; many pagans were tortured or burned at stake because of them.
Today, the pentagram is often associated with Satan worship. In its typical form, its inferior rays point downward, representing Satan; its superior rays remain straight and represent God. Sometimes the point at the center is used as a representation of either the Devil's head or an equilateral triangle called Tetragrammaton; depending on how it's drawn there can be five to 35 triangles; they may point either upwards or downwards depending on religion and tradition of those using it and sometimes even have its upper point curved inward for ultimate confusion!
Depictions
The pentagram is a five-pointed star that first made its first recorded appearance around 3500 BC in Mesopotamia on pottery and other artifacts. Later it became associated with fire, earth, metal, water, wood as well as various gods and religious beliefs in Babylonian culture; later still during medieval Christianity when used to symbolize Christ's five wounds until eventually replaced by cross. Unfortunately today many associate it with Satan worship or are misinformed of its meaning altogether.
To create a pentagram, begin by drawing a regular pentagon. Next, extend its sides such that they intersect - this will produce a pentagram containing five acute and five obtuse isosceles triangles. These triangles are known as golden triangles because the ratio of length to width equals ph (1.618). Furthermore, five points on a pentagram represent body parts such as head, hands and feet. Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim used the pentagram in the 16th century as a symbol for man as God's perfect work: its five points represented each known planet at that time (Mars for head, Jupiter for right hand, Saturn for left foot, Mercury as genitals and Venus torso). Eliphas Levi, an 19th-century French occultist, further explored this idea by creating what is known as a "tetragrammaton pentagram", which included not only classical elements but also Hebrew letters and symbols representing planets or stars discovered at that time.
The penteagram appears in prehistoric rock art alongside weapons and deities among various European peoples, likely acting as a protective sign both for its subjects as well as their equipment. Religious characters were sometimes included with it during Iron Age art; interestingly it has even been found on solar symbols used for worship in Portugal and French Eastern Pyrenees! Furthermore it can also be found on monuments from both late Prehistoric and Protohistoric eras.
Meanings
The pentagram is an ancient symbol that has been utilized throughout human history for an array of meanings and representations. Most commonly associated with Western occult traditions, but has also been utilized by various cultures across time - most frequently seen today in Wiccan practice.
The word 'pentagram' comes from two Greek words - penta (five) and gramme (line). This symbol has long been utilized by various groups across time; ancient Greece's Pythagoreans believed it to be mathematically perfect and believed its five points represented Fire, Water, Air Earth Psyche elements.
Later in medieval era Christianity, Christians began using a pentagram as a symbol of Christ's five wounds and as an amulet against evil spirits. Unfortunately during this time the symbol became associated with Satanism and many Christians turned against its use owing to Inquisition period hunts of occultists, many being killed off due to it.
Today, the pentagram remains widely utilized in various occult practices and rituals. It is an iconic symbol in neo-Paganism as it stands for nature and Brighid. Additionally, other Pagan gods such as Pan and Ganesha may use it along with five Celtic deities for ritual use; ceremonial magicians may draw it on paper before burning it as part of their ceremony.
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