The Pentagram

Jun 13, 2009 | 2 Comments

The pentagram, a five pointed star drawn by five straight lines, has been a symbol that has been misunderstood and misrepresented in history and films for years.  Why do people fear a symbol?  How did this symbol get these harsh stigmas?  From ancient Sumeria and Babylonia to Christianity and Wicca, the pentagram has given insight to math, religion and humanity.

(In relation to health and the five senses)

In ancient Sumaria the pentagram represented “Ub”, meaning corner, angle, or nook, and was represented in their glyphs by having two points pointing up.  In Mesopotamia the five points represented the five known heavenly bodies, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn.  The Pythagoreans took found the pentagram to be mathematical perfection, and gave it a meaning similar to the Sumarians.  The Pythagoreans found this symbol so perfect they went on to name it Hygieia, after the Greek goddess of health.  The five points representing the five classical elements, water, earth, fire, idea, and air.

(Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa)

As the pentagram outlasted civilizations and cultures it finally landed in Europe, where it would take on the meaning we know today.  Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, a magician, occult writer, theologian and astrologer, found the Pythagorean representation of the classical elements in the pentagram incredibly inspiring, and adopted the symbol as his own.  He stated that when the symbol was shown with one point rising upward, the symbol was essentially good.  However, Eliphas Levi noted in one of his many writings that should this symbol be inverted, having two points facing upward, the symbol was a sign of evil.

(Inverted Pentagram)

Eventually the Christians picked up the symbol and used it to represent the five senses.  It has also been used by Christians to represent the five wounds of Christ and the five joys that Mary had of Jesus.  They also adopted it as a symbol that wards off witches, demons, and evil.

(Eliphas Levi’s Pentagram)

The pentagram is used in Neo-paganism and Wicca like the cross and crucifix is used in Christianity.  The neo-pagan pentagram, is enclosed in a circle with one point rising upwards.  This is called a pentacle.  The five points represent the elements with the top point representing the spirit.  The circle is said to bring all the elements together in harmony with one another.  The symbol can also be represented with two points up, but this is mostly for initiation purposes.  This is where the lines get skewed.

(The Wiccan Pentacle)

The Satanic representation of the pentacle is inverted, two points facing upward, and it enclosed in a double circle with the head of a goat drawn in the center.  This is referred to as the Sigil of Baphomet.  Hebrew letters are drawn in between the two circles and spell “leviathan”.

(The Satanic Pentagram)

Though the pentagram has had quite an interesting past, it’s a shame that people only associate this as a symbol of evil.  Remember, many of the things that are portrayed as evil in films and by religion have usually had a rich history that has been manipulated and skewed to unite the masses against something or someone who opposed them.

[Wiki site]

Topics: Blog Occult And Spiritualism | Read more about:

2 Comments to “The Pentagram”

  1. Kira

    Jun 14th, 2009

    Wow this is a smarty-pants article. I felt like I was in a religious history class. Smarty smart.

  2. jayvee esteban

    Dec 28th, 2009

    hi i wear that pendant given by my dad the Eliphas Levi’s Pentagram exactly the same. want to know more about it, and prayers for it, he gave me the prayer book for pentagram but needed more stronger to be useful whoever believes in it.. for me its the truth..

This is the personal website of author Andrew Marcec. Here you'll find excerpts of all his latest works, his daily blog, the serial podcast 'Oasis', and a whole lot more. So feel free to stay a while, read some of his work, and drop Andrew a line when you're done!

  • No public Twitter messages.