Notation:
The terms pentagram and pentacle are sometimes used interchangeably.However, we believe that the most common precise meanings are:
 | The word pentagram comes from the Greek: "pente means 5(as in Pentagon). "Gram" comes from the Greek verb graphein, "to write". The same ending is found in such words as telegram. Thus, pentagram refers to a five pointed star,or "any figure of five lines." 1 It ismost often used to refer to a symmetrical, five pointed star, with equalsides, drawn either with a single line or with two closely spaced parallellines. Their overall shape is like the decoration on the top of many Christmastrees, and the stars on the American flag. |
| An upright pentagram is a 5 pointed star with one point aligned upwards. |
| An inverted pentagram is a 5 pointed star with two points aligned upwards. |
| An upright pentacle is generally defined as an upright pentagram surrounded by a circle, as is shown in thefollowing icon. It often takes the form of a pentagram printed, engraved, or cutinto a flat disk. |
Upright Pentacle/Pentagram
Upright pentacles and pentagrams are among the most widely used religious symbols. They have been used in many eras andby many cultures and religions of the world: by ancient Pagans, ancient Israelites,Christians, magicians, Wiccans and others. The following pentagram-usinggroups are listed in chronological order:
| This symbol apparently originated as the symbol of a Goddess who was worshiped over anarea which extends from present-day England to Egypt and beyond. Her name was Kore(a.k.a. Car, Cara, Carnac, Ceres, Core, Kar, Karnak, Kaur, Kauri, Ker, Kerma,Kher, Kore, Q're, etc.). As Carmenta she was said to have invented the Romanalphabet. From her alternative Roman name Ceres have evolved many English words: cardiac,carnal, cereal, core, corn, and kernel. The port of Caraalis, (now Cagliari,the capital of Sardinia), was named after her. |
Kore's sacred fruit is the apple. When an apple is cut through its equator,both halves will reveal a near-perfect pentagram shape at the core, with eachpoint on the star containing a seed. Many Wiccans,other Neopagans and Roma(a.k.a. Gypsies) continue to cut apples in this way. The Roma refer to the core as the Star ofKnowledge.
| In ancient Greece, Pythagoras (586 - 506 BCE)established a school which pursued knowledge in mathematics, music, religion,and other specialties. Driven underground, his followers used the pentagram as asecret sign to identify themselves to each other. The Masonic Order hastraditionally traced its origins back 2,500 years to the Pythagoreans. |
| Kore was worshiped within the Coptic Gnostic Christianreligion in Alexandria, Egypt, during the4th century CE. Her festival, the Koreion, was held yearly on JAN-6. This wasadopted by the Christian church as Feast of Epiphany (a.k.a. TwelfthNight). 2 This date is still celebrated as Jesus'birthday in Armenian churches, and is observed with more pomp than is Christmasby the Greek Orthodox church. 3 |
| In England, the Koreion becamethe Kirn - the Feast of Ingathering. The Christian church later adoptedit to the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy. 2 |
| During the times of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), the pentacle wasthe first and most important of the Seven Seals - an amulet whose sealsrepresented the seven secret names of God. It was inscribed on King Solomon'sring, which is often called Solomon's Seal in error. 4 Eachpoint of the pentagram was also interpreted as referring to the five books ofthe Pentateuch - the first five books in the Hebrew Scriptures; a.k.a. the Torah. |
| The Celts believed that the pentacle was the sign of the Goddess of the Underground, who they calledMorgan (a.k.a. Morrigan). The concept of five points seems to havepermeated at least one of the Celtic lands. "Ireland had five greatroads, five provinces and five paths of the law. The fairy folk counted byfives, and the mythological figures wore five-fold cloaks." 5 |
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Inverted Pentacle/Pentagram
Some religious and spiritual groups have used the inverted pentacle.
During the 20th century, Satanists inverted the upright pentacle and adoptedit as their own symbol. However, the symbol is most commonly shown with the headof a goat within the pentagram as shown below.
Sigil of Baphomet
The inverted pentacle with a goat's head is called the Sigil (or Sigl) of Baphomet. Thesecond word may have come from two Greek words, baphe and metis,meaning "absorption of knowledge." It has also beencalled the Black Goat, Devil's Goat, Goat Head, Goat of Mendes, and Judas Goat.Its first appearance appears to have been during the vicious interrogation of members of the KnightsTemplar by the Roman Catholic Church during the Inquisition. There was little consensusamong different victims' descriptions of the Baphomet. It can probably be safelyassumed that their description of the Baphomet is more a product of the Inquisition's torture methodsthan of any actual statue that was in use by the Knights.
According to the Mystica web site:
"In the 20th. century Karl Kellner and other German occultists formedthe secret order of the O.T.O. (Ordo Templi Orientis or Order of Templars in theEast). They installed the English occultist Aleister Crowley to head theirBritish section. Crowley took Baphomet as his magical name." 9
Today, the Baphomet is widely used by religious Satanists. The Church ofSatan also uses a second symbol which is an infinity sign (a figure 8 on itsside). A Roman cross is placed on top with a second, longer cross piece addedbeneath the top cross piece.
Order of the Eastern Star (O.E.S.) emblem: 10
The Order of the Eastern Star is a Freemasonry-related fraternal organization for adults, both men and women. The group admits persons of all religions. The symbol may be encircled by a circle. The points of the star may be linked by straight lines. Recent versions lack the straight lines linking the points and the circle(s) surrounding the pentagram. We have shown this emblem larger than the others above because of its internal detail.
The five colored points refer to five women from the Bible: Adah from Judges, Ruth from the book of Ruth, Esther from the book of Esther, Martha from the Gospel of John and Electa from the anonymous second Epistle of John. A Google search shows many hundreds of variations. 11
See also an essay on what pentacle and pentagram symbols mean to various
people, including school officials who sometimes confuse them with gang symbols.
References used:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
- "Webster's New World Dictionary: 3rd college edition"
- Barbara G Walker, "The woman's encyclopedia of myths and secrets,"Harper & Row, (1983), Page 514-515.
- Barbara G Walker, op. cit., Page 166-167.
- Barbara G Walker, op. cit., Page 782 to 783.
- "Pentagram History" at: http://www.concentric.net/
- Sharynne NicMacha, "The star of life," at The Witches'Voice web site. See: http://www.witchvox.com/
- J.C. Cooper, "An illustrated encyclopaedia of traditional symbols," Thames and Hudson (1992), Page 128.
- "Flag of Morocco," Wikipedia, at: http://en.wikipedia.org/
- "Baphomet," at the Mystica web site at: http://www.themystica.com/
- "Örder of the Eastern Star," at the Wikipedia web site, as on 2015-FEB-18, at: http://en.wikipedia.org/
- Google search string: emblem "order of the eastern star"
- "Pentagram," Wikipedia, as on 2015-FEB-21, at: http://en.wikipedia.org/
Copyright © 1999 to 2015 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Written: 1999-SEP-22
Latest update and review: 2015-FEB-24
Author: B.A. Robinson
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