Occultwiki: /* Modern usage */

2025-01-02T20:20:28Z

Modern usage

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:20, 2 January 2025
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	* The pentagram is featured on the national flags of Morocco (adopted 1915) and Ethiopia (adopted 1996 and readopted 2009).		* The pentagram is featured on the national flags of Morocco (adopted 1915) and Ethiopia (adopted 1996 and readopted 2009).
	* The Order of the Eastern Star, an organization (established 1850) associated with Freemasonry, uses a pentagram as its symbol, with the five isosceles triangles of the points colored blue, yellow, white, green, and red.		* The Order of the Eastern Star, an organization (established 1850) associated with Freemasonry, uses a pentagram as its symbol, with the five isosceles triangles of the points colored blue, yellow, white, green, and red.
	* A pentagram is featured on the flag of the Dutch city of Haaksbergen, as well on its coat of arms.		* A pentagram is featured on the flag of the Dutch city of Haaksbergen, as well as on its coat of arms.
	* A pentagram is featured on the flag of the Japanese city of Nagasaki, as well on its emblem.		* A pentagram is featured on the flag of the Japanese city of Nagasaki, as well as on its emblem.

	[[Category:Magic Symbols]]		[[Category:Magic Symbols]]

Occultwiki at 17:36, 19 November 2024

2024-11-19T17:36:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:36, 19 November 2024
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	By the mid-19th century, a further distinction had developed amongst [[occultist]]s regarding the pentagram's orientation. With a single point upwards it depicted spirit presiding over the four elements of matter, and was essentially "good." However, the influential but controversial writer [[Éliphas Lévi]], known for believing that magic was a real science, had called it evil whenever the symbol appeared the other way up:		By the mid-19th century, a further distinction had developed amongst [[occultist]]s regarding the pentagram's orientation. With a single point upwards it depicted spirit presiding over the four elements of matter, and was essentially "good." However, the influential but controversial writer [[Éliphas Lévi]], known for believing that magic was a real science, had called it evil whenever the symbol appeared the other way up:
	<blockquote>		<blockquote>
	"A reversed pentagram, with two points projecting upwards, is a symbol of evil and attracts sinister forces because it overturns the proper order of things and demonstrates the triumph of matter over spirit. It is the goat of lust attacking the ~~heavens~~ with its horns, a sign execrated by initiates.<br>		"A reversed pentagram, with two points projecting upwards, is a symbol of evil and attracts sinister forces because it overturns the proper order of things and demonstrates the triumph of matter over spirit. It is the goat of lust attacking the [[heaven]]s with its horns, a sign execrated by initiates.<br>
	The flaming star, which, when turned upside down, is the heirolgyphic [sic] sign of the goat of black magic, whose head may be drawn in the star, the two horns at the top, the ears to the right and left, the beard at the bottom. It is a sign of antagonism and fatality. It is the goat of lust attacking the heavens with its horns.		The flaming star, which, when turned upside down, is the heirolgyphic [sic] sign of the goat of black magic, whose head may be drawn in the star, the two horns at the top, the ears to the right and left, the beard at the bottom. It is a sign of antagonism and fatality. It is the goat of lust attacking the heavens with its horns.
	<br>		<br>

Occultwiki: Created page with "The Sigil of [[Baphomet utilizing pentagrams]] A '''pentagram''' is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal..."

2024-11-13T07:23:06Z

Created page with "400px|thumb|The Sigil of [[Baphomet utilizing pentagrams]] A '''pentagram''' is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal..."

New page

[[File:Baphomet Pentagrams.jpg|400px|thumb|The Sigil of [[Baphomet]] utilizing pentagrams]]
A '''pentagram''' is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal line segments of a convex (or simple, or non-self-intersecting) regular pentagon. Drawing a circle around the five points creates a similar symbol referred to as a "pentacle," which is used widely by [[Wicca]]ns and in [[paganism]], or as a sign of the suit of coins in the [[tarot]].

==Etymology==
The word ''pentagram'' comes from the Greek word πεντάγραμμον (''pentagrammon''), from πέντε (''pente''), "five" + γραμμή (''grammē''), "line."

The word ''pentagram'' refers to just the star shape itself, while the word ''pentacle'' refers to the star within a circle, although there is some overlap in usage.

The word ''pentalpha'' is a 17th-century revival of a post-classical Greek name of the shape and has largely fallen into disuse.

==Early history==
Early pentagrams have been found on Sumerian pottery from Ur c. 3500 BCE, and the five-pointed star was at various times the symbol of the astral deities [[Ishtar]] or Marduk.

The pentagram was known to the ancient Greeks, with a depiction on a vase possibly dating back to the 7th century BCE. Pythagoreanism originated in the 6th century BCE and used the pentagram as a symbol of mutual recognition, of wellbeing, and to recognize good deeds and charity.

===Jewish symbol===
[[File:Seal of Solomon.png|400px|thumb|Seal of Solomon]]
From around 300–150 BCE the pentagram stood as the symbol of Jerusalem, marked by the 5 Hebrew letters ירשלם spelling its name.

In [[Judaism]], the Star of David is derived from the older [[Seal of Solomon]], a legendary symbol attributed to [[King Solomon]] in medieval mystical traditions. This symbol consists of a pentagram-like shape created by interweaving an upright and an inverted triangle and was derived from the original symbol of Jerusalem.

===Christianity===
The pentagram was used in ancient times as a [[Christianity|Christian]] symbol for the five senses, or of the five wounds of [[Jesus Christ]].

The pentagram plays an important symbolic role in the 14th-century English poem ''Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'', in which the symbol decorates the shield of the hero, Gawain. The unnamed poet credits the symbol's origin to King Solomon, and explains that each of the five interconnected points represents a virtue tied to a group of five: Gawain is perfect in his five senses and five fingers, faithful to the Five Wounds of Christ, takes courage from the five joys that Mary had of Jesus, and exemplifies the five virtues of knighthood, which are generosity, friendship, chastity, chivalry, and piety.

==Occult significance==
[[Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa]] and others perpetuated the popularity of the pentagram as a [[ritual magic|magic]] symbol, attributing the five neoplatonic elements to the five points, in typical Renaissance fashion.

By the mid-19th century, a further distinction had developed amongst [[occultist]]s regarding the pentagram's orientation. With a single point upwards it depicted spirit presiding over the four elements of matter, and was essentially "good." However, the influential but controversial writer [[Éliphas Lévi]], known for believing that magic was a real science, had called it evil whenever the symbol appeared the other way up:
<blockquote>
"A reversed pentagram, with two points projecting upwards, is a symbol of evil and attracts sinister forces because it overturns the proper order of things and demonstrates the triumph of matter over spirit. It is the goat of lust attacking the heavens with its horns, a sign execrated by initiates.<br>
The flaming star, which, when turned upside down, is the heirolgyphic [sic] sign of the goat of black magic, whose head may be drawn in the star, the two horns at the top, the ears to the right and left, the beard at the bottom. It is a sign of antagonism and fatality. It is the goat of lust attacking the heavens with its horns.
<br>
Let us keep the figure of the Five-pointed Star always upright, with the topmost triangle pointing to heaven, for it is the seat of wisdom, and if the figure is reversed, perversion and evil will be the result."
</blockquote>

The protective use in German folklore of the pentagram symbol (called ''Drudenfuss'' in German) is referred to by Goethe in ''[[Johann Georg Faust|Faust]]'' (1808), where a pentagram prevents the [[demon]] Mephistopheles from leaving a room, but did not prevent him from entering by the same way, as the outward pointing corner of the diagram happened to be imperfectly drawn.

Based on Renaissance-era occultism, the pentagram found its way into the symbolism of modern occultists. Its major use is a continuation of the ancient Babylonian use of the pentagram as an apotropaic charm to protect against evil forces. In this spirit, the [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn]] developed the use of the pentagram in the [[Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram]] (LBRP), which is used by those who practice Golden Dawn-type [[ritual magic]].

British occultist [[Aleister Crowley]] made use of the pentagram in the system of magick used in [[Thelema]]. In his system, an adverse or inverted pentagram represents the descent of spirit into matter, according to the interpretation of Lon Milo DuQuette. Crowley contradicted his old comrades in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, who, following Levi, considered this orientation of the symbol evil and associated it with the triumph of matter over spirit.

==Religious usage==
===Baháʼí Faith===
[[File:Ringstone.png|400px|thumb|The Baháʼí ringstone symbol with pentagrams]]
The five-pointed star is a symbol of the [[Baháʼí Faith]]. In the Baháʼí Faith, the star is known as the ''Haykal'' (Arabic: "temple"), and it was initiated and established by the Báb. The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh wrote various works in the form of a pentagram.

===The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints===
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is theorized to have begun using both upright and inverted five-pointed stars in Temple architecture, dating from the Nauvoo Illinois Temple dedicated on 30 April 1846. Other temples decorated with five-pointed stars in both orientations include the Salt Lake Temple and the Logan Utah Temple.

These usages come from the symbolism found in [[Book of Revelation]], Chapter 12: "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars."

===Wicca===
[[File:Pents01.jpg|400px|thumb|The [[Ace of Pentacles]] [[tarot]] card]]
Because of a perceived association with [[Satanism]] and [[occult]]ism, many United States schools in the late 1990s sought to prevent students from displaying the pentagram on clothing or jewelry. In public schools, such actions by administrators were determined in 2000 to be in violation of students' First Amendment right to free exercise of religion.

The encircled pentagram (referred to as a pentacle by the plaintiffs) was added to the list of 38 approved religious symbols to be placed on the tombstones of fallen service members at Arlington National Cemetery on 24 April 2007. The decision was made following ten applications from families of fallen soldiers who practiced [[Wicca]]. The government eventually paid the families US$225,000 to settle their pending lawsuits.

===Satanism===
The inverted pentagram is the most notable and widespread symbol of [[Satanism]].

The inverted pentagram is broadly used in Satanism, sometimes depicted with the goat's head of [[Baphomet]], as popularized by the [[Church of Satan]] since 1968. LaVeyan Satanists pair the goat head with Hebrew letters at the five points of the pentagram to form the Sigil of Baphomet. The Baphomet sigil was adapted for the Joy of Satan Ministries logo, using cuneiform characters at the five points of the pentagram, reflecting the shape's earliest use in Sumeria. The inverted pentagram also appears in the [[Satanic Temple]] logo, with an alternative depiction of Baphomet's head.

Other depictions of the Satanic goat's head resemble the inverted pentagram without its explicit outline.

===Serer religion===
The five-pointed star is a symbol of the Serer religion and the Serer people of West Africa. Called Yoonir in their language, it symbolizes the universe in the Serer creation myth, and also represents the star [[Sirius]].

==Modern usage==
* The pentagram is featured on the national flags of Morocco (adopted 1915) and Ethiopia (adopted 1996 and readopted 2009).
* The Order of the Eastern Star, an organization (established 1850) associated with Freemasonry, uses a pentagram as its symbol, with the five isosceles triangles of the points colored blue, yellow, white, green, and red.
* A pentagram is featured on the flag of the Dutch city of Haaksbergen, as well on its coat of arms.
* A pentagram is featured on the flag of the Japanese city of Nagasaki, as well on its emblem.

[[Category:Magic Symbols]]

Pentagram - Revision history

Occultwiki: /* Modern usage */

Occultwiki at 17:36, 19 November 2024

Occultwiki: Created page with "The Sigil of [[Baphomet utilizing pentagrams]] A '''pentagram''' is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal..."