The History of The Pentagram
A pentagram is a symbolic five pointed star. When depicted with a surrounding circle, it is referred to as a pentacle. However, it is worth stating that not all pentacles contain pentagrams.
In early Sumeria, it was called a Pentemychos, meaning five corners, and was used to represent "the seeds of Chronos….placed within the Earth in order for the cosmos to appear.''
In China, the symbol was known as Wu Xing, and was used to represent the five elements frequently used in feng shui and Taoism, among other practices. However, the five elements of Wu Xing were described as Fire (火 huǒ), Earth (土 tǔ), Metal (金 jīn), Water (水 shuǐ), and Wood (木 mù).
During the Renaissance, the pentagram began to take on the meaning that it is most known for today: a representation of the five elements (fire, water, earth, air, and spirit)
The pentagram, as recognized by modern Wicca and witchcraft, is a protective symbol representing the five elements of water, fire, air, earth, and spirit. In 2000, it was determined that preventing someone from wearing a pentagram, in school or elsewhere, was a violation of the First Amendment Right to freedom of religion.
Upright and Inverted Pentagrams
Despite the predominantly negative connotations associated with the inverted pentagram, inverted pentagrams are not inherently evil. Upright pentagrams are positioned as such to adhere to the belief of "the rulership of Spirit over the physical elements." In other words, the upright pentagram represents the superiority of spirituality over material elements. The inverted pentagram, as popularized by the Church of Satan's Baphomet Pentagram, represents the ideology that materialism and the natural world is not superior to human spirituality and is not a vice to be risen above.
Versions of the Pentagram
Eliphas Levi's Pentagram
19th century occultist Eliphas designed a version of the pentagram, which includes depictions of the elements, the Tetragrammaton, and Hebrew lettering, as well as symbols depicting the 'union of opposites,' such as the sun and moon and the symbols of Venus and Mercury.
Each position of Eliphas's pentagram also carries an astrological association. Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus take a central position, with Mars on the upper left point, Venus on the upper right, Saturn on both of the lower points, and Jupiter taking the topmost position.
Samael-Lilith Pentagram
The Samael-Lilith pentagram is the first known depiction of the goat-headed pentagram. It was first published by Stanislas de Guaita in 1897, and depicts the names of Samael, Lilith, and Leviathan surrounding an inverted, goat-headed pentagram.
The Five Wounds Of Christ
The pentagram is commonly associated with the human form, and especially with the five wounds Christ received during his crucifixion.
The Gardnerian Pentacle
The Gardnerian Pentagram, used in Gardnerian Wicca, is a pentacle decorated with symbols important to the Wiccan faith. The Gardnerian Pentacle includes the symbols of the God and Goddess, the three symbols used to denote the position of Wiccan initiates, and the S$ symbol used to depict "the dichotomy of mercy and severity, or the kiss and the scourge."
Common Rituals Using A Pentagram
Casting A Circle
One of the most common usages of the pentagram is its utilization during the casting of a circle. Also called calling corners, casting a circle is a simple but powerful method of protection. Casting a circle is performed by invoking each element of the pentagram in order of its cardinal direction in order to form a circle of energetic protection.
Lesser Banishing Ritual Of The Pentagram
The Lesser Banishing Ritual Of The Pentagram (LBRP) is a beginner-level ritual first used within the Order of the Golden Dawn. The LBRP is in three parts: the Qabalistic Cross, the Formulation of the Pentagrams, and the Invocation of the Archangels. The LBRP was taught to beginner initiates of the Golden Dawn in order to teach them a method of protection, as well as to allow them to begin to gain experience with ceremonial magic.
Sources:
The Misunderstood Pentagram Explained-Alice Cook-Nelson
A Microcosm of the Esoteric Revival: The Histories of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram-Graham John Wheeler
Images and Meaning Of The Pentagram-Catherine Beyer
How To Cast A Circle Of Protection-Ambrosia Hawthorn
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