The Pentagram is of a star encaseed in a circle. Always with 5 points (one pointing upward), each has its own meaning like the upward pentagram and the inverted pentagram.
Upward Pentagram:
Half of us probably know what the upward pentagram means and half of us probably dont.
The upward pentagram contains the five elements. Spirit, fire, earth, water, and air. The spirit is always on top. Air is on the left and water is on the right. Earth is on the bottom left and fire is on the bottom right. This pentagram is usually used for protection.
Inverted Pentagram:
The inverted pentagram has come to be seen by many pagans as representing the dark side and it is abhorred as an evil symbol. Fundamental Christians, indeed, see many form of pentagrams as such. However, these are recent developments and the inverted pentagram is the symbol of Gardnerian second degree initiation, representing the need of the witch to learn to face the darkness within so that it may not later rise up to take control.
The Pentagram as a Christian symbol:
Up until the medievil times, the five points of the pentagram represented the five wounds of Christ on the Cross. It was a symbol of Christ the Savior. This is in steak contrast today when the church eventually chose the cross as a more significant symbol for Christianity, and the use of the pentagram as a Christian symbol gradually ceased and became the symbol of evil.
Actually the elemental reflection is a somewhat new-ish concept so is the idea that "spirit" is a main element. The pentagram has many meanings that I don't think you've really enlightened anyone on. It oftens goes for protection, purification, banishment, and transmutation. Of course there are ceveral other uses but I'm keeping this short.
The inverted pentagram meaning evil or the "darker" side of things is also a newer concept. Like the swaztica representing faschism is very new the inverted pentagram is not actually there to represent anything evil at all. Yes it is often used by Satanists but even that representing evil habits is a very misinformed assumption. The inverted pentagram can anything from outward ritual or a welcoming symbol to representing intelligence and enlightenment. It is also occasionally used to represent the five elements you suggested for the pentagram. As far as the Satanist concept it is used for a simple goat head which is deity like abstraction or levels of a certain Satanic Hell. Even in that case it is represetative of transmutation and casting.
Now the specifically "evil" invertion in regards to Anti-Christianity is that of the Cross/Crucifix. That is more of a stereotypical symbol I think your definition relates to better.
I think anything misunderstood is usually seen as evil these days.
I found this as a very good post that a lot of people need to learn about so thank you. My personal belief is that humans have no right to decide what is good and evil if here is any but I dont believe there is. Also there is a theory that kindness is an evolutionary trait which means it simply exists to continue your life and your races existence so thats something to think about.
Huh! I never knew that the pentagram was a Christian symbol! It's strange how similar we actually are. Almost every Satanic symbol has another meaning jnChristianity. Like the upside-down cross. Satanic? In Christianity, it's used to represent St. Peter, who as crucified head-down.
A Pentagram and a Pentacle are two completely different things.
A Pentacle is a star encased by a circle.
A Pentagram is just a five pointed star with no circle.
So a Pentacle is basicly a Pentagram with a circle around it.
I see this mistake made more often than anything else in Witchcraft, and I try to correct it whenever I get the chance ;)
