The Pentagram And The Pentacle

The pentagram and the pentacle have long been confused together in modern society. Many depictions of Paganism and Wicca often include the two symbols without really differentiating between them. The difference can be found in the names – the word pentagram can be broken down into its Greek roots “penta” and gram” - with “penta” meaning five and “gramma” in this context to mean character. Therefore the pentagram is a five pointed star. The pentacle then is an encircled pentagram. The pentagram is generally accepted within Wicca to symbolism the five elements of Spirit (the top point, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. However, the history of the pentagram is a long one that stretches all the way back to the early culture of Mesopotamia. Here it was found to be present on possessions of those that were at the time considered to be magical royalty. The pentagram can also be found in both Freemasonry and Christian culture. Up until Christianity evolved in the Medieval Ages, the pentagram was largely used to represent the five wounds of Christ. This is significant because even many modern day Pagans see the pentagram as corresponding to similar five points on the body – such as the head, hands, …show more content…
There are different ways of interpreting that pentacle even within Paganism. Some see upright as representing a feminine spirit or deity and therefore inverted to mean a more masculine spirit, like a male deity. It can also be taken to mean upright that the element of Spirit reigns over. Inverted, it can be a sign that other elements have taken over and need to be balanced in order to create stability. However a personal path uses the pentacle, ultimately the usage of it as upright and inverted can be thought of as dualities. Whether it is a female/male dichotomy or a spirit/earthly matters dichotomy, it simply represents that there is a balance among all