Hello again:) Today Im going to write a litle about symbols in Wicca. Many symbols are shared by other religions. So don't be upset if you see a symbol that might be shared with your religion.
Pentagram aka Pentacle
The word pentagram comes from the Greek. Penta means "five" and gram comes from "gramma" which among other things means "letter"
Pythagoreans called the symbol of Pentalpha. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, which is A. If you look close at the symbol you actually can see five big A.
Because of their vast knowledge of the secrets of the universe, people that didnt know their ways tought of them as demondevotees and wizards.
The Pythagoreans used this symbol on their mutual correspondence.
In Pythagorean pentagram was a sacred symbol of physical and spiritual harmony, and thus became a sign of health.
The five-pointed star also appears in Christian iconography, specifically in reference to the crucified five wounds.
In Islam the pentagram symbolized the religions five cornerstone.
The pentagram is also playing an important role in the Masonic order. Here, in the form of a blazing star. This star has jets or flames at the capes and a G in the center. It reminds us of the sun with its rays enlightens the earth, and maketh his blessing put to a part by giving light and life to everything on earth. This "Blazing star" demonstrated, among Masons already in 1735. G stands for Gnosis, Geometry, God and Gloria.
Masonic Blazing Star
Like the Gnostics, alchemists declared number five to referring to the five elements. As a sign to ward off demons the pentagram was carved in to the doorposts and thresholds.
The pentagram is an ancient symbol for the planet Venus. The Babylonians discovered long before Christ that Venus orbit on astrological charts formed a regular five-pointed star, which is then associated with the planet. It takes Venus 8 years to move in a path that signs a perfect pentagram in the sky.
The pentagram stood for perfection and beauty and sexual power in the old greece. It was to be the Pentagram to be the olympic symbol but in the end it was the 5 rings who won. In homage to Venus, the Greeks chose to have the olympic games every 8th year. Now a days its half that time.
Within Wicca it is considered that the pentagram symbolize the five elements fire, earth, water, air and spirit (or Akasha - soul)
The circle around the pentagram as wicca use it symbolizes the universe, the big picture, the eternal cycle, such as reincarnation.
When used in rituals we can direct the negative energies away and embody the positive energies.
Conected with the zodiac sign: Capricorn / Taurus / Virgo.
