Of Pentagrams and Witches
by Elizabeth Beckley
These days, a pentagram has many meanings and
connotations. People often think that the pentagram is an evil sign. Many
Christians, and indeed much of the Western world, associate it with Satanism and
witchcraft. While it's true that Satanists do use the pentagram in their
rituals, it is certainly not a Satanic sign, nor was it even first used by
Satanists. Unfortunately, few are able to differentiate between Wicca and
Satanism.
It was the Sumerians who first utilized the
pentagram symbol. For them, however, it was merely a piece of their language
rather than a religious symbol. As you read earlier, Satanists do indeed use it
as a symbol, typically with two points up and three down. They refer to this as
the Sigil of Baphomet, and it is used as a symbol for Leviathan. It was also the
official seal of Jerusalem for awhile, showing its presence in Judaism as well
In Christianity, it was used to represent the
five senses. In medieval times, it was believed to represent the five wounds of
Christ (2 in the wrists, 2 in the ankles and one in the side). At this point,
its common use was actually to ward off demons and witches - which becomes
ironic later on. It has also represented the five fingers, the five joys Mary
had of Jesus, as well as the five virtues of knighthood. However, it later
became thought of as an evil symbol. Pagans and Wiccans use the pentagram in
their rituals, as do Satanists, albeit in completely different manners. This led
Christians to believe the pentagram to be an unholy symbol of evil, something
that's carried forward to today.
Lastly, we come to Wicca and Neopaganism. The
pentagram is a very important symbol in these religions. Many versions of the
religion use it as their holy symbol, and wear it as Wiccan
Jewelry much like Christians have the Cross of Jesus and Jews have the Star
of David. While not quite as universal as these other symbols (some branches of
Neopaganism rarely, if ever, incorporate pentagrams into their rituals),
witchcraft is one of its main associations. As previously mentioned, few are
able to shake the thought that witches are evil, and pentagrams add to this.
However, Wicca and Neopaganism in general is vastly different from Satanism.
About the Author
Elizabeth Beckley writes for Moonstone Jewelry, a
company which focuses its products on Wiccan
Jewelry
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