The Pentagram By Jay Barrymore The pentagram, the five pointed star, is an icon of magick and the occult. It is a powerful symbol which many hold sacred. The pentagram incorporates a proportion called the Golden Mean. This refers to an intersection that divides a line, making the two parts proportionally the same as the larger part is to the whole line. To clarify: a line divides another line, making two parts. These two segments are the same proportional size to one another as the greater segment is to the whole. The Golden Mean is also called the Divine Proportion. It fascinates occultists who revere the pentagram. There are two types of Pentagrams: upright and inverted. Both symbols are sacred, and both have been maligned by the ignorant. The upright pentagram traditionally symbolizes humanity. It is the figure of a human standing with arms and legs spread, representing the Microcosm. Humans are tiny universes within themselves, thus each represents the Macrocosm (the greater Universe, in which we live). Each lower point of the pentagram stands for one of the Elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The uppermost point represents Spirit. Thus, the traditional interpretation of the upright pentacle as Spirit over matter. The pentagram is sacred to many religions and cultures. It is a positive symbol. Unfortunately, for those ignorant of the occult, or prejudiced against it, the symbol means evil. The other type of pentagram is inverted, sometimes called the pentamorph. For both occultists and others, this symbol represents evil. Many people, seeing the symbol reversed, assume that Spirit (at the top when upright) is now at the bottom, with the other Elements reigning above it (matter over Spirit). This interpretation is purely subjective. The positive symbology of one doesn't necessarily become negative in the other. Another interpretation is that the inverted pentagram represents power being poured back into the earth. One supposition that may surprise some is that the inverted pentagram is the proper banishing pentagram. If the upright invokes, doesn't it make sense that its inverted form will banish? Another aspect of the inverted pentagram is the depiction of the Sabbatic Goat of Mendes. Mendes is a city where ancient Egyptians worshipped the goat, which symbolizes fertility. One can inscribe a goat's head in the outline of an inverted pentagram, with the uppermost points being the horns, the lower two points being the ears, and the lowest representing the beard. None of the above representations of the pentagram appear in an evil context by themselves. Originally, Wiccans (and many still do) used the inverted pentagram to symbolize the 2nd degree of the Craft (while the upright symbolizes the Craft itself). The inverted pentagram has taken on a more sinister meaning with the increase of Satanism, thanks to Anton La Vey and others who have adopted the inverted pentagram as their symbol. It is interesting that non-occultists seem unable to differentiate between the two symbols. To the mundane, both represent Satan or evil, whether upright or inverted. All they see is the evil star, and that automatically conjures up all the other connotations along with it. Unfortunately, due to the rise of Satanism, Wiccans hesitate to use the inverted pentagram for fear of being identified with that religion. The inverted pentagram is a sacred symbol, representing fertility, and Wicca (as a fertility religion) is being persuaded to avoid a pertinent symbol. The pentagram is a sacred symbol. It represents power, protection, humanity, and a host of other definitions. If someone has a doubt to the legitimacy of the pentacle as a symbol to revere, then look to the American flag. There are fifty of them on it! | 
