Magi's Homeland - Magick in Theory

Pentagram: from the Greek, "pente", meaning five and "Gramma", a letter; the pentagram is a five pointed figure formed by producing the sides of a pentagon both ways to their point of intersection, so as to form a five pointed star.

Pentalpha: The triple triangle, from the Greek word meaning five and, alpha, the letter A.

The pentagram is arguably the most sacred symbol to most neo-Pagans. But how many people know its history or fully understands it symbolism? this articles aims to go some way to providing a fuller knowledge and understanding.

HISTORY

The pentagram is an ancient symbol that has gained in potency throughout history. Its earliest known use dates back to Uruk IV (c.3500BCE) in ancient Mesopotamia where the general sense seems to be "heavenly body." By the cuneiform period (post 2600 BCE) the pentagram or symbol UB means "region," "heavenly quarter" or "direction". It has been found on potsherds in the location of Uruk (near the mouth of the Gulf), and more frequently on Jemdet Nasr (3100-2900 BCE) and Proto-Elamite tablets (3000-2500 BCE).

It was also used in Mespotamian art in royal inscriptions and was symbolic of imperial power extending to the four corners of the world.

Among the Jews, Truth and the five books of the Pentateuch were ascribed to the Pentagram.

In Ancient Greece, the pentagram was called the Pentalpha as it is geometrically composed of five letter alphas (A). The Greeks did not generally attribute symbolic meanings to the letters of their alphabet but certain symbols became connected with Greek letter shapes or positions. The geometry of the pentagram and its metaphysical associations were explored by the Pythagoreans who considered it to be an emblem of perfection or the symbol of the human being. The pentagram was also associated with the golden ratio (which it includes), and the dodecahedron, the fifth Platonic solid, which has twelve pentagonal faces and was considered by Plato to be a symbol of the heavens.

It then passed down into post-Hellenic art where the golden proportion can be seen in the designs of some temples.

As a talisman, the pentagram has been found on Egyptian statues and Gaulish coins.

Early Christians connected the pentagram to the Five Wounds of Christ and from then until medieval times, it was a lesser-used Christian symbol. Its form implied Truth, Religious Mysticism and the work of the Creator. The Roman Emperor Constantine I used the pentagram, together with the chirho symbol (a symbolic form of cross) in his seal and amulet.

The annual Christian feast of the Epiphany, celebrating the visit of the three Magi to the infant Jesus had the pentagram as its symbol - although in present times this has changed to the star seen on Christmas cards and the like.

The first English mention of the pentagram appears in the Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Gawain, traditionally the Celtic sun-hero, carries a shield " shining gules. With the Pentangle in pure gold depicted thereon". This could be said to symbolise the five knightly virtues of generosity, courtesy, chastity, chivalry and piety.

In Medieval times, the Endless Knot was a symbol of Truth and used as protection against demons. It was used as an amulet of personal protection and to guard windows and doors. The pentagram with one point upwards symbolised summer and with two points upwards was a symbol of winter.

With the foundation of Hermeticism, away from the eyes of the Church, alchemy developed along with its occult philosophy and symbolism. Graphical and geometric symbolism became very important and the period of the Renaissance emerged. During this time, the concept of the microcosm as analogous to the macrocosm became widespread - "As above so below, as below so above". The greater universe of the spirit and elemental matter became a part of traditional western occult teaching, as it had long been in eastern philosophies. So the pentagram came to symbolise Man as the microcosm, representing the Macrocosmic universe.

In Tycho Brahe's Calendarium Naturale Magicum Perpetuum (1582) is seen a pentagram with the human body superimposed on it and the Hebrew for YHSVH. An illustration said to be by Cornelius Agrippa is of a similar form and shows the five planets and the moon. Other illustrations of the period by Leonardo da Vinci show geometric relationships of man to the universe.

Mephistopheles, in Goethe's Faust (1808) calls the pentagram a witch's foot as a charm against evil:

Mephistopheles:	Let me own up! I cannot go away; A little hinderance bids me stay, The witch's foot upon your sill I see.
Faust:	The pentagram? That's in your way? You son of Hell explain to me, If that stays you, how came you in today?
Mephistopheles:	Observe it closely! It is not well made; One angle, on the outer side of it, is just a little open, as you see

he first graphical illustration associating the pentagram with evil appears in the 19^th century when Eliphas Levi, with no justification, used an upright pentagram of microcosmic man beside an inverted pentagram with the goats head of Baphomet.

Closer to today, in the 1940's Gerald Gardner (who came from a background of Ceremonial Magick) brought the pentagram into association with Witchcraft (later known as Wicca), where it is used both upright and inverted as a symbol for the three degress of initiation (see below)

In the 1960's, Anton LaVey founded the Church of Satan and adopted the inverted pentagram as its symbol. LaVey borrowed almost entirely from the illustrations of Francis Bacon and the Baphomet image by Eliphas Levi and lumped them together to create the modern association between the inverted pentagram and the goat head. In using the inverted pentagram, Satanists proclaim an alignment with negative (or self-satisfying) powers. Or, to put it another way, the domination of the world of matter over Spirit. The reaction of the Christian church was again to condemn as evil all who took the pentagram as a symbol and even to condemn the symbol itself. This distinction between the upward and downward pointing pentagram also became accentuated within some areas of Paganism and resulted in the concepts of white and black Witchcraft.

Today, the pentagram has become firmly established as a common Neo-Pagan symbol. Its antiquity is certain; its meanings and associations have evolved and been enriched throughout its history. Its use within modern Neo-Paganism as a group symbol is as important as the cross has been in the history of Christianity.

SYMBOLOGY

The pentagram is a symbol of a star. Indeed, it is the simplest star shape that can drawn with a single line (unicursally) and is, therefore, sometimes known as the endless knot. It has five points (one usually pointing upwards) each of which has its own meaning. It symbolises the five metaphysical elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water all governed by and in perfect harmony with the Spirit. It is drawn interlaced to symbolise our inescapable connection to the elements and the spiral of rebirth. It demonstrates that everything is connected to everything and that there are only the most tenuous threads separating all things. It has long been believed to protect against evil, demons and other negative energies. As such, it is sometimes worn for protection.

As has been stated, the pentagram has five points and is drawn with five, unbroken lines. The number five has always been regarded as magickal and yet, essentially human: we have five fingers/toes on each limb extremity. We commonly note five senses - sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. We go through five stages in our lives - birth, adolescence, coitus, parenthood and death. In Christianity, Christ suffered five wounds on the cross. There are five pillars of the Muslim faith and five daily times of prayer. The medieval knights had five virtues - generosity, courtesy, chastity, chivalry and piety. The Wiccan Kiss is fivefold - feet, knees, womb, breasts and lips. The number five is also prime and is comprised 3+2 as well as 1+4.

The geometric proportions of the Pentagram are those of the Golden Section. Found in much post-Hellenic architecture, the ratio of the lengths of the two sides is equal to the ratio of the longer side to the sum of the two sides. Or a/b = b/a+b = a+b/a+2b = a+2b/2a+3b = 2a+3b/3a+5b and so on. If a square is added to the long side of a golden rectangle, a larger golden rectangle is formed. This ratio forms the foundation of the Fibonacci series of numbers 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144..., where each number is formed by adding the previous two numbers. The Fibonacci series can be found in nature, from the natural branching of rivers and lightning, to the spiral of our galaxy.

Another way of seeing the pentagram is as an illustration of Man's spiritual journey through evolution. The spark of Life descending from God, the divine source of life to the simplest embryonic form (earth), rising to flow (water - air) on our plane of existence, then again descending to the fire of purification before again rising as a divine spark to find again his spiritual source

A pentagram may be open, without a surrounding circle. This is the active form symbolizing an outgoing of oneself, prepared for conflict, aware, active. As a pagan religious symbols, the open pentagram represents an open, active approach.

A circle around a pentagram contains and protects. The circle symbolizes eternity and infinity, the cycles of life and nature. The circled pentagram is the passive form implying spiritual containment within the magic circle, in keeping with the traditional secrecy of witchcraft; the personal, individual nature of the pagan religious path; and its non-proselytizing character.

The center of a pentagram implies a sixth formative element - love/will which controls from within, ruling matter and spirit by Will and the controlled magical direction of sexual energies. This is another lesson of initiation.

In Numerology, the number 5 symbolizes man standing midway between 1 and 10. As has been said already, the pentagram also represents Man, with his head in the sky and his arms and legs outstretched. In the Bible, Joshua killed five kings and hung them in a cave, symbolizing the subjection of his five physical senses to his Will. Jesus had five wounds, suggesting that suffering must be experienced before spirit is resurrected and becomes master. The number 5 can also mean man dominating the physical plane and reaching up to higher realms. In this last meaning there is a relationship to the 5th Tarot card, the Hierophant. As a priestly figure, he represents humanity in its divine as well as human aspects.

The ritual of the lesser Pentagram is one of the few truly powerful rituals devised by the Golden Dawn. The ritual in itself sets the watchtowers of the elements. Beyond this it makes the operator a channel of grace between heaven and earth. As such it should always be performed fully, that is using the body and forms of gesture as no magic is real until it makes contact with this level of manifestation. No less so this ritual of spiritual power.

According to Eliphas Levi, the Pentagram expresses " the minds domination over the elements, and it is by this sign that we bind them. It is the symbol of the Word made flesh, and, according to the direction of its rays, it represents good or evil, order or disorder. A sign which epitomises by its significance all the occult forms of Nature and which has always manifested to elementary and other spiritual powers superior to their own, naturally strikes them with fear and respect, and enforces their obedience by the empire of knowledge and will over ignorance and weakness".

To fully understand the form of the Pentagram and why it has the power to banish inferior forms, we need to turn to the Qabalah. One of the divine names by which the Jews called the universal creative force was YHVH (Yod Heh Vau Heh) which came to be considered the equivalent of the four elements of the Cosmos. It was also conceived to represent the ordinary, unenlightened person in whom the light of spirit had not made its appearance, the being of earth, air, fire and water given up to the things of the unrefined self. By means of magick, the Holy Spirit descended into the person. The Holy Spirit descends into and transforms this being, who then carries with it the germs of enlightenment, inspiration and revelation. The new type of being thus created is the Adept or Master YHShVN (Yod Heh Shin Vau Heh - Jehoshua from Jehovah). Thus the Pentagram is the sacrificial redemptor, that allows humanity access to the heavenly realms and beyond. Because of this, the symbol of the four elements surmounted by the crowning and conquering flame of the Holy Ghost, it owes its incomparable efficiency and power to subdue all astral opposition and cast out gross substances from the being of the Magician.

Each point of the Pentagram represents one of the elements. Starting from the top and moving clockwise is spirit, water (Heh), Fire (Yod), Earth (Heh) and Air (Vau). Depending entirely on the direction, either towards or away from any of the five points, in which the Pentagram is traced, so the result will be. So, starting from the topmost point and descending to the lower right will invoke the powers of fire. On the other hand, if the figure is traced from the bottom left-hand corner to the top, the element of earth will be banished - this type of Pentagram is usually used for most types of banishing.

The power of the Pentagram to banish is also mentioned in the Goetia (one of the five manuscripts of the Lesser Key of Solomon) and the Key of Solomon (a grimmoire that dates from the 15th or 16th Century). Here, the Pentagram is drawn as a sigil, with it appropriate words and symbols.

Although the Pentagram is used for banishing, it is worth noting that any being or entity who does not suffer by the Pentagram is likely to be a spiritual intelligence, and Angel, a lofty celestial being to be respected, loved and venerated.

So, the upright Pentagram represents the descent of spirit (Shin) into the four elements. That is to say the relationship of spirit to the elements.

in Wicca, the pentagram symbolises the journey of initiation. With the first degree, the initiate journeys one line, with the second degree two lines and with the third degree, the final three. The first degree is the entry point and the initiate stands at the East (the top left point), the point of the youngest of the watchtowers.

Links between the pentagram and Freemasonry have been suggested, but it was noting that there is no Masonic significance, per se. For example, The "Blazing Star" of Masonic usage is not to be confused with the five pointed star. Freemasonry has, however, traditionally been associated with Pythagoras, and among Pythagoreans, the pentagram was a symbol of health and knowledge; the pentagram is consequently associated with initiation, as it is in Masonic iconography.

A pentagram is used in some Grand Lodge seals and banners as well as on the collar of office worn by the Masters of Lodges and Grand Masters of Grand Lodges is. But its absence from the ritual and lessons of Freemasonry suggest that its value is ornamental and any symbolic value is a matter of personal opinion. Some have suggested that the angle of the compasses in the Masonic square and compasses which are set at 72° equate it with the pentagram. To do so is to ignore the many representations which set the angle at anywhere between 32° and 90°.

Satanism does use the inverted pentagram for its own purposes. But an inverted pentagram in magick or the occult, simply symbolises the domination of materialism over spirituality.

The claim that the inverted pentagram represents evil is derived from a claim made by Éliphas Lévi that the direction of the rays of the pentagram determine if it represents the good or evil principle: one point up representing order and light, two points up representing disorder and darkness. Lévi gives no justification or citation for this arbitrary distinction and goes on to arbitrarily equate the pentagram as a symbol for the Baphomet or goat headed god. This ignores the pentagram's inclusion, one point down, in Constantine's seal, the later Mediaeval depiction of it as a medical symbol of health, and its Christian representation as a symbol of the Incarnation of Jesus.

Alistair Crowley wrote that the point down pentagram indicates the individual (microcosm) in a "Solar orientation", meaning not "earth oriented". Also that it had been used as a symbol of the Baphomet, the great androgyne. He interpreted the "averse" pentagram to indicate the New Aeon transcendence of the old Osirian/Christian limitations.

The Inquisition of the early 1300s does not appear to have made a connection between the pentagram and the Knights Templar's alleged worship of the Baphomet. Neither the Rule of the Order, the eleven charges against the Knights Templar, nor the eight Papal Bulls promulgated against them make any mention of the pentagram or its association with the Baphomet. Claims that the pentagram was significant to the Templars appear to be unfounded. Its use in hermetic manuscripts is rare.

Within High Magick, the inverted Pentagram represents the Fall of humanity, the descent from heaven into manifestation. Which is not an entirely evil state, but a challenging One!

Within Wicca, the inverted Pentagram is the symbol of the 2nd Degree - the symbol of the Horned God, the Dark Lord of Death - not to be confused with the Christian Devil. In terms of spiritual growth, the Pentagram is symbolic of the four functions of the personality, together with the fifth or transcendent function, the Self. The inverted Pentagram then shows the Self to have emerged, but it is not yet transcendent for it lies buried beneath the other four. It is only with the 3rd Degree that the Pentagram attains its rightful upright direction.