The Pentagram

The most misunderstood symbol, of course is the fivepointed star, commonly known as the pentagram, point up.

A pentacle is a fivepointed star, point up with a circle around the star. The pentacle stands for Eart, Air, Fire, Water and the Spiritb of the human, encompassed by the neverending love (the circle) of Spirit. Witches often wear this symbol for protection and affirmaition oof their faith. Wearing the symbol where everyone can see it isn´t necessary. The symbol carries more power if you keep it under your clothes and causes much less confusion for you if you keep the symbol hidden. Of course, if you wish to wear your pentacle outside your clothing, that´s okay too. Some Wiccan traditions put the pentacle in the center of their altars, where others place this symbol in the North, representing prosperity. Still other traditions don´t put the symbol on the altar at all.

In the movies you may have seen the pentacle drawn on the middle of the floor with a candle setting at each point of the pentacle to represent the magick circle boundaires. In all honestly, most Witches don´t do this practice. Even most Witches who have ritual rooms set aside for their magickal work or wheel of the year celebration don´t paint the pentacle on the floor.

In magick, you can draw a pentagram several ways. The invoking pentagram is most commonly drawn starting at the top of the star and the banishing pentagram is done exact opposite.
(click the links to see pictures of the different pentagrams.)

Draw the invoking pentagram in the air, on a candle, or on a piece of paper to bring energies to you. draw the banishing pentagram in the air, on a candle or on a piece of paper to push negative energies away from you. You can also draw the pentagram to invoke the energies of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

The use of the star, or pentacle dates back beyond Chritianity to the time of the stellar religions. Stars were also prominent in Egyptian beliefs (the Goddess Nuit for example). Stars symbolize sacred or celestial fire and can be associated with the Wiccan need-fires or bale fires (the representation of the stars on earth - therefore melding the energies of earth and heaven together - heaven being the fire, erath representing the wood used to feed the fire, and the scared breath, oxygen, to grant continuance of both).