A pentagram (sometimes known as pentalpha or pentangle) is a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes. The word pentagram comes from the Greek word πεντάγραμμον (pentagrammon), a noun form of πεντάγραμμος (pentagrammos) or πεντέγραμμος (pentegrammos), a word meaning roughly "five-lined" or "five lines".
Pentagrams were used symbolically in ancient Greece and Babylonia. The Pentagram has magical associations, and many people who practice pagan faiths wear them. Christians once more commonly used the pentagram to represent the five wounds of Jesus[1][2], and it also has associations within Freemasonry.
The pentagram has long been associated with the planet Venus, and the worship of the goddess Venus, or her equivalent. It is also associated with the Roman Lucifer, who was Venus as the Morning Star, the bringer of light and knowledge. It is most likely to have originated from the observations of prehistoric astronomers.[citation needed] When viewed from Earth, successive inferior conjunctions of Venus plot a nearly perfect pentagram shape around the zodiac every eight years.
A pentacle or pantacle is an amulet used in magical evocation, generally made of parchment, paper or metal (although it can be of other materials), on which the symbol of a spirit or energy being evoked is drawn. It is often worn around the neck, or placed within the triangle of evocation. Protective symbols may also be included (sometimes on the reverse), a common one being the five-point Seal of Solomon. Many varieties of pentacle can be found in the grimoires of Solomonic magic; they are also used in some neopagan magical traditions, such as Wicca.
Owing to their similarity, the words pentacle and pentagram (a five-point unicursal star) are sometimes confused, although their etymologies are different. Adding to this confusion, in the Tarot and in some forms of modern witchcraft, pentacles often prominently incorporate a pentagram in their design.
2006-11-28 02:38:11
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answer #1
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answered by Heck if I know! 4
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A lot of people who are not familiar with the pentagram and pentacle use either term, but there is a difference.
A pentagram is a five-pointed star, and the pentacle is a five-pointed star in a circle. The pentacle is always oriented with one point upwards, each lower point representing an element and the fifth (topmost) point, is the spirit.
The pentacle is worn by Pagans of many paths as a sign of their faith and there is no relation to Satanism. Sorry... had to put that bit in... people tend to think witches and satanists are related, and they are oh, so wrong. If they read up on their Satanism, they would find that their symbol is something quite different.
2006-11-28 02:46:29
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answer #2
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answered by Darkwing 3
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particularly, it quite is not the symbols. A pentagram is in basic terms the factor-up megastar. A pentacle is the megastar interior of a circle. (Wicca does not use the factor-down megastar - no longer on the entire. guy or woman traditions might, yet it quite is as much as them). As I discovered it, the pentragram replaced into borrowed type the pythagorean college of theory and it represents all distinctive factors of the universe - being the proper mix of a masculine (even, 2) and lady (weird and wonderful, 3) variety, with 2 representing the two gods and 3 representing the three pursuits for dwelling beings. because of the fact of that it represents each little thing religious and actual, and is commonly theory to be shielding. The pentacle provides the circle to function to the assumption of cohesion (as 0 or a circle shape represents finished cohesion). by making use of focussing on guy or woman factors of cohesion the pentacle is commonly linked with the 5 aspects wiccan aspects (water, fireplace, air, earth and spirit), besides because of the fact the 5 senses. The circle is additionally used as a style of diagram to represent the guidelines used for circle-casting in ritual, yet i do no longer think of that's a large portion of it. a minimum of in my college of theory, they represent very comparable issues, even although the pentacle is greater linked with wicca and additionally has a greater suitable concentration on cohesion and cohesion. In ritual frequently you will use a pentacle. A pentagram could be utilized in circumstances the place a pentacle in basic terms does no longer artwork (perhaps you're making the form of a megastar with your physique or some thing, idk) and could frequently represent some thing very comparable or rather much an analogous.
2016-12-13 15:50:46
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answer #3
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answered by ? 4
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Pentagram is a five pointed star. A pentacle is a five pointed star within a circle. Remember those stars everyone used to draw with one line when they were little? That was a pentagram
2006-11-28 02:42:44
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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A pentagram is a five-sided object, a pentacle is a five pointed star
2006-11-28 02:37:24
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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Just to reiterate
Pentagram - five pointed star
Pentacle - five pointed star inside a circle
And as said neither have anything to do with Satan, evil doings etc.
The Amberlady (Pagan Historian)
2006-11-28 04:17:50
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answer #6
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answered by Amberlady (Pagan Historian) 2
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As many people have already said:
Pentagram - five pointed star
Pentacle - five pointed star inside a circle
Neither have anything to do with Satan.
Blessed be!
)O(
2006-11-28 03:08:26
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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pentagram is an upside down star with the points facing downward, pentacle is the points facing upward. with the circle around either it means the entrapment of the soul, with out the circle it means the five points of the body.
2006-11-28 02:44:30
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answer #8
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answered by Anonymous
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There both represent all that is evil, Satan and magic.
2006-11-28 02:45:50
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answer #9
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answered by gwhiz1052 7
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