why is the inverted pentagram a symbol of satanism?

Question

was the pentagram (not inverted) once a symbol of christianity that got turned upside down as a way to mock, like an inverted cross? it's strange... my grandmother was a very very christian woman, but she used to have one hanging on her christmas tree every year. she passed 13 years ago, and i never really thought about why she would have that star on her tree until paganism started becoming more popular (or maybe just when i started noticing it more) and i started seeing the symbol anymore. if it was never a christian symbol, i can't imagine why my grandma would have something like that, unless she just thought it was pretty and she didn't know what it really was. lol.

i figure grandma took it to be representative of the star that guided the magi. it's still funny to think she had it on the christmas tree though... to quote grandma, ''that's not very nice. Jesus wouldn't like that.'' hahahahaha...

what a sweetheart though.

Answer 1

The true symbol of satanism are bad things or bad deeds. The pentagram symbol was only made by men which is not true.
jtm

Answer 2

No symbol is OWNED by any religion, unless they actually created and copyrighted it, In that case I'd call it a logo.

A pentagram both the right way up and inverted, are ancient symbols which go way back before the "satanists" existed. (I simply don't buy the argument that any non Christian/occultist is a satanist)

Satanists might choose to use inverted pentagrams.within their practises. I doubt very much if they are REQUIRED to do so.

Have also come across an interpretation tying a pentacle in with the five wounds of Christ. There's probably something similar in classical paganism. That doesn't do it for me, but the simple answer is that people adapt symbols and their meanings to serve their own personal requirements. People should accept that several interpretations can be true at once (there's something about blind men and elephants but I can't quite remember it)

Is it me or do young kids 'roughly' draw the night stars as pentagrams? For them the symbol is used to represent stars in the night sky. Maybe it's something to do with how the brain works.

A similar "slander" happened to the Swastika. Now most Westerners are incapable of looking at one and not thinking of Nazi Germany, but a previous interpretation in northern Europe seems to have run along the lines of the warming power of the Sun on an early spring morning. Hindu's have there own interpretation but I'll leave that to Wikipedia

The power of symbolism is generated by the viewer's interpretation.

Answer 3

In some Wiccan traditions, the inverted pentagram/pentacle is a symbol of initiation into the 2nd degree. It represents the descent into the self, looking inward and sometimes the Horned God. (the first degree can be mainly about the Goddess, some people are so hung up on the idea of a God being associated with Christianity that they have to focus on the Goddess for a while before accepting the God back into it.) I used to wear an inverted Pentagram in my 2nd degree. I now wear one that expands out of the circle, representing my expansion of ideas and growth.
Satanists are still christians and therefore still succumb to the ideas.
I would think an inverted cross would represent satanism better. Mock Christ instead of Pagans.
The Xmas tree is a pagan image itself. The Pine was decorated with shiny ornaments to represent the return of the sun in spring after yule. Santa is a pagan deity/Faerie, the Holly King. He rules from Mid-Summer til Mid-Winter when his brother the Oak King takes over and leads us back to Mid-Summer again.
Sometimes the Star on the Tree is replaced with a Faerie. This was a representation of the Goddess.

Give your Granny a hug for me, Grandmothers ROCK!

Answer 4

There are several meanings to the inverted pentagram. In the ancient days the pentagram with a single point up was used to represent the god, and the pentagram with a single point down was used to represent the goddess. The god in paganism was usually associated with the sky and a pentagram with an upward point symbolized him(the spirit, the single point on the pentagram) guiding nature(the four elements) from above. Now, the mother goddess was conceived of as dwelling within in the earth. So a pentagram with a downward point symbolized her(the spirit, the single point on the pentagram) guiding nature(the four elements) from below. Of course in most modern philosophies there is no spirit, spirit is replaced by the term "mind" or "consciousness". And a pentagram would symbolize some kind of "consciousness" guiding nature. But who's "consciousness" guides this world? Is it god, who dwells above us in the heavens? Or is it a creature of this earth? In Satanism man is the only authority. "We are our own gods" said Anton LaVey. So in the Satanic religion the point on the pentagram faces downwards, symbolizing the fact that a creature from below(from this earth, the world matter) reigns over nature. The head of a goat is typically imposed on the Satanic pentagram to represent man's true nature. "Man is just another animal" said LaVey. Sometimes the goat is referred to as Baphomet and the symbolism of Eliphas Levi's Baphomet is considered meaningful. Two horns(points) representing the duality of good and evil, two ears(points) representing form and force, and a snout(downward point) representing the fact that god is within the self and not in heaven.

Answer 5

The pentagram symbolizes the five elements (among other things) in the pagan, or upright version. The top point is linked to Spirit. Symbolizing that Spirit rules the rest of the elements. Anton Levay (father of the church of Satan) knew this to be true and so he took a pagan symbol and inverted it to show the other elements ruling over Spirit, as such Satanists worship the world and allo the world to reign over them ran than the other way around.
You've already gotten answers about the goat of mendez and Baphomet, and the 2nd degree symbolism that exists in some Wiccan organisations (incidentally, the second degree is also about learning to master yourself, so the struggle of overcoming the elements in one's one self is symbolized by the inverted pentagram, because that's where you start the 2nd degree at, you finish it with an upright pentagram because you've learned to master yourself.)
I grew up in a Christian home as well and we were told that the pentagram on top of the Christmas tree represented the star that the magi followed as well. Your grandma probably just liked the way it looked as opposed to an angel.
Either way I encourage you to continue to be on the lookout for pagan influences in life, they're literally everyewhere.

Answer 6

Anton Lavey adopted the symbol for the church of Satan. Prior to that I do not think it was ever used by Satanic groups.

LaVey ripped it off of Freemasonry, in which it represents the Eastern Star; a symbol for divinity. Freemasons inherited the archetectual geometric symbol from the Pythagoreans who had adopted it from the Persian's who used it in sacred geometry.

The pentagram inverted or not really has no history as a symbol for Satan or Europaganism prior to the 20th century. Before that it was just a highly esteemed symbol of sacred geometry.

Answer 7

Christianity picked up a rather clever trick many years ago:

In order to assimilate people into the religion, the christians would assimilate their native rituals and traditions as well... and then add a christian twist to them. The people could maintain a similar way of life, but merely the focus would be changed. Therefore the transition to christianity would be easily enforced.
Only the very symbols that were most strongly connected to the old religions could not be assimilated... and instead of doing so, christianity connected them with all they considered evil and wrong in order to encourage hostility and resentment toward the old ways.


Essentially... the pentagram was just an old pagan symbol. Since christianity considered pagan beliefs and rituals to be indicative of witchcraft and devilry, they came to associate the pagan symbols likewise with such things.

Simple.

Answer 8

It's not.

A pentagram whichever way you look at it is still a pentagram. You will also notice that most symbols before a crucifix are geomtrically beautiful like the cross from The Red Cross, Star of David and I am sure grandma just liked it.

Answer 9

Upside down is a mockery. However, this is also the symbol of the head of the ram. Sometimes Satanists will turn a cross upside down as well. They will recite the Lords Prayer backwards.

Answer 10

a pentagram is older than christianity. it stands for for the four elements and spirit. it is also a symbol of protection. a star itself isn't really a pent. they are enclosed by a circle.

since pagans don't believe in satan they wouldn't use it to worship him/it.

people can pervert anything.