Pentacle

This is one topic which i hav been plannin to write for many months now.. Atlast i have made myself write it..

Pentagram..
The word pentagram comes from the Greek: "pente means 5 (as in Pentagon). "Gram" comes from the Greek verb graphein, "to write".

It refers to a five pointed star, or "any figure of five lines." It is most often used to refer to a symmetrical, five pointed star, with equal sides, drawn either with a single line or with two closely spaced parallel lines. Their overall shape is like the decoration on the top of many Christmas trees, and the stars on the American flag.

A Pentacle is generally surrounded by a circle.. Also called the circle of life..

Pentacles are of 2 types:

• Upright pentagram
• Inverted pentagram

Upright pentagram:

• They are among the most widely used religious symbols.
• They were used by ancient Pagans, ancient Israelites, Christians, magicians, Wiccans and others.
• This symbol apparently originated as the symbol of a Goddess who was worshiped over an area which extends from present-day England to Egypt and beyond. Her name was Kore (a.k.a. Car, Cara, Carnac, Ceres, Core, Kar, Karnak, Kaur, Kauri, Ker, Kerma, Kher, Kore, Q're, etc.).

This was also interpreted to fit in the Vitruvian man, Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece, perfectly..

From her alternative Roman name Ceres have evolved many English words: cardiac, carnal, cereal, core, corn, and kernel.

Usage:

• The five points of the pentagram have been interpreted as representing the five wounds of Christ (2 wrist, 2 ankle and 1 side).
• The Roman Emperor Constantine used the pentagram in his seal and amulet.
• It has been referred to as the Star of Bethlehem
• It was used to symbolize the star which allegedly led three Zoroastrian astrologers to the baby Jesus; it was called the Three Kings' star.
• The English warrior Sir Gawain, a nephew of King Arthur, adopted the pentagram as his personal symbol and placed it on his shield. It appeared in gold on a red background. The five points symbolized "the five knightly virtues - generosity, courtesy, chastity, chivalry and piety."
• Tarot cards originally had a suit of coins or discs. These were changed in the 19th century to pentacles when the Tarot became associated with the Kabbalah. They eventually became the suit of diamonds in modern playing cards.
• It has been widely used by past Christians as a protective amulet.
• During the burning times when the Christian church burned alive or hung hundreds of thousands of innocent people, the meaning of the pentagram changed. It began to symbolize a goat's head or the devil in the form of Baphomet. "The folk-symbol of security - for the first time in history - was equated with evil and was called the Witch's Foot."

Inverted Pentagram:
Some religious and spiritual groups have used the inverted pentacle. During the 20th century, Satanists inverted the upright pentacle and adopted it as their own symbol. However, the symbol is most commonly shown with the head of a goat within the pentagram as shown below.

Sigl of Baphomet:
The inverted pentacle with a goat's head is called the Sigl of Baphomet. It has also been called the Black Goat, Devil's Goat, Goat Head, Goat of Mendes, and Judas Goat.

The five vertices were also used to represent the five classical elements:

• Water
• Earth
• Fire
• Idea or "a divine thing"
• Air

It is also said to represent the 5 vowels of the English language.. It was supposed to have been the main symbol for the Olympic games but was changed at the very last moment to give way for the “Five rings”..