
What does a five pointed star mean? | The origin of this symbol
The 5-pointed star is one of the most widely used symbols in different cultures. We are used to associating it with witchcraft or black magic , since the cinema has been in charge of using it extensively for this purpose. But the truth is that its connotations are much broader and are not always linked to necromancy. Today in Top10World we navigate in the depths of different cultures, to tell you what a five-pointed star means . Join us!
What does a five pointed star mean?
Before delving into what a five-pointed star means, it is necessary to recognize the multiplicity of roots that are associated with this symbol and that are not always related to evil. It is indeed a pagan symbol , but its origins go far beyond acts of witchcraft or black magic . The 5-pointed star, also known as the pentagram, was first used in ancient Mesopotamia, around 3500 BC We can see this star on multiple Chaldean ceramics, and it had, according to experts, real power, like a divine force that extended beyond the four corners of the world. It was, therefore, a sign of a positive character and, above all, related to nature.
But researching what a five-pointed star means, not only ancient Mesopotamia appears, but also the Celtic culture . In fact, in Druid lands this symbol was used, associating it with the power of the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, and the creatures of the woods. The Celtic pagans represented in the pentagram the power of Nature, of the five currents of the rivers, of the five wells of Knowledge, and above all, of the five senses through which knowledge was obtained. The deity associated with the use and knowledge of the pentagram was the Goddess Morrigan. These two are the oldest appearances of which there is reference to the 5-pointed star in the history of mankind.
Other meanings of the 5-pointed star
1. The biblical connotation of the 5-pointed star
When talking about what a five-pointed star means, it is well worth dwelling on its implications in the Catholic religion, as reflected in the Bible . In the first instance, we must recognize that the bases of its symbolism are found in Judaism, the first and oldest of the monotheistic religions. But Catholicism and Christianity also take it for themselves. In fact, among the faithful of these religions, the 5-pointed star represents truth and links with God.
It was also given the interpretation of being the image of the five books of the Pentateuch. In other parts of the Bible, it is also known as the Seal of Solomon , responsible for bringing luck and protection to the people of Israel. As a curious fact, we tell you that the pentagram with the point upwards, unlike the inverted one, used to be associated with the supremacy of man over the four natural elements: earth, water, fire and air. The first Christians also associated it with the five wounds of Christ. In fact, it was not until the arrival of the Inquisition that the 5-pointed star lost its noble meaning.
2. What does the 5-pointed star mean in witchcraft?
It is with the arrival of the Middle Ages that the 5-pointed star begins to take on the meaning that has survived the most to our days. The idea that it represented the five wounds of Christ began to change, it stopped being seen as that sign of Truth, Deity and Nature, to be associated with paganism, and of course, with Satanism.
Let us remember that with the arrival of the Inquisition, the hunt for witches and heretics came hand in hand, and that would be the moment that would define what a five-pointed star means to this day. In the purge of the witches, the pentagram began to be seen as a representation of the devil himself . It was the sign of evil or the “witch’s foot.”
But it would be in the year 1966 when the 5-pointed star would become official before the world as a symbol of evil, thus acquiring its darkest and most sinister hue. It was in that year that Anton LaVet founded his Church of Satan , and used the figure of the inverted pentagram as his symbol of it. That shape with the vertex downwards and that suggests the figure of a male goat, would be from then on more inexorably associated with witchcraft.
3. Other spiritual meanings of the pentagram
Talking about what a five-pointed star means is not just referring to its biblical connotations, or the most popular ones associated with Satanism and black magic. In fact, the pentagram is also historically associated with other spiritual meanings, which are well worth learning about. Let’s see the highlights
- In ancient Greece, and for the Pythagoreans, the Pentalpha was also associated with perfection.
- For Hindus and Buddhists , the 5-pointed star usually appears in Tantric art as a positive representation of perfection,as did the Pythagoreans, or even the Gnostics, for whom the pentagram had a connotation associated with the origin and the end of the human race, and furthermore, a means to achieve redemption in the human being.
- For its part, and more advanced in the Middle Ages, secret groups of artisans and learned societies associated with alchemyalso began to emerge . In his occult philosophy, it was customary to find the five-pointed star.
- In theorder of Freemasonry , the pentagon or star of five also appears as a symbol of great power.
- We also find it in Kabbalah, associated with the nature of God, the divine universe, morality and the truths hidden from man.
Indeed, to talk about what a five-pointed star means is to make a very extensive journey through the history of a symbol that has been exalted or condemned, according to the approach and the religion from which it is viewed. And you, did you know the meaning of the 5-pointed star? Did you know that beyond its connotation of black magic, it was also a symbol of purity and truth in other times? With which of its meanings do you feel most identified? Feel free to leave us your opinions in a comment. We will be happy to read you! And if you have been interested in this topic, perhaps you will also be encouraged to learn about the curious origin of the dollar symbol .