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 cinema has been responsible for using it widely for this purpose. But the truth is that its connotations are much broader and do not always have a link with necromancy. Today at we navigate 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, in effect, 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 nature and, above all, related to nature.
But investigating what a five-pointed star means, not only ancient Mesopotamia appears, but also 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 forests. The Celtic pagans represented in the pentagram the power of Nature, of the five streams of 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 apparitions of which there is reference to the 5-pointed star in the history of humanity.
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 focusing on its implications in the Catholic religion, as reflected in The Bible. In the first instance, we will have to 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 ties with God.
It was also interpreted as 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 providing 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 the 5-pointed star means 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 this day. 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 become 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 inverted pentagram, and with it the unequivocal shape «of horns» appeared. It was the sign of evil or the «witch’s foot.»
But it would be in 1966 when the 5-pointed star would become official to the world as a symbol of evil, thus acquiring its darkest and most sinister nuance. It was in that year when Anton LaVet founded his Church of Satan, and used the figure of the inverted pentagram as his symbol. That shape with the vertex facing downwards and which suggests the figure of a goat, would from then on become 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 knowing. Let’s see the highlights
- In ancient Greece, and for the Pythagoreans, Pentalpha was also associated with perfection.
- For Hindus and Buddhists, the 5-pointed star often 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 end of the human race, and also, a means to achieve redemption in the human being.
- For their part, and more advanced in the Middle Ages, they also began to emerge secret groups of artisans, and learned societies associated with alchemy. In his occult philosophy, it was common to find the five-pointed star.
- In the order of In Freemasonry, the pentagon or the star of five also appears as a symbol of great power.
- We also find it in Kabbalah, associated with the nature of Godthe divine universe, morality and truths hidden from man.
In fact, to talk about what a five-pointed star means is to take a very broad tour through the history of a symbol that has been exalted or condemned, according to the approach and 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? Which of its meanings do you feel most identified with? 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, it may also encourage you to learn about the curious origin of the dollar symbol.