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Wicca 101 - Symbols

The Pentagram

One of the frequent confusions regarding Wicca concerns our use of the pentagram, which is thought of by some as a Satanic symbol. The Pentagram has been employed by a variety of cultures for thousands of years to represent numerous different things. Christianity, in fact, employed it for some considerable time to represent the five wounds of Christ. To assign it so absolutely to a single group is therefore illogical.

To Wiccans, the pentagram is a symbol of protection and unity. Each of the points represents a physical element (Earth, Air, Water, Fire) with the fifth point representing Spirit. The pentagram is generally displayed with one point up and two points down, with Spirit at the top, ruling the other elements. Occasionally, however, it is used point down - the same orientation Satanism uses. This is usually used to represent the God, while the point up pentagram represents the Goddess.

Wicca and Satanism both adopted the pentagram from Ceremonial Magic - not from each other. [more]

A related term in wide circulation is "pentacle." A pentacle is nothing more than a 3-dimensional pentagram, such as that used in jewelry.