The Pentagram (Bellaonline)

[icymist]

The word alone can make most non-Pagans grimace. The pentagram in Wicca practices is not evil. Even the inverted pentagram is used because to Wiccans there are no evil or bad intentions when it is used.

The pentagram was first associated with evil during the Inquisition. During this time, the image of the devil known as Baphomet was widely used. It was said the pentagram was the shape of his head (he has the head of a horned goat). Thus the inverted pentagram was labels as evil then the thought carried over to anytime the pentagram was used.

Archeologists have found evidence all over the world of the use of the pentagram for thousands of years. Pentagrams have been found on Mesopotamian artifacts dating back to about 3500 BCE. If you study Roman, Greek, and Egyptian art, you will find pentagrams. Many Christians, including Catholics, see the pentagram as a representation of the 5 wounds of Christ (his head from the crown of thorns, his hands and feet nailed to the cross). A Benedictine nun name Hildegard of Bingen stated in her writings in the 12th century that the pentagram represented the forms of humans because the 5 points represented our 5 senses and our head, arms and legs. She concluded since man was made in the image of God, the pentagram was a symbol of God.
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[winyanstaz]

1. At one time the five pointed star was called the Christ Star...

and was worn by the crusaiders into battle.
I have always taught (as I was taught) that the pentagram is not only a representation of the five elements (and as a symbol of a human being: head=spirit, left foot is air, right hand is fire, left hand is water and right foot is earth) but is also drawn to show the decent of Spirit into matter through the inner-demensions as each element is also connected to a chakra and to an inner plane.
Involking is point up, banishing is upside down or can just be left right side up but drawn from the earth point backwards to spirit..and has absolutly NO connection to the Christian's anti-God, Satan.
My own tribe also uses a star as a symbol but is not always five pointed and is sometimes eight pointed. No matter how many points they used, it was always called The Morning Star. A fitting symbol of The Dawn People.

[icymist]

2. Good to hear from you winyanstaz.

How are you doing with all the windy weather?

[winyanstaz]

3. I am doing good icymist :)...

I have skipped decorating for thanksgiving and have gone straight to Yule..so I have been hard at work inside since Samhain and staying warm and dry.
I like to decorate so its more like playing :P
I also like to get it done early so it gives me less stress during the holidays and more time to work on gifts etc.
We had a few big branches come down but there have been worse wind storms in the past with more damage so ..so far..the clean-up outside will not be so bad as it has been in other storms.
I will also be picking up and tying some sacred cedar branches for smudge sticks from the cedar tree out front. I like to wait and let the winds do the picking so I dont hurt the trees so I usually do my gathering after wind storms.
I hope all is well down south where you are :) I understand the winds were worse down there.

[icymist]

4. The Olympic mountains protected us this time.

We got some wind, but nothing too bad. Rain..... that's another story. It rained so hard at times I thought we were having an earthquake! I got some good news... I found another job! I start orientation Tuesday! Now I need to get my computer to stop running like a slug! I visited so many 'employment' sites that I have no idea how cookies and temporary files (and whatever else) may have been picked up. My housemate says "hi" and we're thinking of you.

[winyanstaz]

5. osiyo icymist :)...

Tell her I said hello and hope all is going well for you and her.
As you know, my son is a computer repair and tec guy. Is your computer a portable? If so you could bring it here or you can just call and talk to him. He also makes house calls but for something as far away as your place you would have to pay for the gas I would think..but you can ask him and find out for sure.
If you ladies are ever up this way...give me a call and stop by ;)