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Author Topic: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?  (Read 6482 times)

Hariti

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #15 on: October 26, 2018, 03:27:47 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo on August 20, 2013, 04:12:52 am

Oh boy, where to start! It's got so many uses in so many cultures:

Firstly, it's the main symbol of the Druze religion. It's an esoteric, monotheistic, Abrahamic religion, but it's heavily influenced by Hellenic Philosophy, Gnosticism, and Hinduism. They believe in reincarnation, as opposed to the typical Abarhamic view of a single life and death. Their origins are within Shia Islam, but other Muslims don't accept them as Islamic, and many modern Druze don't see themselves as Islamic.
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"The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the Deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; My devotees come to Me." ... "Whichever devotee desires to adore whatever such Deity with faith, in all such votaries I make that particular faith unshakable. Endowed with that faith, a votary performs the worship of that particular deity and obtains the fruits thereof, these being granted by Me alone." - Sri Krishna

Hariti

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #16 on: October 26, 2018, 03:33:16 pm »
Quote from: EnderDragonFire on October 26, 2018, 03:27:47 pm

The Serer people in West Africa also use the symbol as part of their pre-Christian and pre-Muslim monotheistic religious tradition. There's not much info about them on the internet, though, so I can't say specifically how they use it and what it represents.

As already stated, it's been used by Christians for a very long time. The Bah'ai faith also uses it extensively. I have seen Hindu Yantras that include it, including older traditional ones, but I've got no idea what it means, and the internet isn't helping me find out, so.... yeah? It obviously meant something in the Tantric tradition at one time or another, but I can't say what exactly.
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"The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the Deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; My devotees come to Me." ... "Whichever devotee desires to adore whatever such Deity with faith, in all such votaries I make that particular faith unshakable. Endowed with that faith, a votary performs the worship of that particular deity and obtains the fruits thereof, these being granted by Me alone." - Sri Krishna

Altair

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #17 on: October 26, 2018, 07:15:32 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo on August 20, 2013, 04:12:52 am
So, I'm curious about other meanings people see in the pentagram (the pentagram specifically -- not other five-pointed star designs). I've often seen it used as a symbol specifically of Wicca and sometimes of paganism in general, and I've seen it interpreted as representing the four classical elements (earth, fire, water, air) plus spirit.  Anything else? 

Do you know of any other interpretations, whether modern or ancient?  Does anyone use it in a unique way to represent something spiritual or religious, other than Wicca or the elements?  Does it have specific meaning in other cultures?


Since this thread has stumbled zombie-like out of the grave--appropriate for Halloween!--and since I missed it the first go round, I'd add that in sacred geometry the pentagram embodies perhaps that discipline's most prized number, the golden ratio. The pentagram is riddled with the golden ratio, and therefore symbolizes harmony and perfect proportion.

More about that aspect of the pentagram here, in The Cauldron's sacred geometry wiki.

If you divide something by the golden ratio, it maintains exactly the same proportions, small part relative to the large part as the large part relative to the whole, no matter how big or small the scale; thus the pentagram is the visual, mathematical way to say "As above, so below."
« Last Edit: October 26, 2018, 07:17:18 pm by Altair »
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Waldhexe

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #18 on: October 27, 2018, 02:13:51 am »
Quote from: Altair on October 26, 2018, 07:15:32 pm
More about that aspect of the pentagram here, in The Cauldron's sacred geometry wiki.
Is it only me or is something wrong with that link? I get this error message:

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The topic or board you are looking for appears to be either missing or off limits to you.
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Altair

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #19 on: October 27, 2018, 10:22:15 am »
Quote from: Waldhexe on October 27, 2018, 02:13:51 am
Is it only me or is something wrong with that link? I get this error message:

I just tried it from my iPhone, and it worked for me. I don't think I have any privileged access, although I wrote the page...so who knows? Someone else should try it to confirm.
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The first song sets the wheel in motion / The second is a song of love / The third song tells of Her devotion / The fourth cries joy from the sky above
The fifth song binds our fate to silence / and bids us live each moment well / The sixth unleashes rage and violence / The seventh song has truth to tell
The last song echoes through the ages / to ask its question all night long / And close the circle on these pages / These, the metamythos songs

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #20 on: October 27, 2018, 11:38:04 am »
Quote from: Altair on October 27, 2018, 10:22:15 am
I just tried it from my iPhone, and it worked for me. I don't think I have any privileged access, although I wrote the page...so who knows? Someone else should try it to confirm.

I got the error message, too.  Also,  the "become a donor" link that I thought I  had heard about being fixed doesn't work either.
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Aster Breo

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #21 on: October 27, 2018, 10:59:44 pm »
Quote from: Ashmire on October 27, 2018, 11:38:04 am
I got the error message, too.  Also,  the "become a donor" link that I thought I  had heard about being fixed doesn't work either.
The link doesn't work for me either, at least from my phone.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

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SunflowerP

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #22 on: October 28, 2018, 02:22:22 am »
Quote from: Altair on October 27, 2018, 10:22:15 am
I just tried it from my iPhone, and it worked for me. I don't think I have any privileged access, although I wrote the page...so who knows? Someone else should try it to confirm.

You do, in fact, have moderator status there - IIRC, it's because I gave it to you so you could edit in the images that had been broken when Photobucket changed its policies, and apparently forgot to change back when you were done.

I have no idea why the articles archived from the Wiki we had on vBulletin aren't public. Randall, is there a reason for that?

My plan is that, within the next day or two, one of two things will have happened: either those articles will become available again, or I'll have moved your whole Sacred Geometry series over to the Articles forum, which I think is public. (Waldhexe or Ashmire or someone, I'd appreciate someone with no extra privileges checking on that for me.)

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« Last Edit: October 28, 2018, 02:30:59 am by SunflowerP »
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Ashmire

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #23 on: October 28, 2018, 03:20:38 am »
Quote from: SunflowerP on October 28, 2018, 02:22:22 am
You do, in fact, have moderator status there - IIRC, it's because I gave it to you so you could edit in the images that had been broken when Photobucket changed its policies, and apparently forgot to change back when you were done.

I have no idea why the articles archived from the Wiki we had on vBulletin aren't public. Randall, is there a reason for that?

My plan is that, within the next day or two, one of two things will have happened: either those articles will become available again, or I'll have moved your whole Sacred Geometry series over to the Articles forum, which I think is public. (Waldhexe or Ashmire or someone, I'd appreciate someone with no extra privileges checking on that for me.)

Sunflower

[changed 'SMF' to 'vBulletin - SP]

That link appears to work, yes...although I can't recall that I've ever seen it before,  so might need to check if it's accessible from the rest of the forum.
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Hariti

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #24 on: October 28, 2018, 03:26:46 am »
Quote from: Ashmire on October 28, 2018, 03:20:38 am
That link appears to work, yes...although I can't recall that I've ever seen it before,  so might need to check if it's accessible from the rest of the forum.

Seconded on both counts.

The link works, and it takes me to a section of the forum which I've never accessed before!
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"The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the Deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; My devotees come to Me." ... "Whichever devotee desires to adore whatever such Deity with faith, in all such votaries I make that particular faith unshakable. Endowed with that faith, a votary performs the worship of that particular deity and obtains the fruits thereof, these being granted by Me alone." - Sri Krishna

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #25 on: October 28, 2018, 08:34:37 am »
Quote from: SunflowerP on October 28, 2018, 02:22:22 am
I have no idea why the articles archived from the Wiki we had on vBulletin aren't public. Randall, is there a reason for that?

An error when we set up? The default wiki board was supposed to be public (and should be now as I just changed to to be visible to regular members) while the area that stored the version "social group" wikis was supposed to be hidden.
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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #26 on: October 29, 2018, 03:02:07 pm »
Quote from: RandallS on October 28, 2018, 08:34:37 am
An error when we set up? The default wiki board was supposed to be public (and should be now as I just changed to to be visible to regular members) while the area that stored the version "social group" wikis was supposed to be hidden.

Oh, good, and thank you, Randall. ISTR that - at the time I gave Altair the access to edit - I'd meant to bring this up with you, but either I forgot about it before I did, or I briefly did but it slipped back off your radar and mine before anything was done. No matter, it's done now!

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ehbowen

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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #27 on: October 29, 2018, 05:15:54 pm »
Quote from: SunflowerP on October 29, 2018, 03:02:07 pm
Oh, good, and thank you, Randall. ISTR that - at the time I gave Altair the access to edit - I'd meant to bring this up with you, but either I forgot about it before I did, or I briefly did but it slipped back off your radar and mine before anything was done. No matter, it's done now!

Sunflower

You know, you might want to consider modifying the description of the VaultWiki Forums which everyone sees; currently it says "Do not post here." I'd suggest you change that to, "Please make all postings in the individual sub-forums, not in the parent folder." As it is right now it's a little intimidating.
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Re: Alternative Symbolism of the Pentagram?
« Reply #28 on: October 29, 2018, 05:47:20 pm »
Quote from: ehbowen on October 29, 2018, 05:15:54 pm
You know, you might want to consider modifying the description of the VaultWiki Forums which everyone sees; currently it says "Do not post here." I'd suggest you change that to, "Please make all postings in the individual sub-forums, not in the parent folder." As it is right now it's a little intimidating.

Good point. I'll bump that along staffside, and we'll work out exactly what we want to do and how we want things worded.

Sunflower
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I'm the AntiFa genderqueer commie eclectic wiccan Mod your alt-right bros warned you about.
I do so have a life; I just live part of it online!
“Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.” - Oscar Wilde
"Nobody's good at anything until they practice." - Brina (Yewberry)
My much-neglected blog "If You Ain't Makin' Waves, You Ain't Kickin' Hard Enough"
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