Why A Pentagram?

Because the Pentacle (the 5 pointed star), is a bold and fascinating statement about our place in the Universe, that's why we chose to incorporate it into our garden, it's a statement of who we are and what we believe. We chose to have the top of the pentagram pointing in towards the house focusing the spirit there, it's a protection for us and our house not the person across the road. I thought it would be good to focus spirit and all the elements into the house for protection and for all the things each element brings, it wasn't for added power as one person suggested. Phew, gone are the days of digging over a bed and planting a few daffs willy nilly, this is cerebral gardening, nothing is done without thinking it through first. I quickly dismissed what would people think of the direction it pointed in, yes from the inside the house it looks like an upside down pentagram but that's not what it is. I decided it was what I thought that mattered, something that I was reminded of by a good friend just yesterday :)

What is a Pentagram?

When the pentacle is drawn or written, the image created is called a pentagram. The pentagram represents an ancient concept that can be found in philosophical thought in both East and West. Although over 8,000 years old, the image of the pentagram is still very much applicable in our modern world. The pentagram tells us that we have the ability to bring Spirit to Earth; this applies to every area of practical day-to-day living, as well as spiritual thought. The ability of bringing Spirit to Earth is what makes us whole. As I've always felt closer to nature and my Goddess in my garden it seemed like the perfect place to create a pentagram.

Here Come The Science Bit.....

The number 5 is prime. The simplest star - the pentagram- requires five lines to draw and it is unicursal; it is a continuous loop. Expressing the saying "Every man and every woman is a star", we can juxtapose Man on a pentagram with head and four limbs at the points and the genitalia exactly central. This is Man in microcosm, symbolizing our place in the Macrocosm or universe. The geometric proportions of the regular pentagram are those of the Golden Section.

The Golden Proportion is one beloved of artists since Renaissance times. In the Pentagram the ratio of the lengths of the two sides is equal to the ratio of the longer side to the sum of the two sides. Or : a/b = b/a+b = a+b/a+2b = a+2b/2a+3b = 2a+3b/3a+5b ....etc.
If a square is added to the long side of a golden rectangle, a larger golden rectangle is formed. Continuing this progression forms the basis for a nautilus spiral.
The ratio of the distance between two points of a pentagram to its total width is in the golden proportion, as is the ratio of the height above the horizontal bar to that below, as is the ratio of a central part of a line to the outer part.
This ratio forms the foundation of the Fibonacci series of numbers 1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144, etc where each number is formed by adding the previous two numbers together.
The Fibonacci series is much found in nature in the pattern arrangement of flower heads and leaves and many flower heads and fruits themselves exhibit a fivefold symmetry.

What's It Generally Made Of?

When it's not constructed from herbs and earth and it's used for craft rituals, the pentacle is a round disk inscribed with a pentagram and placed upon on the altar. The disk can be made of many different materials. In more dangerous times, the pentacle was crafted from disposable materials such as clay or dough. To be caught in possession of a pentacle in those days could very well endanger your life.

Nowadays, pentacles are crafted in metals such as copper, brass, silver or gold. Many Witches make their own from stained glass or by etching stones or wood. Many Witches wear a pentacle pendant or ring as a sign of their religion or as an amulet or talisman. The pentacle crafted from silver represents Moon energy and psychic forces. The same symbol made in gold represents the Sun energies of power and strength, I haven't been able to find out what pewter ones signify so if anybody knows please email me.

During magical operations, the pentagram can be drawn in the air by the athame or sword. When drawn a certain way, it is used to either invoke or banish energies. Used on the altar, it becomes a focal point to draw in and send out the intentions of the spell or working. The simplest spells of this kind are those involving candle magic. A candle of the appropriate color is charged and place on the pentacle.

What Does A Pentagram Represent?

The Circle around the star represents the God - Goddess; it refracts and reflects all light, bringing to the person total intelligence, universal wisdom and protection. The origins of the pentagram go back to remotest historical antiquity. The pentagram has had a variety of titles, such as "The Druid's Root" and "The Witches Star". To the followers of Pythagoras, it was called "The Pentalpha" being composed of five interlaced A's or Alphas. The Alpha being the first word of the alphabet.
The centre of the pentagram implies a sixth formative element - love/will which controls from within, ruling matter and spirit by Will and the controlled magickal direction of sexual energies.Seen by some as a womb, it is a pentagon which is believed to form a defensive and protective boundary.

To ceremonial magicians, the points can represent various elemental energies, spirits or deities. It is the ruling of the higher mind over the lower elements of our being. It signals the awakening of cosmic consciousness and the beginnings of our own human psyche moving beyond the realms of physical form and the perceptions limited to the five senses. It allows the infinite possibilities that exist within the Universe and frees us to explore and to grow. This becomes a graphic portrayal of Spirit ruling over the five elements. When the pentagram is placed within a circle, it's energy is focused and directed. The pentagram upright, to those of spiritual perception, represents the redemption of Spirit from matter by ruling over it. Used inverted, with the top point pointed downward, it represents a second or third degree status in some traditional groups. Many of these groups have since substituted a triangle form for the same degrees because of the association of the inverted form of the pentacle with Satanism and black magic. The number five is attributed to the influence of Mars. Thus some Witches think of the five pointed star within the circle as force or power contained and controlled by divine wisdom.