Vocabulary and definitions
Pentacle & Pentagram

Athame: The athame is a ritual knife with a double-edged blade which may be engraved with various magickal symbols. The Athame represents the elements of air. It is used by Witches to draw circles, to exorcise negative forces, to control and banish elemental spirits, and to store and direct energy during magickal rituals.

Bell: A bell is used by many Witches to summon spirits or dieties or to signal the beginning or ending of a ritual. Oftentimes bells are rung at Wiccan funeral rites to bless the soul of the Witch who has crossed over.

Bolline: The bolline is a curved, white-handled knife which is used for practical magickal purposes such as harvesting herbs, cutting a branch for a wand, inscribing a candle, etc.

Book of Shadows: This is a Witches personal book of information on spells, rituals, recipes, invocations, dreams, etc. kept for a Witch's reference. Another name for the Book of Shadows is the grimoire.

Cauldron: The cauldron is a black, cast-iron pot which is used for brewing potions, burning incense or parchment papers, etc. It symbolizes the elements of earth, air, fire, and water and represents the divine womb of the Goddess. Some Witches fill their cauldrons with water on Samhain night and use them to gaze into the future or past.

Chalice: The chalice or cup represents the element of air, and is used to hold wine or water on the altar during rituals. Traditionally, the chalice was made of silver, however many modern Witches use pewter, ceramic, brass, or even crystal chalices.

Pentacle - The pentacle is a flat disc which may be made of wood, brass, clay, wax, or other products. The pentacle is symbolic of the element earth, and is used during rituals to hold charms, amulets, gemstones, herbs, poppets, or other consecrated objects.

Sword - The sword generally represents the element of fire and is a symbol of a Witch's strength. It is sometimes used in place of the Athame to cast and uncast the circle. It may also be used to store and direct energy during magickal rituals, and to control and banish elemental spirits.

Wand - The wand is fashioned from the branch of a tree, and is traditionally 21 inches in length. It is symbolic of the element of fire, and is used for directing energy, drawing magickal symbols into the air or ground, and for various other purposes.

This article was found at A Mystical Grove and was written by DragonHawk. The site has many other useful pages like this so please take a look!

"Welcome !"

"This is a very general study of the pentagram and pentacle."

"Please recognize the difference between the standard pentagram (left) and the inverted pentagram (right). The standard pentagram is recognized as a symbol of the Pagan religions, while the inverted pentagram is typically a symbol of the Satanic belief structure."

"Full study is below."

DragonHawk

"The Pentacle"

"The Pentagram ~ (Picture to the right)
The pentagram tends to be THE religious symbol of the Pagan religions. It encompases our elemental beliefs and is one of the strongest protective amulets ever "designed"."

"The Pentagram dates back thousands of years to pre-Babylonian
Sumer ... roughly about 3500 BC. Many religions have once used this symbol ... the Jewish people saw it as a symbol of the Five Books of Moses, and Christians once used it as a protective amulet. It has been called such things as the Druid's Foot and the Witches' Star."

"Each point of the Pentagram traditionally represents one of the five metaphysical elements of the ancients. The topmost point represtents Spirit, The upper left point represents Air, the upper right point represents Water, the lower left point represents Earth, and the lower right point represents Fire. In this fashion, the pentagram represents Spirit ruling over the four elements."

"The pentagram is readily worn as jewelry and used upon the altar for spell work. As jewelry it can bring protection, wisdom, and empowerment. For spell work it connects us with the five elements."

"The Pentacle ~ (Picture to the right)"

"The Pentacle is simply a pentagram with a circle around it. This symbolizes eternity, totality, and unity. It emphasizes the interconnectivity of all of the elements. The direct and indirect relation of one element to the other."

"It would seem as though the Pentacle is gaining a new meaning in Modern-day Paganism ... in that it is seen as a unifying symbol of the Pagan community. In modern day WitchCraft, the Pentacle tends to be used more than the pentagram."

"In The Inverted form~ (Picture to the right)"

"In antiquity, the Inverted Pentagram/Pentacle was used to draw the energy of the Spirit into the body , or as the Spirits decent into the material elements. Even though there is a use for the inverted pentagram, (such as a second degree symbol) Pagans VERY RARELY use it in modern times, since it has become associated with Satanism."

"In modern times, the inverted pentagram has become a symbol of Satanism. It represents the Baphomet's Goat head. It also represents the lack of power "above", the addition of power below, and/or the belief that a person is their own God/Goddess.

(Note: Some European countrys still widly use the inverted pentacle, but in the US, its use has dropped dramatically)"

"Satanism has NO connection to Paganism ...."