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The Pentagram through the Ages
The pentagram dates back as far as 3500 BC, where it was found on potsherds in Ancient Mesopotamia. In later Mesopotamian art, the pentagram is seen in royal inscriptions and was symbolic of the imperial power extending to the four corners of the known world. Amongst the Hebrews, the symbol meant "truth" and represented the Pentateuch, or the Five Books of Moses.
In Ancient Greece, it was called the pentalpha, being composed of five A’s. The pentagram was also considered by the Pythagoreans to be a symbol of perfection, as the pentagram was part of the theory of the Golden Proportion.
"Pythagoras had ideal numbers…five was the number of love, uniting the two (female) and the three (male)…five was also the symbol of health and harmony."
The Golden Proportion states that 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." This symbol was the secret symbol of the fraternity – the symbol which Hippocrates was thrown out for exposing.
Early Christians associated the pentagram with the five wounds of Christ. It was an integral part of the seal and amulet of Emperor Constantine I. The seal was comprised of two adjacent circles, the one on the left featuring the chi-rho symbol (a symbolic form of the cross) and the one on the right with a pentagram. In the ensuing church that grew from Constantine’s takeover of the Roman Empire, it was the cross from this seal that became the chosen symbol of Christianity.
The pentagram was also the glyph of Gawain in the legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Inscribed in gold on his shield, the pentagram symbolized the five knightly virtues of generosity, courtesy, chastity, chivalry and piety.
The pentagram was historically, a device to ward off evil, rather than a symbol of it. In the Medieval era, the "Endless Knot" (another term for pentagram) was used as an amulet of personal protection, and used on windows and doors as well. In Goethe’s Faust, Mephistopheles was exorcised with a pentagram.
It wasn’t until the Inquisition that the pentagram was turned into evil, where it was seen to symbolize a goat’s head or the devil in the form of Baphomet. Eliphas Levi was the first to illustrate the pentagram as a differentiation between Good and Evil as symbolized by the Pentagram. His drawing, seen here, places the microcosmic man (good) next to the image of the goat head of Baphomet (evil). This concept, taken to an extreme, became the symbol for the Church of Satan, a Satanic cult, founded by Anton LeVay in 1966. This group chose as its emblem the inverted pentagram, after Levi’s drawing.
On Five in Nature Five is "the most typical structure in living nature." It is found in plants, animals and almost everywhere, except for crystals – no naturally occurring crystal is known to have five sides.
"…They collide like protons and electrons, always in a five dimensional world, whose fundament is chaos," wrote Henry Miller in his novel, Plexus. Indeed, it would seem that even chaos has some order. "Although chaos seems totally random and unpredictable, it actually obeys strict mathematical rules that derive from equations that can be formulated and studied."
Mandelbrot and Julia are the names foremost in this field of study, now known as fractal geometry. Much like five raised to any power creates itself, they have found that "fractals are rough-edged objects that often appear self-similar; i.e., no matter what scale is used to view the pattern, the magnified portion of the fractal shape looks like the original."
The number five is an integral part of the Fibonacci series. The Fibonacci set is a series of numbers which on first glance seem to have no set pattern, resembling chaos (1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144…). The pattern to these numbers is that each is the sum of the two numbers prior. The series was first discovered by Fibonacci, and was the result of a study he conducted in 1209.
"Take two rabbits of the opposite sex. Rabbits can bear youth 2 months after their own birth. Assume a pair of rabbits produces another pair every month over a year….Fibonacci listed the total pairs of rabbits at the end of each month in this set." The sequence repeats itself throughout nature. The number of petals most flowers have fall into this series, as does the patterning of their leaves, for example, pine needles grow in clusters of 2, 3, or 5. Also, if each number after the initial 5 in the set is divided by the next highest, it comes out to be approximately 0.618, or the golden mean.
One striking example is the apple tree and apple. The apple tree bears blossoms of five petals and the apple itself, when sliced horizontally, has five seeds and a star-shaped design inside. "Imagine the perfect apple, ripe and bursting with life. Sliced in half, it reveals a beautiful five-point symmetry – a star formed by the seeds inside."
The number five pervades not only horticulture but the animal world as well. Five is considered to be the number of natural man according to Jung: representing his two legs, two arms and body. It "recurs in the figurations of animals, such as the five fingers and the five toes, or the starfish."
Gathered by the handful at beaches, the starfish and the sand dollar are the most obvious life forms with five-fold symmetry. With the sand dollar, it goes beyond the star-shaped design on the top: it also has five holes, a five-spoked design on the reverse, and inside, five white bones fall out when broken open (when a skeleton is found on the shoreline). As scientist and author Delta Willis said, "The sand dollar, for example is related to the starfish by their common radiation of pentagons. When you flip over a sea urchin, on the bottom is a five-petalled pointsetta (much as when you turn over a sand dollar)…it never occurred to me to relate these configurations of five to my own fingers…such a connection seemed dubious – as suspect as astrology."
Several artists have depicted man superimposed on the figure of a star, the best known being that of Leonardo daVinci. DaVinci superimposed man on an inverted star in order to show the various ratios and proportions of the human body.
The figure to the left is drawn by Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (1486-1535) for a book entitled "The Magic of Arbatel." Here, man is depicted on a star, again showing the proportions of anatomy, perhaps not as artfully as daVinci, but in a way more clearly understood. This was the "microcosmic man" which represented the "four elements (earth, wind, fire, water) as the man’s limbs with his head representing the spirit."
Islam The Islamic faith has five categories of law: duty, recommended, indifferent, disapproved and prohibited. They pray to Mecca five times daily. To the people of Islam, there are "five pillars of faith" or, the five ritual duties that mainstream Muslims view as central to their faith. These are:
Profession of faith Ritual prayer Fasting at Ramadan Almsgiving Pilgrimage to Mecca
The profession of faith is a statement in Arabic which says, "There is no god but the one God, and Muhammed is his Prophet." The act of ritual prayer is salah, and involves praying five times a day, always facing towards Mecca. Fasting, or saum, during Ramadan is for purification and goes from dawn to dusk, allowing for no food, drink or sexual relations. Almsgiving, or zakat, is that above and beyond taxes, 2.5% of income is to go to the poor. Finally, there is an obligation for all Islamic believers to make the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca at least once.
Judaism The first of the fives in Judaism is the Pentateuch, or the five books of Moses. These books form the basis of Hebrew history and law. They are also represented in the five knots at each end of the tallit, or prayer shawl. The tallit is a highly respected object in Judaism which is a public declaration of one’s love, respect, and devotion to the faith. The knots are joined by a single strand, and together the knots and joining filament are also considered symbolic of first words of the "the Shema. ‘Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohenu Adonai Ecahd,’ or ‘Hear oh Israel, the Lord is Our God, the Lord is One.’ The recitation of this line (Deutoronomy 6:4) is an important part of the morning and evening services. The five knots can be viewed as representing the first five (Hebrew) words of the Shema. The last word, echad, is represented by the winding between the knots. Echad means one."
There are five major festivals in the Jewish year: Pesach (Passover), Sukkot (Tabernacles, celebrates the harvest), Shabuoth (Weeks, or Pentecost, celebrates the end of the barley harvest), Rosh Hashana (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). The number five appears also in the celebration of Pesach, or Passover. "The first Pesach meal was eaten in haste as our people prepared for flight. On their lintels were painted tau symbols in lamb’s blood as instructed so when the Lord passed over, Egyptian first born males would be struck down instead of our own…during this period before the flight, there was no leaven. This law pertains to five specific grains."
Christianity Building on the above, five was also the number of loaves of bread and fish that Christ used to feed the masses. It is also the number of wounds that he endured in death on the cross: the two hands, the two feet and the spear that pierced his side.
As we have already seen, the apple and the sand dollar have five-fold symmetry, revealing a star, and in the case of the sand dollar, a star and a floral pattern on the reverse side. Both of these items have Christian legends surrounding their images of five. The apple it is said, "mirrors the spiritual aspects of…idea, sustenance, life, knowledge and the secret mysteries within the earth…the apple to Adam and Eve signified that which we should not attempt to know." The sand dollar is said to bear holes representing the five wounds of Christ, the star that led the shepherds to the manger, the pattern on the reverse side is said to be a poinsettia, and the five white bones are doves of peace. One can find this myth on postcards along almost any shoreline where sand dollars are found. Even the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," has its own set of fives, the five gold rings. The five gold rings are said to represent the five obligatory sacraments of baptism, communion, confirmation, penance, and last rites.
Manichesim Manicheism is considered the "Gnostic Lighthouse of the East." It was started by Mani (216 – 277), and had many followers throughout Mesopotamia, including Augustine before his conversion. Much of what is known about Manicheism is through Augustine’s writings against it, but it is known that there were several core beliefs around the number five. Five was the number of parts of the body, virtues, clerical degrees, vices and elements of light (ether, wind, water, fire, light).
Wicca Wicca is commonly referred to as witchcraft. It is an earth-based, Goddess religion that focuses on individual responsibilities and community commitments. Some practice alone and are called solitaries, while others practice in a group referred to as a circle or coven. One of the most identifiable symbols that practitioners wear or utilize for meditation purposes is the pentacle.
These five points, or the five essences of fire, water, earth, air and spirit are said to be the five points of the star, a common symbol of Wiccan / pagan beliefs. The position of the star and whether it is enclosed or not represents different meanings. Traditionally, with the point up, it is said that the spirit is dominant over material things. Inverted, it is associated with the spirit being subservient to matter, representing carnal desire, as used by Anton LeVay. Inscribed in a circle, the pentacle is contained and is said to be an amulet of protection; without the circle, it is said that the wearer is prepared for change, conflict and active.
Among the other most common are the Feri Tradition Pentacles of Pearl and Iron. These are utilized not only within the Feri Traditions established by the Victor and Cora Anderson, but by the Reclaiming Tradition, based out of San Francisco, CA. Among the other most common are the Feri Tradition Pentacle of Pearl and Iron. These are utilized not only within the Feri Traditions established by the Andersons, but by the Reclaiming Tradition, based out of San Francisco, CA.
Fives in East Asian Thought
The Five Elements and their Harmonics The Dalai Lama wrote, "Many Eastern philosophies, and in particular Buddhism, speak of five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. The first four are supported by the element of space which enables them to exist and to function. Space, or ‘ether,’ then, serves as the basis for the functioning of all of the other elements."
The Korean, Japanese and Chinese theories surrounding the elements (or phases perhaps would be a better word) and their harmonies and unions are all basically the same, stemming from a school of thought over 200 years old which developed the theory of Wu-hsing. This theory put forth the thought that there were five elements that were not inactive matter, but rather dynamic processes which were basic to understanding the natural world. Derived from this theory are those of the Feng Shui and the I Ching on "the five transformative moments. These processes are not substances, but stages of transformation. They are described as adjectives: woody, fiery, earthy, metallic, and streaming. The transformative moments evoke each other in a cycle." Each element does not exist in isolation from the others, although there may be an imbalance in their unity. "All five elements are in a constant start of movement, change and flux, like the dance of yin and yang."
The cycles of these elements can be either constructive or destructive. "Fire is the parent of earth and the child of wood; earth is the parent of metal and the child of fire; metal is the parent of water and the child of earth; water is the parent of wood and the child of metal; wood is the parent of fire and the child of water," is the basic pattern for creation and elemental compatibility. The five elements should exist in balance and harmony. To have one element out of balance is to weaken both the mind and the body, and ultimately the flow of ki.
Wood / Green Wood is the tree. It is flexible, yet rooted, giving a strong base. Its energy goes outward in all directions, and represents the liver, the organ responsible for the free flow of ki. The dragon, with its barely controlled rage is the animal of wood, and anger the emotion most associated with it.
Fire / Red The phoenix is the bird of fire. It is the season of summer, of energy at its strongest. But beware, fire brings both benefit and disaster. Fire lives in the heart and the emotion of joy. The heart home to the spirit, "might seem quaint to the scientifically oriented, but the fact is, reports published and broadcast on programs such as Dateline NBC have related experiences of heart transplant patients whose emotions and preferences changed markedly. Later it was discovered through surviving relatives that the donor had the same traits newly exhibited by the transplant recipient."
Earth / Yellow Earth is the center of our life, the core upon which every living thing depends. It is the yellow brown warmth of "Indian Summer." The organ of the earth is the stomach, and it is represented by the snake, an animal which spends its entire life on its stomach. Its mood is that of reflection and contemplation.
Metal / White Metal is strength and substance. The inward energy of metal is that of grief and melancholy. The lung is the organ of metal. Tiger is the animal associated with metal. Able to both defend and attack, ready to spring into action when faced with any threat, the tiger is feared and revered around the world.
Water / Black The water energy is downward, and it is at this phase of the cycle that "things reach their maximum rest and maximum concentration. It is the new moon, dark and about to give birth." The emotion associated with water is fear -- its color, black. Water may appear to be the weakest of the elements, but over time a steady stream of water can wear down the largest stones. The tortoise is the animal of water, representing security, wisdom, and longevity.
Hinduism The Hindus have a great number of fives in their religion. There are the five organs of sense, five organs of action (for speaking, handling, walking, generating and excreting) and five vital airs. The process of enlightenment is fivefold: annamaya (immersed in food, or the corporeal body), pranaamaya (endowed with the five vital airs), manomaya (acts consciously), vigyaanamaya (endowed with knowledge) and finally, anandamaya (joyousness).
The Hindus also have five precepts for self restraint, which are the same in Buddhism: non-killing (ahimsa); truthfulness (satya); non-stealing (asteya); sexual continence (brahmacharya); and non-covetousness (aparigraha).
One faction of Hindu believers, the Shivaites, believes that God, or Shiva, has five faces, each representing an active energy. These five energies are: "srishti (which creates the world), sthiti (which preserves the world), sanhaara (which destroys the world), tirobhavva (which conceals the true characteristics of the world from the soul), and anugraha (which reveals the truth of the world to the soul)."
Another Hindi religion is that of Jain, which was founded by Mahavira (599-527 BC). It was most notably practiced by Gandhi. According to the Jains, there are five key stages in the life of Mahavira: his miraculous conception, his birth, his renunciation, his attainment of omniscience, and his liberation. The monastic orders of Jainism must follow the Hindu precepts of self-restraint as well.
It is also believed that the mountain where all the gods reside and from which all creation comes is the five-peaked Mount Meru. This is remembered in the architecture of Angkor Wat, a renowned Hindu temple complex in Cambodia in the 12th century. "Taking more than 30 years to build, the layout of the complex was conceived as an architectural allegory of the Hindu cosmology. At the center of the complex stands a temple with five lotus-shaped towers representing the five peaks of Mount Meru."
Buddhism Buddhists venerate five Buddha families, five Buddha wisdoms and the implements of each. They also believe in the existence of five elements (fire, water, earth, air and emptiness) and that there are five human powers (faith, effort, memory, concentration, and wisdom). The first Buddha family is that of Akshobya, and is the mirror-like wisdom, the purification of hatred and anger. It is represented by a vajra, a ritual instrument. The second Buddha family is that of Vairocana, and is the wisdom of the ultimate reality, the purification of ignorance. It is represented by the prayer wheel. The third is the family of Ratnasambhava and is focused on the wisdom of equanimity and the purification of pride. It is symbolized by a jewel. The fourth family is that of Amitabha and gives us the wisdom of discrimination and the purification of attachment and desire. It is depicted by the lotus blossom. The final in the five families is the Amoghasiddhi, which gives the wisdom of accomplishment and the purification of jealousy, and is represented by the sword.
Tibetan Buddhist monks build giant, intricate sand mandalas as one way of honoring the Buddha. In the creation of the mandala there are five rituals to cleanse and prepare the site, and five rituals to honor the substances used in creation of the mandala. In the great Kalachakra Mandala, there are multiple fives, both in the mandala and the rituals to create it. The Kalachakra Mandala is constructed by five monks, who start by laying down a white chalk outline of the mandala on the surface it is to be drawn on. This is done by "snapping the wisdom string" – a string made up of five strings of differing colors, said to represent the five Buddha families. The Kalachakra consists of "five square mandalas within each other, representing the five levels of Kalachakra’s palace. Each of the square mandalas is said to represent one aspect or state of enlightenment: body, speech, mind, wisdom and great bliss. The five circles enclosing the square mandalas are said to represent the five elements" as viewed by the Buddhist – earth, water, fire, wind and emptiness. At the heart of the mandala is a lotus blossom, "five layers of colored sand are painted, one on top of the other…these layers serve as the cushions for the central deity of Kalachakra."
In Tibet, Buddhists fly prayer flags, which are left outside to fray. The idea is that the wind will carry the essence of prayer wherever it blows. These flags are often comprised of five-colored flags, together with printed images representing the prayer or a specific deity. "The traditional five colors (blue, white, red, green, and yellow) represent the five elements (space, water, fire, air/wind and earth).
Pentagram though the ages - continued here
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