Pentagram Meaning — Symbolism, Origins & Significance
Quick answer
The pentagram is a five-pointed star (often in a circle: the pentacle), one of the oldest symbols, with meanings that shifted across history: mathematical perfection (Pythagoreans), the five wounds of Christ and protection (medieval Christianity), and the five elements and protection (Western esotericism and Wicca). It represents the number five, the human being, the elements, and protection.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Ancient & widespread; Pythagorean perfection, medieval Christian (five wounds), esoteric & Wiccan |
| Primary meaning | The number five, the human being, the five elements, perfection, protection; (inverted) the occult |
| Orientation | Upright (point up) = positive, spirit over matter, the Wiccan pentacle; inverted = the occult/Satanic (modern) |
| Common tattoo placement | Forearm, chest, back, hand (pentagram or pentacle) |
| Related number | 5 (the five points, elements, senses) |
The pentagram — the five-pointed star drawn in a single continuous line, often enclosed in a circle (the pentacle) — is one of the oldest and most layered of all symbols, carrying meanings that have shifted dramatically across cultures and centuries: a symbol of mathematical perfection to the Pythagoreans, of the five wounds of Christ and protection in medieval Christianity, of the five elements and protection in Western esotericism and modern Wicca, and — in its inverted form especially — of the occult and (in modern popular imagination) of evil. Few symbols have carried such varied and even opposite meanings, and understanding the pentagram means tracing how its meaning changed over time.
What gives the pentagram its enduring fascination is its form and its history: a five-pointed star drawn in one unbroken line (the points and the inner pentagon endlessly interconnected), mathematically elegant (containing the golden ratio in its proportions), and associated across its history with the number five, the five elements, the five senses, the human body (the five points as the head and four limbs of the outstretched human figure), perfection and the divine, protection, and the esoteric. This made the pentagram a symbol of mathematical and cosmic perfection, of the human being (the microcosm), of the five elements and protection, of the divine and the spiritual, and — especially in its inverted form and modern popular associations — of the occult. This page explores the pentagram's meaning and its remarkable shifting history across Pythagorean, Christian, and esoteric/Wiccan traditions, the upright versus inverted forms, and its significance as a symbol — including as a tattoo.
What the Pentagram Represents
The pentagram's meaning has shifted dramatically across its long history, but several core associations run through it. At its most basic, the pentagram is the five-pointed star, deeply associated with the number five and all that five represents — the five elements, the five senses, the five fingers, and the human being (the five points often read as the head and four outstretched limbs of the human figure, making the pentagram a symbol of the human being, the microcosm, humanity).
The pentagram is a symbol of mathematical and cosmic perfection, harmony, and the divine order. The Pythagoreans revered the pentagram for its mathematical properties (it contains the golden ratio in its proportions, and is drawn in a single, perfect, endless line), seeing in it a symbol of mathematical perfection, harmony, and the divine, cosmic order — and this association of the pentagram with perfection, harmony, and the structure of the cosmos runs through its history.
The pentagram is, across much of its history, a symbol of protection. In medieval Christianity and in Western esoteric and magical tradition (and in modern Wicca), the pentagram (especially enclosed in a circle, as the pentacle) was and is widely used as a powerful protective symbol — a sign that wards off evil and protects the wearer or the space, used in protective magic, amulets, and ritual. The pentagram is one of the great protective symbols of the Western esoteric tradition.
The pentagram is strongly associated with the five elements. In Western esoteric thought and in Wicca, the five points of the pentagram represent the five elements — earth, air, fire, water, and the fifth element of spirit (or aether) — with spirit traditionally at the top point (in the upright pentagram) governing the four material elements; the pentagram thus represents the elements, the natural world and the spiritual, and the harmony or governance of spirit over matter.
The orientation of the pentagram carries important meaning. The upright pentagram (single point up) is the standard, positive form, representing spirit ruling over matter (spirit at the top), the human being, protection, the elements in harmony, and the positive and the good. The inverted pentagram (single point down, two points up) has acquired, especially in the modern era, associations with the occult, with the reversal or inversion of the upright meaning (matter or the material over spirit), and — particularly through its adoption as a symbol of Satanism and through popular culture and horror — with evil, the dark, and the Satanic in the modern popular imagination. (It is worth noting that the inverted pentagram has not always meant evil — it has had other meanings historically — but in modern popular culture it is widely associated with the occult and the Satanic.)
The pentagram is also strongly associated with the esoteric, the occult, magic, and the mystical generally — used in Western ceremonial magic, esotericism, and the occult traditions, and in modern Wicca and Neopaganism (where the pentacle, the pentagram in a circle, is a central and important symbol, representing the elements, protection, and the faith, comparable to the cross in Christianity). Underlying all of these is the pentagram's quality as the five-pointed star of shifting and layered meaning — the number five, the human being, mathematical and cosmic perfection, the five elements, protection, the divine and the spiritual, and (in its inverted form and modern associations) the occult — one of the oldest, most layered, and most fascinating of all symbols.
Historical Origins
The pentagram is one of the oldest symbols in human history, appearing in various ancient cultures, and its meaning has shifted dramatically across thousands of years — a remarkable example of how a single symbol can carry utterly different meanings in different eras. The five-pointed star is a simple and striking geometric form, and it appears in the art and symbolism of many ancient cultures.
The pentagram appears in ancient Mesopotamia (where it had various meanings, possibly связанные with directions, power, or the heavens) and in other ancient cultures as a symbol with various associations. Its most significant early philosophical meaning, however, comes from ancient Greece and the Pythagoreans. The Pythagoreans (followers of Pythagoras, from the 6th century BCE) revered the pentagram, using it as a symbol and a sign of recognition among themselves, and valuing it for its mathematical properties — the pentagram contains the golden ratio (phi) in the proportions of its lines, and is a figure of mathematical elegance and 'perfection' — seeing in it a symbol of mathematical perfection, harmony, health, and the divine, cosmic order. The pentagram was, for the Pythagoreans, a symbol of mathematical and cosmic harmony and perfection.
In medieval Christianity, the pentagram took on Christian meanings, especially as a symbol of the five wounds of Christ (the wounds in his hands, feet, and side from the crucifixion) and as a protective symbol. The pentagram was used as a Christian and protective symbol in the medieval period — famously, in the medieval English poem 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,' the pentagram (the 'endless knot') is emblazoned on Sir Gawain's shield as a symbol of the five knightly virtues, the five wounds of Christ, and perfection and faithfulness, a sign of his virtue and the protection of his faith. The pentagram was thus, in medieval Christianity, a symbol of the five wounds of Christ, of virtue and perfection, and of protection.
In the Western esoteric, magical, and Hermetic traditions (developing through the Renaissance and into the modern era), the pentagram became a central and important symbol of magic, protection, and the five elements. Western ceremonial magic and esotericism used the pentagram as a powerful protective and magical symbol, associating its five points with the five elements (earth, air, fire, water, and spirit/aether) and using it in ritual, protection, and the working of magic; the upright pentagram (spirit over matter) and the inverted pentagram (which took on various meanings) were distinguished. The 19th-century occult revival (figures like Éliphas Lévi) developed the pentagram's elemental and magical symbolism, and notably associated the inverted pentagram with the material over the spiritual and with darker forces, contributing to its later association with evil.
In the modern era, the pentagram (and the pentacle, the pentagram in a circle) became a central symbol of Wicca and Neopaganism, where it represents the five elements, protection, and the faith itself — a positive and important religious symbol, the upright pentacle being to Wicca somewhat as the cross is to Christianity. At the same time, the inverted pentagram became, in modern popular culture and through its adoption as a symbol of Satanism (notably by the Church of Satan), strongly associated in the popular imagination with the occult, the Satanic, and evil — an association amplified by horror films and popular culture, and one that has, unfortunately, sometimes led to the pentagram in general (including the upright Wiccan pentacle) being misunderstood as a symbol of evil, when in its upright form it is a positive symbol of protection, the elements, and (for Wiccans) the faith. From its ancient origins through its Pythagorean, Christian, esoteric, and Wiccan meanings to its modern popular associations, the pentagram has carried an extraordinarily varied and shifting set of meanings, and remains one of the most layered, fascinating, and sometimes misunderstood of all symbols, popular in esoteric, Wiccan, gothic, and general use, and as a tattoo.
Cultural Variations
Pythagorean & Greek
In ancient Greece, the pentagram was revered by the Pythagoreans as a symbol of mathematical perfection, harmony, health, and the divine, cosmic order — its earliest significant philosophical meaning, and a positive and exalted one. The Pythagoreans, the followers of Pythagoras (from the 6th century BCE) who held that number and geometry underlie the cosmos and its harmony, revered the pentagram and used it as a symbol and a secret sign of recognition among the members of their school. They valued the pentagram especially for its remarkable mathematical properties: the pentagram is drawn in a single, continuous, unbroken line (an 'endless' figure), and its lines divide one another according to the golden ratio (phi), the proportion the Greeks associated with beauty and harmony — so the pentagram is a figure of mathematical elegance, harmony, and 'perfection,' embodying the golden ratio and the endless, perfect line. For the Pythagoreans, the pentagram was thus a symbol of mathematical perfection, of harmony and the harmonious proportion (the golden ratio) believed to underlie beauty and the cosmos, of health and well-being (the Pythagoreans associated the pentagram with health, even labelling its points with the letters of the Greek word for health, hygieia, in some traditions), and of the divine, cosmic order and the mathematical harmony of the universe. The pentagram, for the Pythagoreans, embodied their core conviction that number, geometry, and proportion underlie the cosmos and its harmony, and it was a sacred and revered symbol of perfection, harmony, and the divine mathematical order. The Pythagorean and Greek pentagram thus carries the meanings of mathematical perfection and harmony (the golden ratio, the endless line), the harmonious proportion underlying beauty and the cosmos, health and well-being, and the divine, cosmic mathematical order — the earliest significant philosophical meaning of the pentagram, a positive and exalted symbol of perfection, harmony, and the mathematical order of the universe, revered by the followers of Pythagoras.
Medieval Christian
In medieval Christianity, the pentagram was a Christian and protective symbol, associated especially with the five wounds of Christ and with virtue, perfection, and protection — a positive and devout meaning that may surprise those who know the pentagram only through its modern occult associations. In the medieval Christian world, the pentagram was used as a symbol of the five wounds of Christ — the wounds in his two hands, two feet, and his side, inflicted at the crucifixion — making the pentagram a symbol of Christ's Passion, sacrifice, and suffering, and a devout Christian emblem. The pentagram was also used as a protective symbol in medieval Christianity, a sign believed to ward off evil and protect the wearer, drawing on its associations with Christ's wounds and with perfection and the divine. A famous and illuminating example of the medieval Christian pentagram is found in the great 14th-century English poem 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight': the hero Sir Gawain bears a golden pentagram (called the 'endless knot') on his shield, and the poet explicitly explains its meaning as a symbol of perfection and faithfulness — the five points representing the five knightly virtues (generosity, fellowship, purity, courtesy, and piety/compassion), the five wounds of Christ, the five joys of Mary, the five senses, and the perfection and integrity (the 'endless,' unbroken line representing wholeness and faithfulness) that Gawain strives to embody. The pentagram on Gawain's shield is thus a symbol of Christian virtue, perfection, faithfulness, the five wounds of Christ, and the protection of his faith and virtue — a thoroughly positive and devout Christian meaning. The medieval Christian pentagram thus carries the meanings of the five wounds of Christ (his Passion and sacrifice), virtue, perfection, and faithfulness (as on Gawain's shield), and protection — a positive, devout Christian symbol of Christ's wounds, knightly and Christian virtue, perfection, and the protection of faith, a meaning largely forgotten in the modern popular association of the pentagram with the occult, but a genuine and important part of the symbol's history.
Esoteric & Wiccan
In the Western esoteric, magical, and especially the modern Wiccan and Neopagan traditions, the pentagram (and the pentacle, the pentagram in a circle) is a central and important symbol, representing the five elements, protection, and — in Wicca — the faith itself, with the orientation (upright vs inverted) carrying significant meaning. In Western esoteric and ceremonial magic (developing through the Renaissance and the modern occult revival), the pentagram became a powerful symbol of magic and protection, with its five points associated with the five elements — earth, air, fire, water, and the fifth element of spirit (or aether) — and used in ritual, protection, and magical working; the upright pentagram, with the single point (spirit) at the top, represents spirit ruling over and governing the four material elements, the triumph and governance of the spiritual over the material, and the positive and protective. In modern Wicca and Neopaganism, the pentacle (the upright pentagram enclosed in a circle) is a central and important religious symbol — to Wicca somewhat as the cross is to Christianity — representing the five elements (earth, air, fire, water, and spirit), the union and harmony of the elements and the spiritual and material worlds, protection (the pentacle is a powerful protective symbol, used in ritual and worn for protection), and the Wiccan faith and its connection to nature and the elements; the encircling circle represents unity, wholeness, eternity, and the binding together of the elements. The upright pentacle is thus a positive, sacred symbol of the elements, protection, and the faith for Wiccans. The inverted pentagram (single point down) carries different and contested meanings: historically it had various meanings (and is used in some Wiccan traditions for specific purposes, such as a degree of initiation), but in the modern era it became strongly associated — especially through its adoption as a symbol of Satanism (notably by the Church of Satan) and through popular culture and horror — with the occult, the reversal of the upright meaning (matter over spirit), and, in the popular imagination, with evil and the Satanic. (This modern association of the inverted pentagram with evil has unfortunately sometimes led to the pentagram and pentacle in general, including the positive Wiccan upright pentacle, being misunderstood and stigmatised as symbols of evil, a misunderstanding that Wiccans and others have worked to correct.) The esoteric and Wiccan pentagram thus carries the meanings of the five elements (with spirit governing matter in the upright form), protection (a central protective symbol of Western magic and Wicca), the Wiccan faith and its connection to nature and the elements (the upright pentacle), and, in the inverted form, the contested and modern associations with the occult and (in popular imagination) evil — a central and important symbol of Western esotericism and modern Wicca, positive and protective in its upright form, and one whose meanings depend significantly on orientation and context.
The Pentagram as a Tattoo
The pentagram is a popular tattoo, chosen for various and sometimes very different reasons depending on which of its many meanings the wearer intends — and it is a symbol where the orientation and context matter greatly, given its layered and sometimes opposite associations. People choose pentagram tattoos to represent the Wiccan or Neopagan faith and its connection to the elements and nature (the upright pentacle), protection (a protective symbol warding off evil), the five elements and the harmony of the spiritual and material, the human being and the microcosm, mathematical and cosmic perfection and harmony, an interest in the esoteric, magic, or the occult, a gothic or alternative aesthetic, or — in the inverted form — an embrace of the occult, the Satanic (for some), or a darker, transgressive, or rebellious meaning. The pentagram's meaning in a tattoo depends heavily on its orientation and the wearer's intent.
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Pentagram — FAQ
- What does the pentagram symbolise?
- A five-pointed star (often in a circle: the pentacle), one of the oldest symbols, with meanings that shifted across history: mathematical perfection (Pythagoreans), the five wounds of Christ and protection (medieval Christianity), and the five elements and protection (Western esotericism and Wicca).
- Is the pentagram evil?
- No — not in itself. The upright pentagram has positive meanings (perfection, protection, the elements, the Wiccan faith, and historically the five wounds of Christ). The inverted pentagram acquired modern associations with the occult and the Satanic, but the upright pentacle is a positive symbol often wrongly assumed to be evil.
- What do the five points of the pentagram mean?
- In Western esoteric and Wiccan tradition, the five elements — earth, air, fire, water, and spirit (aether) — with spirit at the top of the upright pentagram governing the four material elements. The five points also represent the human being, the five senses, and the number five.
- What does the pentagram mean in Wicca?
- The pentacle (upright pentagram in a circle) is a central, sacred Wiccan symbol — representing the five elements, the harmony of the spiritual and material, protection, and the faith itself, somewhat as the cross is to Christianity. The circle represents unity and eternity.
- What does a pentagram tattoo mean?
- It depends on orientation and intent: the upright pentacle usually means the Wiccan faith, the elements, protection, or perfection; the inverted pentagram usually means the occult, the Satanic, or a darker/transgressive meaning. Choose the orientation deliberately, as it sends a strong, specific message.