Concept
Pentagram
Overview
A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha, pentangle, or star pentagon) is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal line segments of a convex (or simple, or non-self-intersecting) regular pentagon. Drawing a circle around the five points creates a similar symbol referred to as the pentacle, which is used widely by Wiccans and in paganism, or as a sign of life and connections, but there is also an inverted version.
The word pentagram comes from the Greek word πεντάγραμμον (pentagrammon), from πέντε (pente), "five" + γραμμή (grammē), "line".
The word pentagram refers to just the star and the word pentacle refers to the star within a circle, although there is some overlap in usage. The word pentalpha is a 17th-century revival of a post-classical Greek name of the shape.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
It is a cloudy circle, which continually appears in the air, and by reason of the whiteness of its colors is called the galaxy, or the milky way. Some of the Pythagoreans say that, when Phaeton set the world on fire, a star falling from its own place in its circular passage through the region caused an inflammation.
Plutarch, Complete Works of Plutarch — Volume 3
States what Pentagram is.
Again, among the twelve signs, six are called masculine and diurnal, and six feminine and nocturnal. They are arranged in alternate order, one after the other, as the day is followed by the night, and as the male is coupled with the female. The commencement, it has been already said, belongs to Aries; since the moisture of the spring forms an introduction for the other seasons. And, as the male sex governs, and the…
Ptolemy, Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos
States what Pentagram is.
The orbit of the Moon is not precisely in the same Plane with that of the Earth; but makes a very small angle with it. The points of intersection with those two Planes, are called, the Nodes of the Moon. These Nodes of the Moon are in continual motion, and in eighteen or nineteen years, revolve backwards, from east to west, through all the different points of the Ecliptic.
Adam Smith, The Essays of Adam Smith
States what Pentagram is.
Philosophers who discussed Pentagram
Related ideas
- Freemasonry
- Greek language
- Golden ratio
- Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
- Japan
- Jerusalem
- Leipzig
- Ethiopia
- Middle Ages
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Warring States period
- Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
- Netherlands
- Occult
- Planet
- Paganism
- Sun
- Satanism
- Pythagoreanism
- First Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Universe
- Wicca
- Three Books of Occult Philosophy
- Baháʼí Faith
Place in the tradition
Part of Pythagoreanism.