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The Five Pointed Star Enclosed By A Circle

Decent Essays

The pentacle is a well recognized symbol that has been used (and still is) within many religious practices. It can be dated back to Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece and Celtic times where it stood as a symbol for many different, earthly associations. Unfortunately, a dark period in history led the Catholic church to believe that the pentacle is associated with Satanic evil. Despite the misconceptions, however, the pentacle has been reclaimed by Neo-Pagan religious groups in an attempt to bring the original, positive spirituality back to its symbolism. Before continuing the discussion of the pentacle, it should be noted that authors often use the terms “pentagram” and “pentacle” interchangeably. There is much debate on whether or not …show more content…

They referred to her as the “Queen of Death,” as she possessed the ability to shapeshift into a raven who “[forewarned] of death,” (Biaggi 36) specifically on battlegrounds. The Celtic Druids, however, associated the pentacle (in an upside-down formation) to the Godhead, otherwise known as Cernunnos (LeBlanc). Cernunnos too, has roots tied to the underworld, as ruler and gatekeeper (Lewis 49). While there appears to be a lack of evidence that Morrigan’s association with the pentacle influenced Christian misinterpretations of the symbol, Cernunnos had a different fate unfolding ahead of him. Cernunnos literally translates to “the horned” (Lewis 49), giving sight to his nickname as “The Horned One.” In many of the Celtic iconographies of Cernunnos, he is consistently recognized by the antlers resting on his head (seen in figure 3) which appear to be his most common source of identification, and are associated with abundance and prosperity (Green 92). In his left hand, he holds a grass snake which appears to be the “companion of the god” (Green 92). In Europe, many snakes (but the grass snake in particular) were recognized as fertility symbols, “connected with plentiful agricultural production,” (Lenders 328) and deemed sacred enough to never be harmed. It should not be forgotten, however, that grass snakes were also a symbol of death, which connects “the transitional world of the here and now to the

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