Pentacle

A five-pointed, equal-armed star surrounded by a circle, used as a primary religious symbol by Wiccans and various other Neopagans. Also used as a mystical glyph or sigil by many other groups, including its use in the LBRP. However, it is widely acknowledged as a standard symbol of Paganism and Pagan belief.

In the illustration at right, the points of the pentacle have been color-coded to show the elements they correspond with: Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and Spirit.

There is some controversy over the exact difference between a pentacle and a pentagram; in most situations, the two words are used nearly interchangeably.

As used by Pagans, the pentacle has two forms: invoking and banishing. In the illustrations below, the arrows show the starting point and the direction of motion. These are typically drawn in the air (with the appropriate visualizations and energy expenditure, of course) for nearly any invoking or banishing purpose.

Invoking Pentacle	Banishing Pentacle

The banishing pentacle is sometimes performed with a sixth stroke, following the path of the first one.

To ceremonial magicians, these two pentacles are just one pair out of a set of six; since ceremonial mages tend to use the word “pentagram” instead, see that entry.