I had some questions about symbols and didn't know whether to post them here or in starters orders. Anyway I plumped for here! My questions are...

1) What is the difference between a pentagram and pentacle? I have looked on the web but there are lots of different opinions so I wondered what you all thought.

2) I haven't found much on Septagrams and wondered if anyone has any idea what all the points stand for. One site said Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Above, Below and Within. What does that mean?

Many thanks
MissCheeva

not sure there is a terrific difference between them I use a five pointed star within three circles for protection. (believe me it works too).

wikipedia have some good info.

I think that they are used for different purpose some to mark out progression within a coven (ie wicca use inverted one to denote second degree initiation - or so I've read anyway).

Magicians (according to amber K) use it to manipulate energies, spirits and aliens.

I think what I am getting at here is that the symbol is probably the same, its what it is used for that makes it different

fizzzy

The suffix 'gram' is used for a star shape.

Thus a pentagon is an open five sided figure, but a pentagram is the star version, and the pentacle is either a pentagram within a circle or - in wiccan usage - a particular symbol set marked upon a flat surface for ritual use.

Most people who are not using the term in that particular way mean a five-pointed star in a circle when they say pentacle.

A hexagram is a six-pointed star, a heptagram (or sometimes septagram) is a seven pointed star, etc.

--

Jez

Thank you. It is dead confusing all these grams! You have helped.
Ta
MissCheeva

In addition, a septagram can be referred to as a "Faery Star". This is how my bf thinks of his (and we saw where that got us just a couple of weeks ago). However, a fellow I don't know particularly well also started nattering on about him about something that sounded rather like Qabbalah the other weekend (I know I didn't spell that right), so it would seem there's something related to that as well. (BF just stood there nodding his head and acting like he understood. Indeed.) So I think it's not always a question of all of the points "standing for" something. Indeed, I don't think they HAVE to in the case of a pentagram. Consider the number of different interpretations that can be attached even to that.

A pentacle is a pentagram within a circle, not much difference. I have heard many MANY different definitions of what they represent though.
The circle is supposedly for eternity, much like the snake of middle-earth...Midgårdsormen.

A good site about symbols:
http://altreligion.about.com/library/gloss...ccansymbols.htm

so in what cases do you use a septagram...i hadn't heard of them before but i now get what it means, or aren't they really used in rituals???

im confused wb xxx

Heptagrams (Septagrams) are used in planetary rituals, with a rather nice set of symbolism.

Jez

thanx, for that it has made stuff more clearer to me

I am sure someone who actually uses the things will explain what the symbolism is - I have only friends who use them, and no personal knowledge.

Jez