The Wicca pentacle and pentagram are important symbols to its practitioners. While these terms are sometimes taken to mean the same thing, pentacles and pentagrams do differ from each other. A pentagram is a five-pointed star with equal sides, drawn with a single line or two closely spaced parallel lines. So, a pentagram is the same symbol as used on Christmas tree stars or on the American flag.
The Wicca pentacle and pentagram are upright pentagrams - 5-pointed stars with one point aligned upwards, while an inverted pentagram (often used by Satanists) is a 5-pointed star with two points aligned upwards. An upright pentacle is really a a upright pentagram surrounded by a circle.
The Wicca pentacle and pentagram are the same ones used by many ancient cultures such as ancient pagans, ancient Israelites, Christians, magicians and many others. The symbol has its roots in a Goddess who was worshiped over an area which extends from present-day England to Egypt.
This is the Goddess Kore (a.k.a. Car, Cara, Carnac, Ceres, Core, Kar, Karnak, Kaur, Kauri, Ker, Kerma, Kher, Kore, Q're,. The sacred fruit of Kore is the apple which when cut in half reveal a pentagram shape at the core, with each point on the star containing a seed. The Wicca pentacle and pentagram are their main symbols. There are many other interpretations of this symbol across the various religions, including Christianity.
The Wicca pentacle and pentagram are not the same as the inverted Pentacle / Pentagram used by Satanists. The inverted pentacle was invented by Satanist groups and used as their own symbol. It is typically shown with the head of a goat within the pentagram. This is called the Sigl of Baphomet or the Black Goat, Devil's Goat, Goat Head, Goat of Mendes, and Judas Goat.
To Wiccans the Pagan religion that they follow is similar to that of the ancient Celts. They use the upright Wicca pentacle and pentagram as it is a symbol of Morgan, an ancient Celtic goddess. Wiccas may wear it on their jewelry or place it on their altars. It is often traced using an athame or finger into the air at ritual ceremonies. It may be interpreted as the five elements or four directions and spirit.
While the Wicca pentacle and pentagram are similar to the inverted pentacle used by Satanists it is not the same thing and the two should not be confused. Wiccas don’t recognize an evil deity i.e. Satan or otherwise and so are not aligned with Satan worship. The Wiccan rede prohibits the action of harm or manipulation in spells and rituals.
The Wicca pentacle and pentagram are powerful symbols to a Wicca as they denote the power of earth and or the Goddess and life in general. The inverted symbol of the Satanist may be viewed as a self-centered distortion of these values.
To a conservative Christian, however the Wicca pentacle and pentagram are still seen as symbols of faiths that do not recognize the true God.
