Essay on pentangles
The symbol of the Pentagram, or the Pentangle, is widely regarded, particularly amongst Christian circles as being a Paganist or Satanic symbol, primarily due to its usage in modern pseudo-esoteric movements such as Wicca and the Church of Satan. The symbol however is not of a Satanic nature, and it is in fact quite the opposite, being in a sense one of the most important symbolic depictions of metaphysical reality, and through it we can actually develop a much deeper understanding of both creation and material reality.
The Pentangle (or Pentagram) is a 5 pointed star with converging lines that form a central inverted Pentagon. As with all esoteric symbols, it has multiple layers of meaning, all of which are equally correct and important. Regarding the symbols origin, it supposedly originates with King Solomon, being identified in the Jewish mystical tradition under the title of the Seal of Solomon. In the Talmudic tradition, the Seal of Solomon is a signet ring inscribed with either a 5 or 6-pointed star (Interpretations vary) which is gifted to Solomon by the demon Asmodeus in order to aid him in his construction of the temple at Jerusalem, it was said that the ring gave the wearer the ability to summon and control demons, an ability which Solomon would supposedly use to assist in the temples construction. I am however skeptical to accept this account as the authentic origin of the Seal of Solomon, given its suggestion that the Seal is some sort of demonic sigil, furthermore the fact that this story appears in Talmudic and Kabbalistic literature written almost a thousand years after the Biblical account of Solomon, it is likely that the Jews co-opted the name of the Seal of Solomon, and applied it to their symbol of the 6-pointed Hexagram (Identified in the Bible as the Star of Remphan) in order to give it greater legitimacy. However there was most certainly a legitimate Seal of Solomon, created by King Solomon himself, which would've most likely been a 5-pointed Pentagram. We see an allusion to this in the 14th century tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in which Sir Gawain's shield bears the symbol of the Pentangle. According to the author, the sign of the Pentangle was "Set by Solomon." In the poem the 5-points relate to Sir Gawain in 5 different ways, one of these ways is in the 5 wounds of Christ, a medieval motif referring to the 5 points on Christ's body where he was pierced during his crucifixion: The 2 nails in his hands, the 2 nails in his feet, and the lance which pierced his side.
Thus in a literal sense the Pentangle may be viewed as representative of the wounds incurred by Christ during his crucifixion. But allegorically, the Pentangle ultimately represents the principle of Creatio Ex Nihilo, insofar as each wound corresponds with one of the 5 Platonic elements (Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Aether or Spirit). Both Agrippa and Eliphas Levi make this connection between the Pentangle and the 5 elements, and Manly P. Hall notes "This figure is the time-honored symbol of the magical arts, and signifies... the five elements of nature." Thus understanding the Pentangle in this sense we see the wounds as allegorical for the 5 elements: the wounds in his feet represent Earth and Fire, the wounds in his hands represent Water and Air, the wound in his side represents Spirit (Note that the Spirit proceeds from the piercing of the Sacred Heart). Allegorically then, the 5 wounds of Christ represent the procession of the 5 elements from God, the eternal Generative force, which in the flowing of the blood from his wounds produces the 5 elements. Further reference is made in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to the divine allegory of the Pentagram when the author refers to it symbolising the "phenomenon of physically endless objects signifying a temporally endless quality", referencing the eternal and endless nature of God.
Applying the concept of Microcosm and Macrocosm to this allegory, the definition of the Pentangle provided thusfar obviously represents the Macrocosmic significance, being symbolic of the elements of God. However the Pentangle also has a Microcosmic significance, relating to the qualities of man, more specifically the 5 types of energy which man produces (Or the 5 metaphysical senses), and which correspond with the 5 elements: Earth is the Physical sense, Air is the Mental sense, Fire is the Emotional sense, Water is the Reproductive sense and Aether is the Spiritual sense. The 5 senses or energies themselves correspond with a different aspect of the human being: the Physical with the Stomach, the Mental with the brain, the Emotional with the heart, the Reproductive with the gentials and the Spiritual with the Third Eye (Comprising of the Pineal and Pituitary glands). The 5 bodily points are connected from bottom to top through the spinal cord, which is comprised of 33 vertebrae, divided into 5 sections (Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Sacrum, and Coccyx), and are ordered from bottom to top as follows: Water, Earth, Fire, Air and Spirit.
It is surely of no coincidence that the spine is naturally comprised of 33 vertebrae, given the signifiance of the number 33 in the Mystic traditions of the world: In Hinduism there exists 33 major Gods, in Buddhism the Lord of the World is incarnated 33 times, Elohim's name appears 33 times in the book of Genesis, Jesus Christ died at the age of 33, Numerology claims 33 as a master number and Scottish rite Freemasonry contains 33 degrees. The mystical properties of the spine, which are somewhat unknown, cause it to act as a conduit for the metaphysical energy (Sometimes referred to as Kundalini) which is produced by these 5 points, connecting the 4 material points to the Pineal Gland at the top of the conduit, which acts as the mystic bridge between the Material and Spiritual planes of existence. These points, when they produce this afforementioned "Energy", then find that it travels up the spine into the Pineal gland, producing a mystical reaction which triggers the opening of the Third Eye, allowing a temporal projection into the Spiritual plane of existence.
For the average person, when the Third Eye is opened, they are in most cases unaware that such an experience is actually taking place, for their interaction with it happens subconsciously and most, except for the experienced, cannot properly participate in this interaction. Nevertheless there still remains Material signs that such a reaction is taking place, for example, the orgiastic spasm which occurs during ejaculation (The production of energy by the Reproductive point) and the subsequent mental ecstasy which ensues is a Material reflection of the Spiritual reaction which is taking place. This whole process, of opening the Third Eye through certain individual means, is a form of spiritual Gnosis, as the projection of the Third Eye's vision into the Spiritual plane bestows a certain visual knowledge (Gnosis) of the divine into the minds of those who experience it. However when done improperly, as in when the opening of the Third Eye is done solely by the individual, then the exposure to the Spiritual plane causes more harm than good to the person, this is known as a Negative reaction with the Third Eye. Negative reactions occur when the person attempts to open the Third Eye by themselves, without assistance from the divine, or in other words attempts to forcefully open their Third Eye. This forceful opening is often done unintentionally, and happens when someone produces energy doing something they should not be doing, which as a result means that the energy produced has nowhere else to go except into the Pineal gland. The 7 deadly sins, each depict ways of opening the Third Eye in a Negative manner, primarily as they are perversions of the acts which God intended for humans to perform, meaning that the energy produced by these sins has no other force except the Pineal gland to react with. For example, the orgasm of masturbation, which is a perversion of the sexual organs that were intended for coitus, results in the Reproductive energy having no force (That would be present in intercourse) to react with, so the energy instead travels up the spine and into the Pineal gland, producing a forced, negative reaction. Each of the 7 deadly sins corresponds with the 4 Material points: Lust with the Reproductive, Gluttony and Sloth with the Physical, Wrath and Pride with the Emotional and Greed and Envy with the Mental. As established earlier, when these actions are committed, the Pineal gland opens, exposing the soul to the Spiritual plane, the reason why such a reaction must be classed as negative is because the Spiritual plane is reality not only to Positive Hosts (Angels) but also to Negative Hosts (Demons), which means that when an individual opens their Third Eye without the assistance of the divine they enter the Spiritual plane unprotected, leaving them exposed to Demonic forces who seek to prey on their soul. Whilst negative exposure to the spiritual world does result in a temporary form of pseudo-Gnosis (Pseudo, as the unprepared mind cannot properly understand the knowledge it is being exposed to) which is characterised by a momentary period of clarity or somberness after the sinful action is committed, the ultimate fruit of the Negative reaction is demonic infestation of the soul, resulting from a lack of divine protection, which clouds the conscience and darkens the senses. Once again, taking lust as an example, we see this process unfold during the misuse of the sexual organ, when after the ecstasy of ejaculation is over, the person enters a state of Post-coital tristesse in which they are consumed by unexplainable feelings of sadness, anxiety and even disgust; however the tristesse does not last for long before the person experiences an onset of "Brain-fog" which disrupts their awareness. What we see is as follow: the orgasm is the moment of chemical-spiritual reaction in the Pineal gland, the Post-coital tristesse is the mind trying to grapple with what it was exposed to in the Spiritual plane and the ensuing Brain-fog is the clouding of the consciousness as a result of Demonic infestation. So whilst the Negative reaction does produce a short-term form of Gnosis, it is ultimately fruitless as the intellect is attacked by Demonic forces in the aftermath of the experience.
Whilst we characterise the 7 deadly sins as misuses of Spiritual energy, there also exists positive counterbalances to them, which result in a Positive reaction in the Pineal gland, which allows for the opening of the Third Eye with divine assistance and protection, resulting in the revelation of Spiritual knowledge that God so wishes to be imparted upon the participating individual. The obvious counterbalances to the 7 deadly sins, are of course the 7 Sacrament of the Church (Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Confession, Matrimony, Anointment and Ordination), but Prayer, Fasting, Meditation (e.g. through the Rosary), Hymns and Dancing are all examples of Positive reactions. Subsequently through the acts of confession and repentance, the infestion resulting from a Negative reaction can be reversed, and the soul freed from oppression. There are also exists other Negative ways to open the Third Eye, which result in a prolonged exposure to the Spiritual plane instead of a momentary glance, these include the use of Psychoactive drugs and certain sexual practices (As explored by Crowley and Swedenborg), but I will not discuss these here in this article.
In conclusion, the Pentangle is in essence a symbolic portrayal of God, depicting in a Macrocosmic sense Christ's cruficixion on the cross and also the generation of the 5 main elements. But also it represents in a Microcosmic sense the 5 characteristics or senses of man, whom is the image of God. These two meanings of the Pentangle help us to understand both the relationship between the Material and Spiritual, but also the relationship between man and the divine, and ultimately present the basic framework for metaphysical interaction between men and God.