Compare And Contrast Pentagram And Pentacle

The pentacle is used for protection and to evoke spirits. Many people consider the pentagram and the pentacle to be interchangeable symbols. While they do have some attributes in common they also have several differences. This is more than just the differences in how they are presented , i.e. the lack of a circle on the pentagram. It is more than just that. When written however, some call the pentacle a pentagram regardless of whether there is a circle around it our not. The pentagram is a five pointed star on it’s own. Its points each represent the five elements, earth, air, fire and water and akasha or spirit. This represents the embodiment of ritual.

Penta means 5 and gram means using one line to create a shape intersecting that line at key points. Here we have penta meaning five and cle can be seen as a reference to the idea of the circle...it actually means within something. Traditionally a pentacle is a 5 sided star within something, traditionally a circle though it could also be a triangle or a square.

It represents all the elements. Many people mistakenly claim it represents Earth Element, but this is actually not the case. This is because the Altar Tile represents the Element of Earth and traditionally it has a Pentacle drawn on it as the altar tile always includes a symbol of faith on it, and for many Wiccans and Pagans that is the Pentacle. So where an altar tile may have a pentacle on it, the altar tile is what represents Earth, not the symbol.

The pentacle