Five Lessons Of The Pentagram

The pentagram has many different meanings depending on what religion you belong to as well as where you live. For some it represents evil, others protection, divination, magic(k), or a load of other things. But what does it mean to me? Well, being that I came to know the star through Wicca, my outlook of it tends to be spiritually centered. But being that I feel as if I'm on a different level than was when I was a convert, I think my thoughts on it has improved.

At first it represented the five elements, earth, air, fire, and water, the five building blocks and Spirits that gave rise to the world (world meaning universe in my jargon). To me they have another representation, the five key values of a Pagan; strength, love, knowledge, will, and balance. Each of these values correspond to the elements of earth, water, air, fire, and spirit respectively. As I wear my pentagram necklace with pride, I know that no matter what I'm faced with, that I will exercise these important concepts so that I will remain strong and be the better man, no matter the ignorance.

People could learn a lot from what the pentagram teaches if they simply opened their mind to learn its lessons. Its a lot like nature, if people were to stop demonizing and exploiting its resources as well as its earthly attributes and just opened to its functions we would be a lot better off. The pentagram itself doesn't belong to any one faith, but is a symbol that could mean anything a person or group decides to make it mean. The applied associations don't stay with it, but is a morphing thing that sheds and reworks things applied to it.

Let's consider something as simple as its placement, a topic that brings much debate as to its fixed meaning. For one camp in represents general evil in the sense that when one point face up means the spiritual over the senses while the other is the senses over the mind. For some this is true so its true to them where others see it as representing Satanism or darkness, banishment, a degree of Wiccan clergy, the list could go on frankly. But now you see that how with each individual and group the associations vary wildly on the "good-evil" scale.

With me I see things, not surprisingly, in a different context. While I concede that the pentagram whether inverted or everted could mean the previous list of things could also represent the balance of the elements. When its a single point up it could mean the elements arising from spirit, the force that expanded from a singular sphere to create all that is and will ever be. If they're two points up then to me it shows spirit arising from the four base associations. Both are actually true, But it proves how something as simple as a group of lines and your outlook could have a dramatic effect on how a symbol is percieved.

All's Ready For October!

Okay, not EVERYTHING is ready for October, but beside I few spare candles and a lighter I need to buy, everything is all set for my Day of Conversion ceremony.

Now, once I celebrate I will be, in my eyes, I full fledged Pagan. Though it took nearly five years of waiting, I finally feel as if I'm at the point where I will be able to take the first steps of fully realizing my spiritual path.

Don't take the five years too seriously, being that I'm just hitting twenty and for the last four out of those five years being spent learning next to nothing (100% broke and for the most part without internet connection) I feel like now would be the perfect time for me to reset my religious counter. That means that starting the moment after I officiate myself on October 8th, 2013 I will go from five year Pagan to day one of following the path.

It sounds quite drastic but is something I've felt needed to be done for quite a while now. Most of my time was spent in a not so happy place from a religious perspective and by doing this I feel that I'm putting a nail in that coffin; gone, but never forgotten. That release is just what I need, so I'll take it with a smile on my face and with an "S" on my chest.

The first order of business is not to reduce my practice to the basics, but to rebuild from the foundation up, much like The Tower in the tarot. By drilling down and overviewing from step one, I can quickly rebound and launch into a new stage of ritual and closeness to the Gods. I'm not daunted by the work ahead, I'm just happy that I'm finally in a position where I will be able to work on myself in the most important of aspects.

Faith has gotten me through a lot over these years, has increased as time wore on and has been the only thing that was really with me when all felt lost and I, abandoned. I will swear my allegiance to the whole of nature, getting in touch with all of its sides, both the light and dark and twilight areas. To learn of its functions on a religious as well as scientific perspective, so that the two will mingle in a cohesive mix.

On a spiritual level I realize that my rituals are lacking in zest, not in a dramatic flamboyant way, but in meaning and symbolism. Being that I'm so in my head and stiff, I hardly if ever move when I'm doing rituals, mainly keeping my words and actions in my head rather than actually doing them, which I know is quite odd for many Pagans. Loosen up, get out of my head and convert that love and devotion into movement and pride of the feminine and masculine energies within. Its a waste not not use it, so I need to set my feet and voice box aflame with action!

Easier said than done, but I realize that I need a holistic approach to invigorate my inner drive, as it will it, so shall it be.

In any case, I know that with a lightened mind and joyful heart, careful planning and watchful eye, I will be successful and ready for October 8th.