From: eshin@ddsw1.mcs.com (Eshin-Fun)
Subject: Re: The pentagram
Organization: ddsw1.MCS.COM Contributor, Chicago IL
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Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 13:43:32 GMT
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>>rtsumn01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu writes:
: Apologies to those of you who may have read this question elsewhere, but I seek
: a more substantial answer than the ones I have received already...
: 
: Does anyone know the origin of the pentagram and its evolution into modern-day
: usages?
: 
: --Semhaza<<

When Paris, tending sheep on Mt Ida was confronted by Venus (aphrodite) Juno
(Hera) and Minerva (Athene) as to which he judged most fairest, Venus
exchanged with him an apple (part of the story seldom popularized) in
exchange for the golden one he possesed.

Plato writes: I throw this apple before thee.
If you love me dearly take it but give up your innocence.
But alas if you do not, keep the apple anyway, and ponder how long its
beauty lasts.

If you take an ordinary aple and cut it horizontaly you will find inside a
perfect pentagram each point holding a seed.

The pentagram both in the Neo-Platonic School of Alexandria and prior to
that represents knowledge---hidden knowledge.

In the construction of the idea of Philosophy it correlates to 
1: Logic 2: Aesthetics 3:Ethics 4:politics and 5: Metaphysics.

These five legs of the pentagram also correlate to:
The races of mankind: The caucasian, the black, the mongol (oriental) the
red and the blue (people from the sky) but this is an ancient view point
perhaps not easily digested by assidious modern knick pickers.

Theism: 1:aetheism, 2Pantheism, 3Polytheism, 4Monotheism, 5Henotheism.

and a number of other analogies.

It is believed that the Pentagram is identifiable with Ashtoreth, Ishtar and
numerous of other goddesses.

Astarte, the consort of Ba'al used this as her symbol. As Ba'al was (Lord)
and ancient term for the sun god, she is the star. The planet venus in the
horizon of the sky as morning or evening star usually seems more of a star
than a planet in the sky. This was identified with 
Astarte as venus usually is either heralding or following the sun.

This five pointed star can be found on all the Ancient Egyptian ceilings as
it symbolizes the idea of god. 

The earliest cuniform from Sumer, shows us that the original word for god
was written as a star. In fact Egypt, and the rest of Mesopotamia identified
divinity with a five pointed star. Thus the pentagram represents the
manifestation of divinity.

It is later that divinity is identified with power. Divinity in ancient
terms is emanation. Shining through, self illumination that star against a
black sky suggested.

As it has five spokes it became identified with a circle around it and
eventually as a wheel. Usually a wheel with five spokes. This gave us the
symbolism of evolution either to the Macrocosmos or to the micro cosmos. The
star thus was the kentrocosmos the juxtaposition of the other two. It
represented us. Humanity.

Much has been made of this pentagramical symbol. But seldom is it realized
as the Sabaean symbol it is. According to ancient people it is considered
ancient. So we find it china as a symbol of "Man".

If we are to really evaluated, it is a prehistoric symbol identifiable with
the sky and divinity if not divinity itself. It is a venerable symbol used
by Wiccans, Masons, and Pagans representing Truth, Knowledge, and Divinity
not unlike their ancient predecessors.

But if in one's folly you can reduce it to a game of Chinese Checkers.

Eshin-Fun