Episode 7 - A Brief History of the Pentagram

Hello! In episode 7 I discuss the history of the Pentagram and how various bands have used this ancient symbol during songwriting, live performances and marketing to an audience. Believe it or not, the pentagram is not all that evil. The upright pentagram is a protective symbol of light, love and will. The top point can represent the soul or spirit, while the other 4 points relate to the 4 elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water). Come and dive into the mystery with me and don't forget to Enjoy!! ☆

"Do what though wilt shall be the whole of the law" - Aleister Crowley

"Discover that which makes you shine, always and forever into infinity"

-Joseph Matthew 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome, one and all, to the Magic Music Podcast. I'm your host, Joseph Matthew, and in this series, we will be discussing various occult and esoteric practices in music, art, and culture. So sit back, relax, and let's explore the unknown together. Enjoy. Hello everyone and welcome to episode number seven. In the previous episodes, we discussed Carl Jung, his ideas about dreams and the collective unconscious and how that can help musicians write songs and turn dreams into songs. So on this episode, I just thought we would kind of touch on different occult symbols throughout time, specifically the pentagram. So the history of the pentagram and how it can be used as a tool to create music and to create art and to send a message. To start off, the pentagram, which is a five-pointed star that It has a long and complex history. It spans thousands of years. It's found in many cultures. The ancient origins of the pentagram. So in Mesopotamia, around 3000 BCE, one of the earliest known uses was by the Sumerians, who used the pentagram in cuneiform texts, possibly as a symbol of imperial power or direction. Greece in 500 BCE, the Pythagoreans saw the pentagram as a symbol of mathematical perfection and health, calling it the pent-alpha because it resembles five interlocking letter alphas. That's pretty interesting that it dates back that far. It's a very, very common symbol, and it's often misconstrued. People, whenever you mention the word pentagram to them, I think they immediately think of the inverted pentagram, which is the devil's symbol, which is basically if you take a five-pointed star and you flip it upside down, that has very evil and negative connotations. And just in popular culture, in movies and... We're going to touch on different genres of music that use pentagrams, either in the artwork or in live shows. So it's a very common symbol and a very misunderstood symbol. So hopefully in this episode we can kind of make the distinction between the pentagram and the inverted pentagram. regular pentagram the five-pointed star is one of my favorite symbols i just love how it looks let's see so to continue on early christianity so the pentagram symbolized the five wounds of christ and was used as a protective symbol that's basically what i use it for i have a pentagram ring that i wear occasionally and i have a necklace i just use it as a form of protection how some people have um you know wooden crosses over their doors to ward off evil spirits it's something similar so not everyone's gonna really understand or they might look at it the wrong way and go do you worship satan do you worship the devil and evil shit and i have to explain to them like well no you know it's not really like that at all it's quite the opposite actually um so if i were to explain that to somebody hopefully i can kind of open their minds open their mind broaden their horizons a bit and kind of take you know those um those negative connotations away from the symbol and hopefully teach them something new because they've been bombarded their entire lives with like all this negative surrounding the pentagram and what it represents so let's see it was not seen as evil or demonic rather it was sacred and often worn or inscribed for spiritual protection yes yes that's what we should be teaching other people not that it's like an evil symbol but that it's a form of protection and love positivity and wisdom all the good aspects of of humanity can be inscribed within that symbol all right so medieval and renaissance occultism the pentagram was used in alchemy magic and kabbalah to represent elements earth air fire water and spirit and also harmony so the elements and harmony and that's very interesting because if you are someone that is that loves nature like myself i love hiking i like biking i love being outside then it can definitely resonate with you because i think that there's a higher a higher plane of existence you know maybe human beings have maybe we're either the same thing experiencing ourselves through different viewpoints and different bodies or we're all different different spirits that can kind of like transmutate and become another thing after we pass away if you believe in reincarnation or just some kind of you know this idea that you know carl jung touched on the collective unconscious of like maybe there's just a pool of like souls uh somewhere that kind of are yearning to to just be to be alive to be in like a physical body let's see um yeah so the pentagram enclosed in a circle which is called a pentacle became a symbol of unity and wholeness that's beautiful i love that so 19th through 20th century occult revival Eliphas Levi, a 19th century occultist who we'll touch on later, I'm probably going to dedicate an episode to him specifically. So Eliphas drew attention to the upright versus inverted pentagram, claiming the inverted version, which the one that points downward, represented matter over spirit and was associated with darker forces. So that is where... that whole idea kind of stems from that since it's pointing down it's pointing down towards hell and darkness and things that you don't really want to be a part of maybe some people do some sick fox out there but the vast majority of people i feel like they're going to resonate more with the the upright pentagram as i do the inverted pentagram was later adopted by some satanic groups especially by the church of satan founded in 1966 who used it with the goat head which is called baphomet so you've probably seen the inverted pentagram and then a goat's head in that that's a very very common occult symbol it's probably one of the first occult symbols that people see and they're like oh man that's that's really disturbing but it's much more than that If you're looking at it just from the vantage point of like, oh, everything's going to be evil, then you're not going to find wisdom or some kind of higher knowledge within the realm of the occult. There's dark things everywhere. You just have to try to find ones that are going to resonate with you. Some people believe tarot cards are evil and psychics and mystics and palm readers, all that stuff, like all that stuff that you can't really explain. It's because we can't explain it, that no one has concrete, solid evidence for it. They can't see it. It's almost like you have to feel it. So I understand why people kind of push that stuff away, because they want to be... You know, they just don't like things that they can't explain. So modern use... The upright pentagram is often used by Wiccans and Neopagans as a symbol of protection, balance, and connection to the natural elements. So it's almost like a grounding symbol that they use. And the inverted pentagram continues to be associated with Satanism and anti-establishment movements, kind of like counterculture stuff. You know, if you want to go against the grain, just throw on a t-shirt with an inverted pentagram. And yeah, actually, speaking of shirts or tattoos, in a later episode, I'm going to be touching on Richard Ramirez, who was the Night Stalker. He was a very famous serial killer who basically broke into people's homes at night when they were sleeping and and killed them. It was random killings, just absolutely horrific and terrifying. I think that happened in the late 80s, like maybe mid to late 80s and early 90s. And he was actually influenced by the band ACDC, which I'll touch on in a later episode, but it's kind of odd how these people kind of gravitate towards these darker themes but the band is just using it for you know maybe just to sell records or just to kind of get attention but it's misconstrued and that's been and that's happened throughout throughout history throughout you know when metal music was kind of becoming popular um the whole parental advisory thing in the 80s with tipper gore and you know d snyder of twisted sister all that stuff we'll probably touch on that as well. You can look up images of the pentagram and the pentacle, the inverted pentagram. I know I have a bunch for the AI art that I basically use for the episodes. There's a bunch of pentagrams in there and other cool stuff. To distinguish the pentacle from the pentagram... A pentacle is a magical or symbolic object that typically features a pentagram enclosed within a circle, but the term can refer more broadly to any talisman or disc used in ritual magic, so it doesn't have to look like a star. The key characteristics, the shape, it's usually a flat circular object, often a disc or a plate. The design, it commonly bears a pentagram, but can include other occult symbols, words, or sigils. Material, traditionally made of wood, metal, clay, or parchment. Occult and magical uses. So in Wicca and paganism, in modern Wicca, the pentacle represents the five elements. Ritual tool, often one of the key ritual tools like the wand, the anthem, the chalice, and the pentacle, and ceremonial magic in Wiccan traditions, like on the tarot cards. And symbol of earth, in Wicca's elemental correspondences, the pentacle is associated with the element of earth, representing grounding, stability, and material reality. That's pretty cool. So now we'll touch on several famous occultists that have utilized the pentagram in their rituals, their writings, and their philosophies. So we're going to start with Eliphas Levy. He was born in 1810, died in 1875. He was a key figure in the 19th century Western occult revival. He popularized the upright and inverted pentagram as a symbol of good and evil, respectively. You always have to have that balance, you know, good and evil. One cannot exist without the other. It's almost like they're intertwined together. So his drawing of Baphomet features an inverted pentagram linking it to satanic interpretations. And in Transcendental Magic, Levy wrote that the pentagram is a symbol of human will in divine harmony. I have not read Transcendental Magic yet. I've been meaning to for a while, so I'm probably going to read that at some point and then we will discuss it. Next up is Alistair Crowley, who we've discussed many times before. He was born in 1875 and passed away in 1947. the founder of Thelema and one of the most notorious occultists in history. He used the unicursal hexagram more prominently, but also integrated the pentagram into ceremonial rituals. The unicursal hexagram, I believe, is... You can look it up online, the pictures that they have, but I think it's kind of the merging of opposites, masculine and feminine. good and evil, you know, everything like as above, so below, as below, so above. You have to have that balance. It's just a universal, natural law, I feel. In his adaptation of golden dawn rituals, like the lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram, the pentagram is key for invoking or banishing elemental forces. So it's used as basically a talisman to unlock mystical doors if you will you need the pentagram for that it's like almost like a a skeleton key to the unknown that's been used throughout time he also wrote about its symbolic power in the book of lies and other thelemic texts i've read a few of his books i've read the book of the law cocaine um the lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram Yeah, there's a bunch of books I've read by him. I just find him very fascinating, whether he was, you know, legit into this stuff or if he was a narcissist. It doesn't really matter. You know, I just find it cool. So I'm going to keep reading this stuff. So, all right, let's see. Next up is Members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which was founded in 1888. This influential occult society used the pentagram extensively in its ritual magic, especially in the lesser and greater rituals of the pentagram. Founders like MacGregor Mathers and William Wynne Westcott saw it as a tool for controlling elemental spirits and establishing sacred space. Personally, I have not used really any talismans or occult symbols in any ritual magic. Personally, I don't really practice ritual magic. I may at some point just to see, just to try it out, maybe have a little fun with it, but nothing crazy. You know, I'm not trying to summon a spirit or demon or open a door that I can't close because that's fucking terrifying. I can't even imagine. You know, I kind of believe in that, in curses and you got to be really careful. with what you invoke and the intentions behind what you're trying to invoke. I think it's always for the best to invoke positivity and love. And if you're trying to invoke something else, then it's probably going to not be so great in the future. It's probably not going to work in your favor. All right, Gerald Gardner, 1884-1964. He was the founder of Wicca, which is a modern pagan religion. He reclaimed the pentacle and pentagram as symbols of protection, balance, and nature, removing their negative connotations. In Wicca, the pentagram within a circle represents harmony of spirit and the elements. Yeah, we will definitely touch on Wicca at some point. I'm not a Wiccan, but I really... I really want to explore that topic a little bit more. I feel like Wiccans, they have it figured out, just in touch with nature and a higher self, a higher power. All right, Anton LaVey is born 1930 and died in 1997. He was the founder of the Church of Satan and author of the Satanic Bible. He adopted the inverted pentagram with a goat head, which is the sigil of Baphomet. as the official symbol of modern Satanism. So that's used today in 2025. He used this symbol, symbolizes rebellion, materialism, and rejection of spiritual dogma. Yeah, I mean, there's different, so many different ways to look at it. You know, I have to make the distinction between, you know, the church of Satan and And I believe it's the temple of Satan, don't quote me. But there's one that's actually not really satanic. They actually do a lot of charity work and stuff, which I find hilarious. But it's with anything. You can put all of your faith in a deity, whether that's God or whether that's Satan. And Satan is actually a fallen angel. He was God's first angel. So the story of him, the story of Lucifer and him being thrown out of heaven for the defiance of God, I don't know the true backstory to that, but he was cast out of heaven, ascended straight to hell. That was his prison. So I don't know what he did to piss God off, but it must have been pretty bad. alrighty so now we're going to tie this into music so many bands and artists especially in metal rock and industrial genres have used pentagrams in their branding album art stage design or lyrical themes so i'll just go through some of the most notable some of you guys may know these bands are pretty popular Number one is Slayer. Slayer. Gotta throw up the devil horns for that one. Genre. Thrash metal. Known for using inverted pentagrams in artwork and stage designs. Their imagery and lyrics often explore satanic, anti-religious, and dark occult themes. I really enjoy Slayer's music. Their album Seasons in the Abyss is fucking impeccable. Raining Blood, obviously, I mean, even their earlier stuff, their entire discography is great, but they've really just pushed the boundaries of what's accepted in society and what's normal. And people just don't want to be told what to believe in or what to do. So I think they look for something else in bands and they see, wow, I can totally relate to that. I can relate to those lyrics. I feel that way. Number two is Venom. So they're a black metal slash thrash metal band. And they were one of the first bands to fully embrace satanic imagery. Albums like Welcome to Hell and Black Metal were foundational to the genre's aesthetic. It's been a while since I've listened to Venom. When I was about 13 through like 18, those were pivotal years for my musical development. I love Metallica. Megadeth, Slayer, punk rock, industrial, a ton of stuff. Mostly rock music, but that's when I was super into metal music. Three is Marilyn Manson, genre industrial rock and shock rock. So he frequently used pentagrams in the 1990s to provoke and challenge religious norms. symbolized rebellion and critique of societal hypocrisy so again pushing back on what you're expected to do in society to not follow the rules to break them number four is ghost heavy metal slash hard rock they use sacred and occult sacred and occult symbolism In theatrical, ritualistic stage shows, they blend satanic imagery with melodic music and religious parody. I like Ghost. I've heard a couple other songs, but I don't really listen to them too much. I really respect what they do, though. Five is Black Sabbath. Hell yeah. Genre is doom, heavy metal. They're not always using the pentagram directly, Their occult-influenced themes set the stage for a later use of such symbols in metal. Sabbath was a pivotal band because it introduced the world to heavy metal, along with Zeppelin and Deep Purple, a lot of the classic rock bands from the late 60s, early 70s. Sabbath was probably one of the darker bands and darker themes. Their first album, Black Sabbath, The song Black Sabbath, which a lot of people point to as that song that kind of helped the genre grow. And War Pigs and Paranoid, they were just very, very influential. Six is Cradle of Filth. They're extreme symphonic black metal. They embrace dark, blasphemous, and occult visuals, often with pentagrams, sigils, and baphomet imagery. I gotta check those guys out. I've heard about them. Behemoth genre is blackened death metal. Use pentagrams in album art, live shows, and music videos. Often tied to themes of anti-Christianity. So again, pushing back on the culture. Typo Negative, I love Typo Negative. So those guys are considered gothic metal. They were from like early 90s. Occasionally used pentagram-like visuals, especially when parodying or playing with satanic tropes. They did use it as parody a lot of the times. They really... they kind of like messed with it's like hey don't take this too seriously you know it's just it's just a fucking shape like we're not we're not sacrificing animals like we're just we're grabbing the attention of people and danzig glenn danzig um the original singer for the misfits his solo music it's considered doom rock heavy metal horror punk frequently associated with the horned skull logo that's on his first album, but also used pentagrams in his early solo work. Yeah, those are just some examples of the pentagram being used for malicious purposes to grab people's attention. But bands use the five-pointed star Other bands use the five-pointed star a lot in their music as well. So it's not just all dark and evil, but that's kind of where the road goes down, you know? So yeah, we'll definitely touch on specific individuals that helped popularize the pentagram. And yeah, that's all I have for you guys today. Thank you so much for checking out episode seven, and I will see you guys next time. Have a good one.