My Pentacle

I was recently asked about my pentacle, and what it means. I was also asked about pagan idols, and explained that no we don't actually worship statues, or if anyone does I haven't heard of it. To this my Christian question asker then said "Oh! So they're like our cross!" After that conversation I thought the subject of what the pentacle means is interesting enough that it would worth writing about.

Pentacle, found at clker.com

First I have to say, exactly what the pent means depends on who you're asking. It would definitely be interesting to refresh my memory on the different ways others view it and write about that, but this post is about what it has come to mean to me.

When I started wearing the pentacle I think I was about eighteen, and it was more because of "Hey, I'm pagan! And I'd love to be able to spot other pagans, so this seems like a good idea, plus I finally have a symbol that I'm drawn to even though I don't know precisely what it means to me. Earth fire water air and spirit yeah...I'll figure out details later on." I still like that the pentacle is a convenient way to find other pagans, either by seeing them wear one or them saying something about my pent, but a large part of why I still wear it is that it's become a comfort thing. If I don't wear my pentacle and the cross my boyfriend gave me (he and I may be weird pagans), I feel like I'm missing something.

As for what the pentacle has come to mean to me...

The different points represent to me earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. I call them elements, which I know is scientifically incorrect but I'm kind of ignoring that. And it's occurred to me that these "elements" can also be called solids, gas, plasma, liquids, and the space between the stars (or vacuum...or dark matter? weird stuff in any case). I haven't seen anyone else refer to the points or the elements in this way, but I know I can't be the only one this has occurred to. Bottom line is, the points are everything that makes this universe, and then the circle around is tying everything together into one universe, one creation.

In a nutshell: the pentacle is all of Creation, and a reminder of the the vast universe (or multiverse) I live in. This line of thinking also takes me to a meditation I wrote about recently, which is coming to be part of my understanding of the pentacle.

I expect my understanding of the pentacle to continue growing, as I learn and experience more. For one thing, I know I'm drawn to pentacles whose points escape the circle, and I'm trying to sort out in my head exactly what that means to me. I've been told it represents power extending outward, but I'm still mulling over that over.

Do you wear a pentacle? What does it mean to you, and has that changed over time?