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Lesson #3

Wiccan Pentacle & Grounding:
part 2

Drawing a Pentacle

A primary skill you'll need as a Wiccan is the ability to draw a Pentacle.

How to Draw a Wiccan Invoking Pentacle © Wicca-Spirituality.com

This diagram shows you how it's done. You start at the top, draw a 5-pointed star, and wrap it all up with a circle around the whole thing.

This is an Invoking Pentacle, but it's also a general, all-purpose Pentacle. You'll learn other varieties later, but for now you use this Pentacle for everything. You can’t go wrong with it. ¹

The Pentacle unicursal: that is, the entire sigil is drawn in one continuous stroke, without lifting the pen/brush/wand. So all the lines through the center of the "star" are visible. ² This is sometimes called "the endless knot."

¹ Speaking of which, this is a good time to clear up one point: you can’t really make terrible mistakes or do anything wrong in Wicca by accident.

The Goddess is a loving, patient Mother, and She doesn’t notice mistakes. She only notices intention. If your intention is good, then your actions will be good in Her eyes.

Especially when you’re just learning; She makes a lot of allowances.

Part of the Pentacle's power of protection relies on the fact that it is drawn with a single unbroken line. This leaves no gateways for unwanted energies to enter, or for Power to dissipate. So when you draw a Pentacle, do not stop or lift your "pen" until the sigil is complete.

And that's part of your Wiccan Adventure for this week.

The direction that you draw in makes a difference too. If you draw it in a clockwise direction it works to invoke and create things. Drawn counter-clockwise, it's a devoking Pentacle, for banishing or undoing things.

² Rather than as a star is otherwise drawn, open in the centre.

I recommend you only draw the Pentacle deasil, sun-wise, for now. It's easier to learn and remember without confusing yourself as to direction. Once you are comfortable and confident in drawing an invoking Pentacle, so that you don't even need to think about it, you can learn to draw them widdershins.

Memory Jog:

Called deasil (DAY-uh-sill), meaning sun-wise. And widdershins (WIDD-er-shinz), meaning anti-sun-wise.

These directions are for Northern Hemisphere (Nhemmie

) Wiccans. In the Southern Hemisphere, sun-wise is counterclockwise.

But there's no standardized method for the Southern Hemisphere. Some stick with the Northern direction for deasil; some do it in the opposite direction. If you're a Shemmie, you can draw it whichever way feels right to you.

Meanwhile, an invoking Pentacle is completely multi-purpose and you can, without any problems, use it for undoing as well as creating.

When Is It A Symbol
And When Is It A Tool?

Sometimes Wiccans talk about a Pentacle as a symbol you draw with energy, and sometimes we talk about a Pentacle as an altar tool. So when exactly is a Pentacle an energy form and when a physical ritual tool?

Well, actually, a Pentacle is ALWAYS an energy form, always a symbol, just sometimes we have it "frozen" in physical form, for example inscribed or painted on something.

It's the energy and symbolism, what the Pentacle represents, that makes it powerful.

³ Although you can always use an energy-Pentacle for that instead, by drawing one and holding it in your mind while you put something on it.

The context will let you know whether we're talking about an energy form or a ritual tool. You know we're referring to a physical Pentacle tool when we say to pick up your Pentacle or put something on it, etc.³ You know we're referring to an energy-Pentacle when the instructions are to draw one. Or when we call it an energy-Pentacle.

You can always use an energy-Pentacle in place of a physical one. And if you get or make a physical Pentacle for a ritual tool, you should start (as soon as you've cleansed it) by charging it with an energy-Pentacle to "bring it to life," so to speak — to make it a true container for the energy of Pentacle power.

Charging A Pentacle

⁴ This is done along with a Purification & Consecration, which we'll get to in a future lesson.

To do this, within Sacred Space and with Intention, you draw an energy-Pentacle on top of the painted (or whatever) lines of the Pentacle tool. Repeat this 5 times, feeling/seeing/imagining that the energy-Pentacle is soaking into the tool, living in that form, alive and sparkling with energy. ⁴

Ways to Use a Pentacle

You can have a physical Pentacle if you like. Virtually all Wiccans do. Pentacles come in many different forms, so you have a lot to choose from: amulets, jewellery, metal casts to hang on a wall or put on your altar, pictures, etc.

You can also draw energy-Pentacles in the air with your finger, or draw it with salt water, or with the smoke from incense or smudges. Drawing an energy-Pentacle is a way of calling and directing Divine Energy, and can be used much the same as Christians making the sign of the cross.

There are countless ways to use a Pentacle. Here are a few examples of what Pentacles are useful for...

Connection With The Earth

⁵ Of course, lots of people misunderstand completely, and fear the Pentacle as a sign of evil — so if you wear one in public, be warned that you may encounter some unpleasant or even dangerous reactions.

Wearing a Pentacle is like carrying a token of your beloved. It also shows your values and beliefs to others: it signifies that you love the Earth and feel connected with the Elements. It also holds and shows your connection with the Goddess and your spiritual path. ⁵

Blessings

You can draw an energy-Pentacle in front of something or someone you wish to bless, or hang a Pentacle near by.

Consecration

If you have a Pentacle symbol on your altar, you can purify and consecrate items by putting them on the Pentacle. You may wish to draw an energy-Pentacle over the item (with your hand or athame or wand) as well, surrounding it with Pentacle-ness, asking and intending for it to be purified and consecrated.

Healing

You can draw an energy-Pentacle over someone (or their picture) to send them healing energy, or have them wear one.

Protection

You can hang a Pentacle somewhere you want protected, or wear one for protection, or draw one in the air if you are feeling threatened.

Don't be silly about this though — a Pentacle is not going to keep you from going squish if you stand in front of a moving train, or keep Pagan-phobic hooligans from beating you up if you flash a Pentacle in their faces.

Pentacles are protection on an energy level. They could make it less likely for you to be standing in front of a train, perhaps, or help you slide under the radar of rampaging Pagan-phobes, but they're not going to turn you into Superman.

For the Souls of the Dead

You can draw a Pentacle over the body of someone who has passed, to bless their soul and help them return to the Divine.

One of my favourite uses for this is when I see an animal killed on a road, or hear hunters' guns go off, or see trees being cut down. These things make my heart ache for the poor creatures. So I draw a Pentacle and say a prayer for them, and I feel better knowing that they're moving on to a better place... with the spiritual gift of a heart-felt blessing.

Continue with Wiccan Pentacles
& Grounding, part 3:

Grounding & Centering Basics

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