A to Z Challenge -- P -- DOLLS, HAND, AND FIVE POINTS

PAGAN --  I looked up pagan on a couple of dictionaries online.  What struck me as funny (and I'm weird and so is my sense of whimsy and humor) is that it says --- well, let me copy and paste it from dictionary.com from the British Dictionary entry:

         noun -- 1. a member of a group professing a polytheistic religion or any religion other than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam.

Okay, I agree with that since that is the modern day meaning of the word, but back in the day (as in the ancient Romans), it was Christianity that was the pagan religion.  I think the irony of the shoe being on the other foot amusing me.  Also, what is even more hilarious is that pagan used to be a term for country folk, villagers, non-combatants, and a few other not-so-nice terms with the modern meaning of redneck and hick.  It had nothing to do with religion whatsoever.  The word was corrupted over time when things were translated.

So, now that's out of the way, you're probably wondering why I bothered with this at all.  Well, it's because I just wanted to point out the fact that the terms Pagan, Wiccan, and witch can be mutually exclusive.  A person can have pagan beliefs but not be a witch or Wiccan.  Some practice the Craft without being Pagan or Wiccan.  Wiccans are not necessarily Pagan or witches, even though it's more than likely that they are inclusive.

PENTACLE -- A pentagram encompassed by a circle.  Can be made of some Earthly material (like clay) to represent the element of Earth on the altar.

It is also one of the more common suits in a tarot deck.

The inverted pentacle/pentagram has had a bad rap since it has been used as official Satanic symbol but it has a deeper history.

The Sigil of Baphomet (the inverted pentacle with a goat's head) has roots to the Knights Templar and even farther back. Some suggest it has to do with the Goat of Mendes. Others have taken the ATBASH encryption cipher (basically a substitution cipher. Z = A) to the word Baphomet. It becomes the Greek word Sophia. Sophia is the Goddess of Wisdom and referred to as the Bride of God (Yes, as in the biblical God) in Gnostic texts. So maybe the Templars were just giving the divinity back the feminine. (I'm having a Da Vinci Code déjà vu moment here.)

The Congressional Medal of Honor it bears a inverted pentacle. This medal of valor is the highest honor a member of the armed forces can receive.

PENTAGRAM -- A five-pointed star that resembles the elements Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit.

It is a symbol that has a extremely long history.  From Sumeria to Greece to modern day, this symbol as well as the pentacle has laced itself into many cultures with a multitude of meanings.

Modern day flags have the Seal of Solomon (aka a pentagram) as a part of them.

At one time, it represented the wounds of Christ at his crucifixion.


POPPET -- Poppets are dolls that represent a person for use in sympathetic magic like healing.They can be made out just about anything like cotton, clay, sticks, or whatever. They are NOT Voodoo dolls!

PROJECTIVE HAND --  Hand that sends out personal power. Personal power being that which is your energy.  For right-handed people, it would be the right hand since it is the dominate hand.  For lefties, the left.




Disclaimer: None of these pictures belong to me.  I found them on Google..