From: amanda@intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Pentacles Period?
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1993 11:28:16 -0500

[Previous article asking about the history of pentagrams.]
This is generally correct.  The pedigree I have found evidence for
goes as follows:
-----
Gnosticism	(called The Blazing Star, usage unknown)

Christianity	(protective glyph, denoting the Five Wounds of Christ)
			Similar in use to the Judaic "Seal of Solomon"
			(a star of David in a circle), some overlap

Christian Hermeticm (same usage)

Freemasonry	(unclear, evidence of both above interpretation and
   	an elemental interpretation)

Eliphas Levi (occult writer, pen name for Alphonse Constant, a Roman
        Catholic deacon)
	Published the elemental attribution, originated the "goat's head"
	glyph and the interpretation of a point-down orientation as evil

Golden Dawn / Crowley
	Elemental attribution (will surmounting the four elements) 

Gardner
	Elemental attribution (will surmounting the four elements)

Wicca
	Elemental attribution (will surmounting the four elements),
	as well as increasing use as generic denotational symbol for
	"pagan".
-----

The Gnostic connection makes me suspect Persian (and probably
Zoroastrian) antecedents, but I have as yet not found any historical
material supporting this guess.

I will note that this is matter of curiousity for me, not a focus of
serious research.

Peace,

Amanda Walker