The pentagram (the five-pointed star, usually but not always depicted enclosed by a circle) is nearly universally used by wiccans and other witches, and comes closest to being the most commonly used symbol within paganism as a whole. Rooted in ancient Greek and Roman paganism, with ties to goddesses such as Hygeia and Venus, the pentagram has been associated with occultism, ceremonial magic, and even Christianity (the five points signifying the five wounds of Christ). By the 20th century and the rise of religious Wicca, the pentagram had become a more general symbol representing the cosmos as a whole. One common way of interpreting the pentagram assigns an element to each point of the star: the highest point represents spirit, with other points representing fire, air, water, and earth. Surrounded by a circle that signifies eternity or the vast emptiness of the cosmos, the pentagram functions as a symbol of the entirety of nature.
Because of its Greco-Roman origins and its usage today embedded in symbolism drawn from classical Occultism - the four elements underneath spirit - not all Pagans regard the pentacle as important or even useful. Celtic Reconstructionists and Odinists, for example, do not generally incorporate symbolism from cultures outside the Celtic or Norse world, and therefore regard the pentacle as irrelevant to their spirituality as the Christian cross.
Within such ethnically specific expressions of Paganism, symbols with strong cultural associations generally take precedence. Thus, pagan Druids often use the Awen, a symbol depicting three straight lines that diverge as they move downward, with a dot or point above each line. This symbol was created during the Druid renaissance of the 18th century and has been interpreted in various ways. Practitioners of Norse religion often regard the Mjollnir, or hammer of Thor, as emblematic of their distinctive cultural tradition. Similar symbols include the Caduceus for adherents of Greek Paganism, the Ankh for Egyptian traditions, and the Medicine Wheel for some Native American traditions. The labrys, or double-edged axe, has roots in Greek and Cretan culture, but because of its association with Minoan priestesses it has become a symbol of Dianic wicca and witchcraft (traditions with a strong feminist ethos).
Books You Might Enjoy:
Shanddaramon - Self Initiation For The Solitary Witch
Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - Tibetan Sage
Aleister Crowley - Songs For Italy
Pat Holliday - Miracle Deliverance New World Pagan Idolatry
Stephen William Hawking - Space And Time Warps
