Tip 1: What is a pentagram

Tip 1: What is a pentagram

What is a pentagram? It has many names - pentafl, pentageron, pentacle. But the answer is simple - it is a five-pointed star, all sides and angles of which are equal to each other. Just? Not there it was. The Pentagram is a symbol, very ancient, famous, powerful, sacred and revered by representatives of the most diverse nations and religions, and, undoubtedly, the most widely used from the beginning of time to this day. In addition, no other symbol during its existence was interpreted as contradictory as the pentagram.

What is a pentagram?

Where and when the pentagram appeared

It is now impossible to pinpoint exactly where andwhen she appeared. However, what happened this many centuries before the beginning of our era, no doubt. According to one version, the symbol could arise in ancient Mesopotamia as a result of astrological observations of Venus. It is known that in its motion along the starry sky, Venus passes through all the signs of the zodiac for 8 terrestrial years and does 5 "Zagulins" at the same time. If we note and then connect these peculiar points of the trajectory of the motion of the planet on the astrological circle, a pentagram will be obtained. A slightly simpler version: a pentagram is a figure obtained by extending and intertwining the five Greek alpha letters. Not without reason is the Greek name of the symbol - pentalf. But all this is only a hypothesis.

The amazing fate of the pentagram

Apparently, this is the fate of this amazing star- its meaning already in ancient times was interpreted ambiguously, although at that time none of the interpretations had a negative connotation. The Pentagram was considered a powerful guarding sign. The image could be seen above the doors of houses, shops, warehouses, on clothes, amulets, objects of worship - truly a national symbol. But it is found on the royal arms and seals, as a sign of the might of the powers that be and the symbol of magic in the broadest sense of the word. Later, the pentagram was used in different countries, independently of each other. For example, in the writing of ancient Egypt there was a hieroglyph in the form of a five-pointed star. Its meaning was interpreted as "education, enlightenment" or as "a spirit blessed, enlightened." In the 5th century BC, the ancient Greek scholar and philosopher Pythagoras called the pentagram an embodiment of mathematical perfection, because he came to the conclusion that it contains a golden section. Following Empidocles, the Pythagoreans - members of the philosophical school of Pythagoras - adopted the concept - the world consists of 5 elements: fire, earth, water, air and ether. They are symbolized by 5 rays of the pentagram. It is a sign of perfection and harmony of the surrounding world. The Pentagram became a distinctive sign of the Pythagoreans, later used as a manual for teaching mathematics. It is absolutely impossible to describe and list all that in different centuries and in different countries it was said about the pentagram and it was attributed to it. For example, for the Jews, it became the symbol of the Pentateuch, bestowed by God. Muslims worship in it five pillars of Islam and five daily prayers. Since the XII century, mythical Christianity sees it as a symbol of a man created in the image and likeness of God, etc. A special place in this list is the story of how humanity demonized the ancient symbol.

The Symbol of Satan

At present, the pentagram is often interpretednegatively. Especially it should be said about its inverted image. It is believed that the pentagram with two rays directed upwards personifies Satan. This is not true. On the contrary, this image symbolizes the Bethlehem star. The lower beam often extends almost to the ground. He indicates to the Magi the place where the cradle of the newborn Christ is. Such an image of the pentagram can often be seen on the bas-reliefs that adorn the facades of churches and cathedrals, on church altars. This is how the pentagram is depicted on the icons of Andrei Rublev - the famous Orthodox icon-painter, ranked by the church to the saints. Perhaps the first person to give a negative interpretation of the pentagram was the French occultist Alphonse Louis Constant, better known as Eliphas Levi Zahed. It happened in the middle of the XIX century. Stage two: in 1966 in the US Howard Stanton LaVey founded the Church of Satan. Her symbol was an inverted pentagram with the Devil's head inscribed in it. Broad media coverage of this event contributed to the rooting of delusion. The Pentagram is used in magic. And not surprisingly - this is a magical and very powerful symbol - he just could not help becoming like that. The pentagram appeared so long ago, and it was so widely used that it became something of a much-nurtured miraculous icon. Its negative interpretation has no basis.

Tip 2: What is the Sunnah in Islam

Sunnah in Arabic means custom, practice, law, giving. These are the first recorded actions and statements of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

What is Sunnah in Islam?
The Sunnah is the second source after the Qur'anMuslim traditions and customs. It is composed of the so-called hadiths - stories, which were originally passed from mouth to mouth, and in the VIII-IX centuries they were written down and compiled into collections. There are six collections of hadiths recognized by Islam. The most authoritative of them is the collection of Abu Abdallah al-Buzari "Al-Sahid", written in the IX century.

Types and structure of the hadith

Each of the hadiths includes 2 parts: Isnad - a chain of information transmitters, with which it was compiled, and matn - the very text of the legend. All the hadiths of the Sunnah are divided into four types. Historical narratives tell about the events from the life of Muhammad. In the prophetic hadith, the preacher gives predictions about various events and future disasters connected with these events. In the hadith about the virtues the prophet lists the merits of the Arab tribes. The most valuable are the sacred hadiths, because in them the mouth of Muhammad is spoken by Allah himself. The Sunnah is meant for the Islamic world to follow the prophet, both in life and in his words. To some extent, the Sunnah can be compared with the Jewish Talmud. The typical structure of the isnad is as follows: "A man of this type has recounted from the words of such and such a person whom he heard from such and such a person whom the prophet said the following words ...". Next comes the Math, in which the speech of Mohammed is written.

Modern interpretation of the Sunnah

In the time of the life of the companions of MuhammadThe reliability of the collected hadith was not in anyone's doubt. However, after their death, new traditions began to emerge, after which a specially Islamic theological discipline appeared that tested their authenticity, criticizing many sources of information. Based on these studies, the Arab philology was subsequently laid. The dialects and critics of the hadith were called mahaddis. They served as ideologists of the Islamic faith. Subsequently, many of them were founded their own schools of jurisprudence. It is quite obvious to the modern historian that many of the Sunnah contradictions are explained by the situational nature of Mohammed's utterances. They changed along with changes in the political situation in the Arab world, which was by no means obvious to the prophet's contemporaries. Because of the ambiguities in the interpretations, a whole science arose that interpreted certain hadiths. And in the Islamic world for many centuries there have been disputes over the interpretation of certain lines.

Tip 3: What is a Pentacle

Pentacle is one of the most popularmagic tools. The symbol is based on a five-pointed star made of any material: cardboard, silver, copper. The diameter of the star is about nine centimeters. On the pentacle are symbols that denote the types of subtle energy.

The Magic Pentacle

Pentacle administration

Pentacles are widely used in magicalRituals. Manufactured under the guidance of an experienced mentor and charged by all the rules, the figure attracts certain types of energy and helps to achieve specific goals. A five-pointed star can not only be worn on itself in the form of an amulet, but also embroidered on clothes, a magic veil, chalked on the doorjamb and the back of the mirror. The history of the magic symbol dates back several thousand years. At the dawn of civilization, the ancient Greeks and Babylonians used a five-pointed star as a protective amulet. The image of the Pentacle on the ring of King Solomon was associated with the ancient Jews with symbolic representations of the secret names of God. The Pentacle was very popular among the Gentiles. The Neoplatonists saw in the ancient symbol the reflection of the horned god-animal of Pentamorph. The followers of the teachings of the sealants identified the sign with the symbol of the Man Microcosm. In the time of Christianity, people had the notion that the star in its usual form denotes the divine essence, and in the inverted one the essence is devilish.

How to make a pentacle

To produce a pentacle by all the rules can onlyAn experienced magician. If you do not have magical art, do not risk: one incorrectly drawn symbol can turn against you all the power of ancient spells. Order the creation of a talisman to a magician and use your magic power for health, attracting money and luck. You can charge a new five-pointed star yourself. To do this, the pentacle should be dipped in molten wax and put on the left palm. Fingers of the right hand drive along the perimeter of the star (clockwise) and mentally imagine yourself the person you want to be. Once you become a successful and rich person in your imagination, try to concentrate your thinking energy, form it into a power ball and direct your fingers to the pentacle from the fingertips. The charged pentacle is the property of its owner. The symbol works only for one person, you can not transfer it to others. The mark can be worn with you or stored in a certain place. It is very important to always remember where the talisman is, in order to be able to contact him at any time. Pentacles in the distance brings to its master an insight and helps him navigate in a difficult situation.

Tip 4: What is the Minor Arcana in the Tarot

Junior Arcana in the Decks of the Tarot - predecessorsmodern playing cards, and also consist of suits, or series. This is their difference from the older arcane, in which each map is a separate story.

The layout

Instructions

1

Series, or suit, junior arcane - these are wands,Swords, cups and denarii. As in playing cards, each suit begins with an ace, followed by a two, a three and then to ten. Among the figured cards there are the same king, queen and knight, and also a new figure is added - the page. It is not clear the origin of the maps, it is still not clear whether the junior and senior Tarot arcana appeared simultaneously or were joined in one deck later. Most occultists have never given much importance to junior arcanes and hold the view that these groups of cards are not related to each other. It is believed that the older lasso is a special philosophy, while the younger ones are only fortune-telling and playing cards.

2

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the junior Arcana Tarot did not carry inTo themselves practically no information, differing from ordinary playing cards only by suits and quantity. Only symbols were represented on them in the amount that corresponded to the card number. Five cups or cups were represented on the top five, three swords on the top of the swords. When guessing, to interpret them was just as difficult as popular playing cards. The values ​​were either memorized by heart for each card, or the value of the number, card number was recalled and associated with the suit, the element. The deck, in which the junior arcane had a plot, appeared only in 1910, according to the idea of ​​the artist Pamela Coleman Smith. This innovation has taken root, and since then all 78 cards have been plotted.

3

Divination uses junior arcana, if neededto find out exactly how events will develop in order to clarify the meaning of a particular card. For a more accurate knowledge of the relationship of a particular person, also use the layout of small lasso. Staves, or wands, are considered to have come from a green forest, so there is always green in their presentation, being a symbol of growth. Next to the other cards, the staffs always carry energy, creative or destructive. Correlate the staff with ideas of all kinds, with craft and with agriculture.

4

Cups, or bowls, always symbolize love,feelings, happiness, beauty. Cups are associated with water, can serve as a symbol of the subconscious, instincts, as opposed to consciousness and reason. Denarii, or pentacles - is a financial gain. Pentacles called a coin with a five-pointed star depicted on it, and such a star, or pentagram, has been a symbol of man since ancient times. Swords are aggression, strength, courage and ambition, struggle, a sign of activity, positive or negative.