The heptagram is also known as a seven-pointed star or septagram. Hepta stands for a group or formation of seven elements. This ancient symbol is part of various religions and cultures, such as Wicca, Christianity, and Welsh culture, and it symbolizes the planets, the days of the week, infinity or wholeness and protection from evil.
What Does the Seven-Pointed Star Symbolize?
The seven-pointed star or heptagram signifies many things. It has been used on national flags to symbolize unity and has been found on commonwealth coats of arms.
Australian Flag
The heptagram is also seen on the Australian flag, indicating the unity of the states and six union territories from the commonwealth in Australia.
Religious Meanings
The heptagram in Christianity is used for protection from evil. Also, the symbol’s points refer to a day of the week.
The heptagram is also seen in neopagan, pagan, and Wiccan cultures. In neopagan cultures, it is known as elven or faery star. The seven-pointed star can be drawn using a single continuous line.
The Heptagram in Wicca
The heptagram has a greater significance in magic and Wicca, and it’s different from the regular heptagon.
Though the symbol has been used for centuries, it became popular during the Otherkin movement in the 1980s and 90s. The Elf-Queen’s Daughters feminist group from San Francisco took inspiration from Elven Star and called themselves elves in human form.
Heptagram in the Faery World
In the magic world, the seven-pointed star symbolizes the faery world. It represents the Shining Realms and is used for protection. People who meditate also use the heptagram as a focal point. It allows them to connect easily with the spiritual world.
Heptagram in the Ancient Neareastern World
The heptagram is also a sign of eternity, infinity, and wholeness. It unifies life cycles from birth to death. The symbol was considered a snake eating its tail in ancient times, and the Egyptians called it a dragon eating its tail. Both versions implied infinity.
What Does Each Point on the Star Mean?
The seven points of the heptagram have several meanings depending on the culture and religion of the people who use it. For example, Christians mark each point as a day of the week.
The medieval alchemists used each point to represent a metal (mercury, lead, silver, copper, tin, iron, and gold) and their associated planets.
Other Meanings
The seven points refer to seven pillars in the Middle East and seven mothers in Southeast Asia. They also imply seven faces of Hathor for Egyptians, even colors in a rainbow, seven ragas (music notes), the Pleiades (seven sisters), or the seven chakras.
Heptagram in the Druid World
In the druid world, the seven points of the septagram have different meanings. This symbolism is found in Welsh culture. Each point is given a name and associated with quality.
- Doethiweb- Wisdom
- Eluseugan- Compassion
- Rhyddfrdwr- Liberal
- Wmbredd- Abundance
- Ymnellltuaeth- Nonconformity
- Dysg- Learning
- Delfrydwr- Idealism
History of the Great Heptagram
The earliest instances of a heptagram/seven-pointed star are found in the Kabbalistic tradition. The star symbolizes kindness and love. In the Jewish mythical system, the heptagram is associated with the sphere of Netzach and the planet Venus (goddess of love in Greek mythology).
The heptagram is called septagram/septegram in witchcraft and is a sacred symbol like a pentagram. It represents north, south, east, west, above, below, and within. Both symbols hold supreme power in Wicca and connect the natural and spiritual worlds.
Aleister Crowley, the famous occultist, considered the heptagram as the Seal of Babalon. Babalon is the goddess of the occult and is also known as The Sacred Whore, the Scarlet Woman, Mother of Abominations, or the Great Mother of Thelema.
What Does the Elven Star Mean?
The elven or fairy star is the same as the heptagram and septagram. In the faery realm, the seven points of the elven star are associated with nature’s elements like air, water, earth, fire, spirit, magic, and feminine spirit. Magick practitioners use it to represent spiritual awareness and heightened senses.
The pentagram represents the first five directions (north, south, east, west, and above) visible to everyone. The septagram adds to the pentagram below (underworld) and within (awareness of self).
They say that people with a witch or fae blood can unlock the other two dimensions and gain knowledge of the unknown.
Different emotions, such as joy, trust, connection, knowledge, inspiration, honor, and magick, symbolize each point of the elven star. The elven star is heavily used in The Faery Craft by Emily Carding.
How Do You Make a Seven-Pointed Star?
The heptagram is a mandala. It’s a sign of sacred geometry with immense power and the ability to stand alone as a tool for all-encompassing knowledge. The seven-pointed star should be drawn using a single unbroken line.
- Draw in a clockwise direction to invoke energy and a counterclockwise direction to banish energy.
- Start at the bottom left and draw a line upwards.
- Turn this into an inverted V by drawing a line downwards towards the right.
- Draw a sideways V from the bottom right toward the left. Repeat the action until you get the seven-pointed star.
It requires a little practice but can be quickly done in a clockwise direction. Reverse the steps to make the star in counter-clockwise order.
Are Septagrams and Heptagrams the Same?
Yes. The heptagram is called a septagram in witchcraft. The meanings of the seven-pointed star from different cultures overlap to create a strong focal point.
The days of the week can be associated with the corresponding planets:
- Sunday- Sun (within, honor)
- Monday- Moon (below, magick)
- Tuesday- Mars (south, inspiration, fire)
- Wednesday- Mercury (east, knowledge, air)
- Thursday- Jupiter (west, joy, water)
- Friday- Venus (above, connection, stars)
- Saturday- Saturn (north, trust, earth)
Heptagram Tattoo Meaning
You can get a heptagram or elven star tattoo to symbolize your association with witchcraft. The tattoo symbolizes protection, power, spiritual awakening, and eternal unity. It’s also considered a symbol of knowledge.
The heptagram/seven-pointed star is found in many religions and cultures throughout the world. Despite its various meanings, the star is known for its power to ward off evil and connect the two realms.