Yikes! What do we have below? Is this the ill-reputed inverted pentagram? What exactly does this symbol mean? And what/why is Donny Cates using it for in respect to his Venom series? Let’s take a look, shall we?
The pentagram originates from the Greek words pente, πέντε, or five, and gramma, or γράμμα, or that which written or is drawn. The pentagram is ultimately the pentalpha, or the pente, πέντε, or five and alpha, ἄλφα. This is the Greek letter A. It is the idea that the form of the letter A, or Α, in five different positions. A, in Isopsephy, is equal to 1. Therefore, five alphas is equal to 1+1+1+1+1 = 5. Not too scary just yet, correct?
What’s In a Symbol?
The pentagram is typically associated with witchcraft, Satanism, and other black magic in pop culture. I assume that had someone painted a pentagram with a circle around it while I was younger near my home I would have jumped to the conclusion there was a devil worshipping group in my immediate area. Or a punk/anarchist band. Or maybe even some type of Ozzy Osborn fan. The little I knew back then...and the inherent power of the symbol on the mind.
The pentalpha, as written history would lead us to believe, was possibly in existence in ancient Babylon and Egyptian. It was possibly a symbol of Venus, as Venus in connection with the Sun forms a “pentagram” from Earth’s perspective as it rotates around the Sun.
In turn, it was also used a powerful symbol of the Pythagoreans. The pentalpha, or pentagram, It is union of the first odd and the first even numbers. It is the summation of the number 2 and the number 3. All things proceeding from numbers imparted a benign meaning to the pentalpha. Each letter of the word υγεία was inserted into a triangle; the word υγεία is equivalent to health. Therefore, one could consider the pentagram, or pentalpha, to be representative of a talisman of health.
Occultistists consider the number 5, and therefore the pentalpha, to be representative of the Microcosm, or Man. The early Christians and their references to the five wounds on Jesus Christ? Again, a symbolic usage of the pentalpha to denote the fall of the Spirit, or Christos, into Matter, or life or man. Spirit falling into matter? Again, we tread ever so lightly in the Gnostic realm once more.
Cornelius Agrippa mentions in his works that the pentalpha, because of its association with the number five, holds much power and command over the evil spirits due to its construction, the angles involved, and the layout of the triangles. IIt was found in Northern European cultures and known as the symbol of Deity, or Druid’s foot, and was inscribed upon various household and farming objects to ward of elves, witches, and other mischievous sprites of the night that intend ill will upon the living.
So far so good, and then apparently came along Eliphas Levi. Levi mentions that the pentagram is the star of the magians. It is the symbol of the “word made flesh.” From what seems to originate from out of nowhere, Levi wrote that the pentagram/pentalpha’s meaning is dependent upon the orientation of the symbol. If the symbol is upright, it means “good” magic is about...if the symbol is inverted, as is the case on Venom’s chest, black magic is afoot. Levi went so far as to say the following regarding the upright pentalpha:
It represents order, the good principle, the blessed lamb of Ormuzd and of St. John, initiation, Lucier, Mary, and light.
The inverted pentalpha, however, represents disorder, the evil principle, the accursed god of Mendes, the profane, Vesper, and darkness.
Since that time, pop culture had embraced the idea of the pentagram as being associated with magic and Satan. What I think is interesting is that the symbol may very well have had a positive meaning, regardless of its orientation, until Levi wanted to shock and awe the public in the mid 19th century for gold and attention. I could be wrong in that assessment, but we’ll never know if this change in the archetype of the pentalpha was made purely from gleamed knowledge of the Mysteries, or a man seeking attention. I’d guess it was the latter, but hey, it could be the former too. I wasn’t around then (at least I don’t think I was…)
With all that said, what will see today? Will Cates’ take the easy road when Venom 8 is released to the public? Will it simply be representative, in the context of the storyline, of chaos, Vesper, darkness, Lilith, and death? Or will he choose to do something else with this symbol? Will he twist it’s meaning into something much different? Will it no longer be the stomping grounds of Levi adepts, and instead attempt to me transmute into something much dissimilar?
I hope the latter; I did pick up a copy of Venom 8 this morning, but have yet to read it. I am going to guess it has something to do with the upcoming Web of Carnage issue; that book is supposed to feature a cult led resurrection rite attempting to bring the psychotic symbiote back to life in the Marvel Universe. If that is indeed the case, I suspect the Venom inverted Pentagram is very un-Pythagorean.
What did I miss? And what did I leave out?