Altar cloth The Magician’s Star

The seven-pointed star is an ancient symbol in the history of humanity as the Pentagram. The seven-pointed star (heptagram, “Elven Star,” “Magician’s Star”) has accumulated many meanings over the centuries. The oldest traces of this symbol can be found in the Kabbalistic tradition. According to this Jewish mystical system, the 7-pointed star is associated with the Sephirah Netzach and, therefore, with the Venus planet. The use of the symbol can also be traced back to the early Christians, who considered it a protective sign.

In the Middle Ages, the symbol was widely used by alchemists because the seven points corresponded perfectly with the seven metals used by alchemists, namely lead, copper, mercury, silver, tin, gold, and iron. In addition, the seven points perfectly coincided with the seven planets.

The magician’s star symbolizes balance and harmony, reflecting the hermetic principle “What is above is below.” Its symbolic meaning is a perfect balance of complementary forces, a perfect union of spirit and matter, Microcosm and Macrocosm. However, most often, the Star of the Magician is correlated with the seven planets (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, and Moon) that make up the Macrocosm. As a well-established planetary symbol, each vertex of the Magician’s Star represents one of the traditional “seven wandering stars” (septenary planets) and the corresponding days of the week (as well as other magical correspondences that are influenced by the planets).