Integration

[Beerclaw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balgus82

upside down pentagram is bad, rightside up pentagram is good. just like an upside down cross is bad and a rightside up cross is good.

Close-ish.

The Pentagram/Pentacle with the point upwards indicates "Spirit(uality) over Material(ism)", and likewise, the point down indicates "Material(ism) over Spirit(uality)". Being upside down is not inherently 'evil', it just indicates that one holds more value in money, family, sex and whatnot over 'valor', 'honor', 'justice' and other such things. The initial modern image of the "Baphomet" was from Eliphas Levi, which had no direct Satanic intentions; but the goat's head version of the "Baphomet" within the inverted Pentagram/Pentacle was made by Anton LaVey some good many years later, heavily used within his "Church of Satan". The "meanings" of those have much speculation and it is easy to internet search more info on 'em (preferably not done on biased Christian web pages).

As for the Cross (properly, Crucifix, as crosses have been Pagan symbols long before the Christian Crucifix), right side up is what most of us know of, plain and simple. The Inverted Cross is not necessarily a sign of 'evil', either. Despite what Hollywood and many anti-Christian Black Metal bands would have you believe, the St. Peter's Cross is a Catholic symbol; it is believed that St. Peter (yes, the disciple) was crucified, but was all "uhh, dude, I don't think I'm worthy of dying like my master, so would upside down be cool?" and thus the "Petrine Cross" comes from that belief. Some people try to invert the cross in the idea of perverting it, but Christianity beat them to the punch and laid claim to that symbol long before.

Fun fact: the "Saltire" (or St. Andrew's Cross) also comes from the idea that St. Andrew didn't want to be Crucified like his master, NOR exactly like St. Peter, so he was crucified upside down on an X instead of a T crucifix. Fun times.