Star designs are classified according to the number or points (or rays), the most common stars are made up of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 points and each variation takes on various meanings. The 4-pointed star symbolises the axis of the world and is drawn as a simple cross or one with very sharp points. The latter style is used as a symbol by various Native American tribes and examples of it can be found on their shields, clothes, carpets and other works of art.
The 5-pointed star is a form that can be found in nature, in some flowers and creatures such as the starfish. It also the most common star design and has been adopted by many schools of thought. In magic is known as a pentagram or pentacle and symbolises the human being. Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian man is also inscribed inside a 5-pointed star. For modern witchcraft and Wicca it symbolises knowledge, female energies and the secret of life while the 5 points correspond to the 5 elements: air, water, earth, fire and spirit. An upside down 5-pointed star is a sign of Satanism but it also represents the Pagans' horned god. One of the most common tattoo subjects is the 5-pointed nautical star, which is usually divided into two halves, coloured red and black. In the past it was typical among sailors, for whom it meant a lucky journey home.
The 6-pointed star or hexagram is also known as the Star of David or Solomon's Seal, representing the unity between Heaven and Earth, the balance between the divine and the human, and evolution. In America a sheriff's star also has six points! The 7-pointed star or septagram is also called the fairy star and represents magic, childhood and the ability to communicate with the magical world. It symbolises the music of the celestial spheres, the seven notes of the musical scale, the seven colours of the rainbow, the seven days of the week, the seven archangels and so on.
The 8-pointed star was the emblem of the Knights of Malta and was widespread among the Crusaders too. The points represent the 8 knightly virtues of tact, perseverance, gallantry, loyalty, dexterity, explicitness, observation and sympathy. The 9-pointed star is a magical symbol connected to the mother goddess, in popular Scandinavian mythology it represented the Nine Worlds, for esotericism and wizardry it means the end of a cycle, for others it is the symbol of perfection.
Stars also symbolise the supreme ambition, the great ideal, "high" ideas, pure intention and represent the home of the gods, flights of angels and God's throne in heaven. A lot of societies and religions have attributed meanings and importance to the stars, which have been respected and worshipped by many cultures. For ancient travellers their light showed them the right way to go and until a few centuries ago people thought that the stars were paths or routes.
Astrolgers have studied the stars through the horoscope and the zodiac for centuries the influence they have on our destiny, and a great human dream is to travel through space to understand the mystery of the stars. Thanks to the stars we have learnt how to measure time, seasons and years. Our nearest star, the sun, has always had a fundamental role for us our existence, and that of every living thing on earth depends on its existence.
The North Star is important too: it allows us to define the position of all the stars and it is a point of reference for navigators and caravan guides and all nomads in the northern hemisphere. In many parts of Asia and Europe it is known as the hinge, the beam, the navel and gate of the sky, or the pillar of the sky and the world. But people who live in the opposite hemisphere see different stars to us... isn't that funny?
