Crafting the Pentagram: A Spell for Protection
“The graceful plants of old carry hidden instructions on how to exist with more harmony, nuance, and wildness. May we learn from them and take heart - for within everything seen there are many layers unseen. It is from this place of mystery that lies behind the visible where meaning is best perceived”
Did you know that Pointy Hat Press co-founder Caitlyn Barone hangs a pentagram over her front door for protection? Inspired by May’s Moon Letter, The Petals of Venus, here's how Caitlyn crafts her sacred stars…
When crafting a protective emblem for my home, my choice symbol is, of course, the pentagram. And being the flower-witch-nature-enthusiast that I am, my preferred material comes directly from my tiny yard. I live in a rental, but over time, I’ve built relationships with the trees that reside here. One at a time, I've learned the trees’ names, surveyed their blooms, and ogled the hundreds of crows who shelter in their arms every fall. I also make protective stars from the bones of these trees. To craft your own pentagrams, all you’ll need are five twigs of similar length, a bit of glue, twine, and scissors.
The Storm Twig Pentagram
The trees around this century-old home are ancient, so instead of cutting branches, I forage for fallen twigs the morning after a blustering summer storm. Storms are powerful; a magical brew comprised of wind, rain, thunder and lightning. To me, the branches that snap from the tree radiate the storm's energetic charge.
After collecting my twigs, I give a little thanks to my plant friend for providing the material. I arrange my twigs in the shape of the five-pointed star; the pentagram. Sometimes I need to turn them over until each twig rests comfortably on top of one another. I place a drop of glue where each twig touches, let it dry completely, and reinforce the intersections with twine. I put my twig pentagram above or on my front door, or on my altar.”
The Hydrangea Branch Pentagram
Another version of a protective pentagram emblem I make is crafted from the trimmings of my hydrangea shrub. I typically collect branches after their pre-winter pruning. Underneath this plant’s ample and color-changing bust of sepals are its branches. According to Scott Cunningham in The Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, the bark from these branches is particularly protective of the home thanks to its ability to break hexes.
