The six-pointed star is a symbol seen throughout the world since the beginning of history. It has had different names, depending on what religion or belief system it appears in.
The six-pointed star is most commonly called the Star of David. It is the symbol of the Jewish religion, and is in reference to Kind David from the Bible. Other names for the six-pointed star include the Seal of Solomon, the Hexagram, the Talisman of Saturn, the Merkaba, the Creator’s Star, and Shanmukha.
The six-pointed star is found throughout the world’s religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Hinduism, as well as in ancient Egypt, occult and new age belief systems. One of the names of the six-pointed star is the merkaba, an ancient Egyptian word, which is a vehicle to go to other dimensions. In Hebrew, the language of Judaism, there is a word Merkava, which means chariot. As you learn about the various names of the six-pointed star, you might start to feel like its all interconnected, point to a greater universal truth.
The Star of David: The Symbol of Judaism
The Star of David is the most popular symbol of the Jewish religion, and is seen on the flag of Israel. Consisting of two overlaid equilateral triangles, in Hebrew it is called Magen David, which means “Shield of David”. It is in reference to King David from the Bible, who united the tribes of Israel.
King David is known as a symbol of the ideal king, because of his raise to power from humble beginnings. He started his life as a shepherd, and through a series of heroics becomes the king of Israel going on to conquer the city of Jerusalem. Then, his son Solomon went on to expand the empire that David built. We’ll talk about Solomon more a bit later in this article, as he is also a part of the history of the names of the six-pointed star.
Before the Star of David, the Menorah, the seven-armed candle, was the was most often as a symbol of Judaism. Although the Star of David can be found adorning synagogues from the Roman times, it was much later that it became widely used by Judaism.
As jews and Christians starred sharing communities in the 17th century, the Jews wanted a symbol that would indicate their places of worship and other spaces in their community, similar to the Christians and their use of the cross.
In 1648, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Ferdinand II, gave the Jews in the city of Prague permission to fly a Jewish flag over their synagogue. This was in recognition of their contributions during the Thirty-Year War, when the city successfully repelled invading Swedish forces.
The flag had a red background, with a yellow Star of David in the centre. This symbol then started spreading to other parts of Europe, being used to denote synagogues, as well as to decorate Jewish objects.
Eventually, the colours of light blue and white replaced the red and yellow. As seen on the flag of Israel, this color combination was popularly used in the shawls that they wore, and became used more and more for uniforms and other cultural symbols.
During the Holocaust of WWII, the Star of David forced the Jews to identify themselves by wearing a yellow Star of David. This meant that whenever seen in public, they had to be displaying the star, or otherwise they would be punished. Some believe that this strengthened the significance of the symbol, adding elements of martyrdom to the meaning.
Although the Star of David came to much greater prominence when Emperor Ferdinand II granted permission to have a flag in 1648, there are many examples of the symbol being used earlier in Judaism. The oldest complete edition of the Hebrew Bible in existence is decorated with a Star of David. The symbol is also found on coins and manuscripts from the 1300s.
The Star of David in Jewish Mysticism
The three corners of the triangle represent the Holy One, the Torah, and Israel, and the connection between the three. The two opposing triangles represent the inner and outer, as well as the physical and spiritual dualities. To the Kabbalists, the six-pointed star is a symbol of protection against evil spirits.
The Seal of Solomon is the Predecessor of the Star of David
Before becoming known as the Star of David, the symbol was known as the Seal of Solomon. It’s name came from a ring owned by King Solomon, which was believed to be magic. The ring featured the familiar shape of the two overlaid opposing triangles, and supposedly granted him magical abilities. Using the ring, he could summon demons, genies, and other entities.
The story goes that when Solomon was building the Temple, an important crafsmen working on the project was being harassed by a demon. Solomon prayed to God for help, and God responded by sending him the magic ring. The ring gave Solomon mastery of supernatural entities which he used to build the Temple.
The Seal of Solomon is identical to the Star of David, except that is also has a circle around the outside. Nowadays, it is often the preferred term to refer to the symbol, in the context of occultism and ceremonial magic, in order to distinguish the shape from its role in Judaism.
The Symbol is Known Universally as the Hexagram
Another name for the six-pointed star is the hexagram, which is a more general term, though often associated with magic, Wicca, Satanism, and Witchcraft. It’s significance is usually taken to be about the union of opposites, as shown in the two opposing triangles. For example, male and female, up and down, heaven and earth, are all dualities that are described in the symbol.
The Talisman of Saturn: the Hexagram in Occultism
Sometimes in occultism the six-pointed star is called the Talisman of Saturn. A talisman is an object that has supernatural powers, such as the ring that God gave Solomon. The planet Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, who represents abundance and renewal. The planet Saturn has also been associated with cult worship, including child sacrifice, wealth and power. The name Talisman of Saturn comes from the western occult tradition, and is derived from the Seal of Solomon. It is believed to offer magical assistance in defeating enemies and garnishing assistance from higher authorities.
The Merkaba Energy Field is a 3D version of the Six-Pointed Star
Similar to how a square can become three dimensional and become a cube, a six-pointed star can also be made three dimensional, which is called a star tetrahedron. This shape exists as an energetic field around our bodies, which is known as the Merkaba.
The name of the Merkaba energy field comes from Egyptian, as the word “Mer” means “Light”, “Ka” means “Spirit”, and “Ba” means “Physical Body”. In modern times, most people are unaware of their Merkaba energy field, but with practice and meditation, it can be activated, according to New Age teachers such as Drunvalo Melchizedek.
Through special meditations which involve specific breathing patterns, the Merkaba can be activated, which means that it starts to spin at the speed of light. A healthy fully activated Merkaba energy field is about fifty to sixty feet in diameter. A person can expect to start experiencing incredible synchronicity in their life after activation, as well as expanded self-awareness, and greater memory of our beingness beyond simply this life and reality.
The Merkabah is also an interdimensional vehicle, which can be used to travel to other dimensions of the universe. In fact, Mer-KaVah means chariot in Hebrew.
The Creator’s Star and Other Examples of the Six-Pointed Star
The six-pointed star can be seen in cathedrals from the medieval ages. To some Christians, it is called the Creator’s Star, and is a symbol of God. Similar to the Jewish significance of the three corners of the triangles, in this belief system they represent the Holy Trinity, and their present in the moment of creation.
The six-pointed star can also be found in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and is called Shanmukha. The two triangles that make up the shape are called “Om” and “Hrim” in Sanskrit, and represent sky and earth. Also, the downward triangle can be taken to represent “Shakti”, the sacred feminine, while the upward triangle is “Shiva”, representing masculinity.
In Islam, the symbol is referred to as the Star of David, as both Solomon and David are recognized as prophets in the Islamic holy book, the Quran. Islam is also represented by a star, called the Rub-el-Hizb, but it is a totally different design.
Recommended Reading
If you’d like to continue researching the third eye as well as the other chakras and energy systems, you can see which books I recommend on the subject by clicking here.