Recognizing The Occult---Part 5

 

This is the fifth (and final) post I will publish on occult symbolism. I've written much on occult practices and how it influences things like music and movies, but not so much on occult symbols. Sometimes my friends will ask, "I want to buy [certain item they show me] but a writing or a picture on it looks strange. Is it occult?" Good question. Sometimes someone will know something is occult, but they don't know exactly why it's bad, other than the general condemnation of the occult by the Church and found in the Bible. 

This post will continue to expose occult symbolism. While many things today are occult, not every symbol or writing we don't understand is automatically "occult." We must learn to discern. You may be better equipped to help a family member or friend who has some occult symbol in his/her possession and may not realize it, thinking it harmless. My first post in this series was published on 4/27/26.  It is well worth reading first if you have not already done so--it gives some background on symbolism which I will not repeat here. This final post will deal with explicitly occult symbols most people recognize but may not understand exactly what it shows. I was not going to show these symbols since they are mostly known for what they are, but I thought it might be good to expose them fully. I think it is a fitting way to end this series of posts. 

I claim no credit for any of the material in this post. All I did was compile the research on the occult into a terse and reader-friendly installment on this blog. The material comes from many online and print resources.  I hope you find it useful. Please comment and let me know if you got something out of it.

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

Explicitly Occult Symbols

The Pentagram

Meaning: A geometric declaration of mastery. It visualizes the occult claim that the universe is a battery the human will can drain. The star represents the four elements (earth, air, fire, water) as raw materials to be ruled by the fifth point: Spirit (the self). When enclosed in a circle (the Pentacle), that boundary represents a containment field —a “magic circle” designed to keep spiritual energies in and dangerous influences out. It says, “I am the captain of my soul; I command the elements and bind the spirits.” 

Origin:The Pentagram has a long diverse history, even being used by medieval Christians to represent the five wounds of Christ. However, its modern meaning comes from 19th-century occultist Eliphas Levi. He established the distinction used today: the star pointing up represents “white” magic (control), and the star pointing down represents “black” magic (rebellion). 

Uses Today: The upright pentacle is the primary symbol of Wicca, worn as a protective talisman and displayed on altars. Wiccans use the pentacle in rituals to consecrate tools, invoke or banish elemental forces, and cast protective circles. It is also worn as jewelry to identify practitioners and ward off negative energy. It has also been used by Satanists. 

Why it is so evil: The Pentagram claims the elements contain divine power we can direct. However, from a Traditional Catholic worldview, creation is a masterpiece, not a battery. We don’t manipulate the painting to get power; we talk to the Artist who holds every atom together (Colossians 1:17). True authority isn’t seized; it’s received from the One who said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (St. Matthew 28:18). 

The Sigil of Bathomet

Meaning: A deliberate visual blasphemy. Encircling the image are Hebrew letters which, winding “widdershins” (against the natural order), spell Leviathan). Historically, this counterclockwise motion was believed to “unwind” creation, reverse blessings into curses, and defy the divine order. By writing the name of the biblical chaos-monster in this direction, the symbol is a display of rebellion—invoking an ancient enemy of God to champion the inner beast. The inverted star (two points up) symbolizes the material world and carnal instincts ruling over the spirit. It tells the wearer that their basest instincts are not sins to be mortified, but "gods" to be worshipped. 

Origin: This icon wasn’t found in ancient ruins; it was constructed to shock. Éliphas Lévi created the “Sabbatic Goat” in 1856 as a fusion of opposites (male/female, man/beast) to represent “equilibrium” and wholeness through embracing contradictions. Lévi inscribed SOLVE (dissolve) and COAGULA (congeal) on its arms. In 1966, Anton LaVey adopted it for the Church of Satan, adding the Hebrew text to create the “preeminent visual distillation of Satanism.” 

Uses Today: The primary emblem of the Church of Satan, worn as a badge of identity by atheistic and theistic Satanists alike. (Atheistic Satanists consider Satan to represent "doing your own will" and disavow belief in the supernatural which hinders people from doing what they want. Theistic Satanists believe in the devil and worship him as such). The symbol appears on jewelry, tattoos, album covers, and public monuments erected to challenge Christian displays. 

Why it is so evil: The Sigil of Baphomet promises that embracing our animal nature brings freedom and wholeness. Scripture says the flesh and the Spirit are at war (Galatians 5:17), and feeding the flesh never satisfies—it kills (Romans 8:6). Real joy isn’t found by indulging in our sinful nature; it’s found in God’s loving and glorious presence, where there are “pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). 

Leviathan Cross

Meaning: A badge of sulfurous pride. It takes the alchemical symbol for sulfur (brimstone)—the very substance of biblical judgment—and wears it as a crown. The infinity symbol at the bottom represents the eternal, autonomous self, while the double Cross of Lorraine symbolizes balance and protection. It creates the occult paradox “Fire of Water”—fiery will thriving in the abyss of the subconscious—declaring, “I would rather burn in my own kingdom than serve in Yours.” 

Origin: Originally a notation for sulfur (brimstone) in 17th-century alchemy (representing the soul or “animating fire” within matter), it was hijacked by Anton LaVey in the 1960s as the central emblem of the Church of Satan. He twisted this ancient chemical glyph into a modern symbol of defiance and self-sovereignty, renaming it after the biblical chaos-dragon, Leviathan. 

Uses Today: The official symbol appears in The Satanic Bible and is worn as jewelry and tattoos by practitioners and non-practitioners alike. Beyond fashion and occult circles, it has also spread through video games like The Binding of Isaac (2011), where millions of young people encountered it as the “Brimstone” power-up before discovering its occult meaning. 

Why it is so evil: It turns the picture of judgment (fire and brimstone) into a badge of personal sovereignty. The irony is heartbreaking: they wear the very badge of their own destruction, celebrating the flame that will consume the rebellion they cherish. Jesus Christ took the punishment we deserved so we could have eternal life with Him instead of eternal agony. 

The Sigil of Lucifer

Meaning:  The promise of forbidden knowledge. In modern Luciferianism (a belief system distinct from Satanism that views Lucifer not as a devil but as a liberator and bringer of light) the sigil represents the pursuit of knowledge (Gnosis), enlightenment, and the independence of the human mind. It is the visual representation of the “Light Bringer” (Lux + Ferre), symbolizing the “spark” of intellect that Luciferians believe was gifted to humanity in the Garden of Eden against the will of a "tyrannical Creator."

Origin: This design comes straight from a dusty instruction manual for summoning demons. It first appeared in the Grimorium Verum (The Grimoire of Truth), a textbook of magic likely from the 18th century, where it served as a tool to invoke and bargain with the spirit of Lucifer. 

Uses Today: The sigil is used in contemporary Luciferian and occult practices as a symbol of enlightenment, individualism, and self-empowerment. It is used as a tool of invocation—a “phone number” to the spirit realm to establish a connection with the “Light Bringer.” It appears widely as jewelry, tattoos, and fashion accessories, adopted by both practitioners committed to its spiritual meaning and those attracted to its aesthetic or countercultural associations. 

Why it is so evil: The Sigil of Lucifer celebrates the serpent’s lie—“You will be like God”—as the original act of enlightenment. St. Paul warns that Satan still disguises himself as “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). 

Conclusion

What I wrote as the conclusion in the first four parts of this series is perennially true and is a fitting final word on occult symbols:

Symbols have deep meaning and are important. They link things tangible to realities that are intangible. We can't see love, but when a man brings red roses to his wife, love is symbolized. The ultimate symbol of love is the crucifix, God died so we may live forever. Those are wonderful symbols. However, when the symbol is linked to intangible evils by symbolizing heresies, immoralities and calling upon (evil) spirits for "protection" they become an invitation (wittingly or not) for evil to enter your life. Invite evil in and it will take you up on your request.