Paganism describes a group of contemporary religions based on a reverence for nature. These faiths draw on the traditional religions of indigenous peoples throughout the world
- Paganism encompasses a diverse community.
- Wiccans, Druids, Shamans, Sacred Ecologists, Odinists and Heathens all make up parts of the Pagan community.
- Some groups concentrate on specific traditions or practicessuch as ecology, witchcraft, Celtic traditions or certain gods.
- Most Pagans share an ecological vision that comes from the Pagan belief in the organic vitality and spirituality of the natural world.
- Due to persecution and misrepresentation it is necessary to define what Pagans are not as well as what they are. Pagans are not sexual deviants, do not worship the devil, are not evil, do not practice 'black magic' and their practices do not involve harming people or animals.
- The Pagan Federation of Great Britain have no precise figures but estimate that the number of Pagans in the British Isles is between 50,000 and 200,000 (2002).
The Symbol dictionary (http://symboldictionary.net/?p=1893) describes 'the five-pointed star or pentagram is one of the most potent, powerful, and persistent symbols in human history.'
The pentagram is often referenced in the heavy metal genre and this article gives a great illustrated history of its use in the heavy metal genre or counterculture, and the symbolic meaning by using it in reverse.
'Naturally there are many using it today, not only within Pagan and Wicca circles, but those interested in Satanism and the occult. Though the distinction is by no means set in stone, upward-pointing pentagrams have often been used by those wishing to point to god/gods, with the downward-pointing pentagram being used by those with darker intentions – no surprise then, that metal has traditionally gravitated toward the inverted pentagram.'
http://teamrock.com/feature/2015-11-17/an-illustrated-history-of-the-pentagram-in-heavy-metal
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