The hexagram is a six-pointed star formed by two superimposed triangles. This geometric definition is simple; its history is much less so. The design circulated in decorative, religious, talismanic, and magical contexts before becoming one of the most recognizable emblems of Judaism under the name Star of David. Its association with the Seal of Solomon belongs to a medieval and later tradition in which the legend of the magician king meets geometric figures that did not remain identical across texts and regions.
| Shape | Two superimposed equilateral triangles forming six points around a central hexagon |
|---|---|
| Geometric name | Hexagram |
| Major modern religious name | Star of David or Magen David |
| Historical talismanic name | Seal of Solomon in several medieval and modern traditions |
| Essential point | The legend of Solomon's seal was not always attached to a single form |
How is a hexagram constructed, and what do its two triangles suggest?
The hexagram arises from superimposing two equilateral triangles oriented in opposite directions. The figure draws six points and a central hexagon. Unlike the pentagram, it is not a star polygon constructed by a continuous line connecting the vertices of a single pentagon: its appearance comes from two intersecting triangles.
This structure naturally encouraged interpretations based on complementarity. One triangle points upward, the other downward; one may be associated with above, the other with below; one with fire, the other with water. In modern occult systems, the upward-pointing triangle recalls the symbol of fire, while the downward-pointing triangle refers to the symbol of water. Their union then becomes an image of the meeting between opposing principles.
However, one must begin with the geometry before assigning an interpretation. A hexagram may be a simple decorative motif. The design appears in several cultures and on several types of objects without a direct transmission or identical meaning being able to be asserted in every instance. The presence of two triangles is therefore not enough to conclude that it has a religious or magical function.
Where does the tradition of the Seal of Solomon come from?
The Seal of Solomon initially refers to a legend concerning the biblical king Solomon and a ring invested with extraordinary authority. Jewish, Christian, and Islamic accounts develop the idea of a seal or ring that allowed its bearer to command spirits, exercise power over demons, or manifest authority received from God. The motif of the seal therefore belongs to a narrative history before being attached to a specific star.
The Jewish Encyclopedia notes that rabbinic tradition knows of Solomon's ring and that Arabic developments give an important place to the “Greatest Name” engraved on this seal. The later association with a six-pointed star developed in a medieval context where geometry, talisman, and Solomonic legend came together.
Preserved objects show why the name and the form must be distinguished. The Bibliothèque nationale de France preserves Byzantine amulets from the 6th and 7th centuries bearing a formula translated as “Seal of Solomon, protect the wearer,” although their decoration is not simply that of a hexagram: they feature Solomon on horseback, angels, demons, animals, and protective signs. The “seal” therefore already designated a talismanic authority that extended beyond the single six-pointed design.
When did the hexagram become the Seal of Solomon?
In medieval Arab traditions, the six-pointed star received the name Seal of Solomon and entered a group of protective, talismanic, and decorative signs. This designation then spread into Jewish and European circles. The figure gradually became one of the most stable representations of the legendary seal, without eliminating other forms.
The same history also includes the pentagram. The Jewish Encyclopedia notes that in the West the seal could be represented by a pentacle or pentangle. This coexistence explains the contradictions found in popular books: some claim that the Seal of Solomon is necessarily a hexagram, while others say it is the pentagram. The sources instead show a fluid tradition.
The Solomonic pentacle adds another layer. In the Key of Solomon, numerous talismanic figures are grouped under this term and may include stars, circles, names, and sacred passages. Solomonic vocabulary therefore cannot be reduced to a simple equivalence between a name and a geometric form.
Are the hexagram, Star of David, and Seal of Solomon the same thing?
“Hexagram” names the geometric form. “Star of David” or Magen David names a Jewish religious and identity-based history that became central in the modern era. “Seal of Solomon” refers to a talismanic and legendary tradition attached to King Solomon. The three expressions may visually designate the same six-pointed star, but they do not tell the same story.
This distinction is essential to avoid erasing the modern Jewish context of the Star of David or, conversely, projecting this identity onto every archaeological hexagram. A six-pointed motif carved on an ancient building must be interpreted based on its location, date, and visual environment, not on the meaning it possesses today.
The same principle applies to a talisman. A hexagram surrounded by divine names or magical characters belongs to a system of signs that should not be conflated with the use of the Star of David as a religious and communal emblem. The form remains identical; the function changes.
How did the hexagram enter ceremonial magic?
Modern ceremonial magic gives the hexagram a role distinct from that of the pentagram. The pentagram is widely associated with the microcosm and the elements; the hexagram receives a more cosmic, planetary, and macrocosmic interpretation. The two triangles make it possible to express the union of above and below, fire and water, the celestial and the terrestrial.
Rituals developed in the 19th century thus use forms of hexagrams to work with planetary correspondences. The figure becomes a tool for classification and action in a system where planets, colors, names, and directions are arranged with precision. This function belongs to modern occultism and should not be projected onto every earlier use of the sign.
The hexagram therefore perfectly summarizes the method of the Grimoire of Symbols: first recognize a form, then reconstruct its contexts, and finally distinguish what belongs to geometry, religion, the talisman, and occultism. This separation makes it possible to understand why the same star can simultaneously be an ancient motif, Star of David, Seal of Solomon, and ceremonial sign without these uses being interchangeable.
Sources and historical references
For the legend of the seal and the coexistence of pentagrammatic and hexagrammatic forms, see the Jewish Encyclopedia entry “Solomon, Seal of”. For material evidence showing the expression “Seal of Solomon” on a Byzantine amulet whose iconography is not reducible to the hexagram, see the Bibliothèque nationale de France record.
