This letter to the Editor was printed the following day in response to the
article "Dabbling in occult: Teen vandals on the rise"


                          Satanic groups abuse pentagram
                          ==============================

To the Editor:

   Your report (Jan. 2) concerning the occult was interesting and disturbing.
Let me begin by stating that I do not condone any of the repulsive activities
reported as having beenperformed by satanic groups or others who may be just
plain sick.

   My purpose in writing is to clarify the misrepresention of one of my religious symbols,
the pentagram. This symbol has been used by various pagan groups which, like me,
do not worship Satan, nor do they acknowledge his existence. Satan, by the way,
is a supernatural being within the Judeo-Christian system of mythology, and
those who worship him are actually performing perversions of Christian rituals.

   Satanists make use of an inverted pentagram, one with the single point of the 
star pointed downward. Pagan groups, on the other hand, use the upright
pentagram, one with the single point of the star pointed upward. 
An interesting side note is that the pentagram used by my religion and other
pagan groups is the same as that used by our own Air Force in its rank and
aircraft insignia, the five-pointed star inscibed within a circle. I certainly
do not believe our Air Force to be satanic (although Gadhafi may feel it is).

   My primary concern, shared by pagans in general, si that in living my life
my actions do not in any way bring harm to others or to the environment.
My apprehension is that readers who are not informed may mistake a person like
me, whose rituals and attendantsymbols represent love and respect for Earth
and all its creatures, for one of those who are like the despicable 
perpetrators of sacrifial killing, vandalism and desecration of grave site.


                                                  Archie R. Whitehill
                                                  Norfolk, Jan. 2, 1989

                                      -=-
