The Nautical Star Design

	The nautical star design must be one of the most popular and distinctive symbols used, in one form or another, in the world today. You may not realise just how popular it is until you actually go out and look for it. For a start there is tattoo design, an incredible number of people are sporting nautical stars on their skin these days (particularly noticeable on the beach). Ok, so they were always popular with sailors, representing the North Star, and hence associated with finding your way home safely. Other groups also have a particular affiliation with the design, namely US and other forces, punk rockers, gay and lesbian people. The design has, no doubt, a slightly different meaning to each of these groups, but the theme of guidance and protection seems to run through them all (finding you way safely across the sea, through a conflict, through adversity or through life in general). Nowadays they also seem to be worn because people find the design attractive and distinctive without attaching any other significance to it. Another area the design is found in abundance is in advertising and packaging, often with no apparent connection to the product. - look out next time you hit the high street. Although I've found little evidence to connect the nautical star design with the pentagram, adopted by several occult groups, the outline of the two designs is identical with the interior being constructed to bring out different properties of the overall shape. Apparently evidence of the use of the pentagram has been found dating back several thousand years. If you would like more information please follow the links on the links page.