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The pentagram is a five-pointed star, often enclosed in a circle. It’s called a pentacle when it’s engraved on a pendant. Wiccans often wear it the way Christians wear a cross or Jews wear a star of David (six-pointed star) or Asatruers (Nordic Pagans) wear a Thor’s hammer.
The pentagram has a rather sinister reputation, particularly when it’s inverted, due to its association in the public mind with Satanism. Please bear in mind that a symbol means to the users what they intend and has no intrinsic qualities. Regardless of whatever Satanists (and others) may do with the pentagram, Wiccans continue to use this star-shaped symbol their own way, just as in yet other ways so do American sheriffs and flag-wavers, and teachers awarding gold stars to good students, and everybody when decorating Christmas trees.
For Wiccans the pentagram represents the human being — head at uppermost point, and with arms spread and feet apart — embracing the universe. The points also correspond with the five “elements” we think of as composing all living things, namely, air, fire, water, earth and spirit. In ritual, after the circle is cast (to make our temporary temple), Wiccans often draw a pentagram in the air at each of the four directions, which are associated with the first four elements. (Spirit is thought of in the centre of the circle, but a pentagram is seldom done there.) These directions and elements are also associated with human aspects:
Air and the east for intellect and perception;
Fire and the south for energy and drive;
Water and the west for emotion and intuition;
Earth and the north for manifestation and action.
Wiccans usually use the upright pentagram, though occasionally they turn it upside-down for various purposes, for instance as a symbol of protection. Some traditional Wiccans use it as the sign of their second degree:- “The. . .symbolism is that although the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water are now in balance, they still dominate the fifth, Spirit. The crowned upright pentagram of the Third Degree symbolizes that Spirit now rules the others.” (Janet and Stewart Farrar,The Witches’ Way. London: Robert Hale, 1985.)