The Pentacle or the Pentagram is a 5 pointed star, often, but not always, encircled with the circle of Unity. It represents the domination of Spirit or Divine Will over base matter, and the elements of Spirit, Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. The pentacle has been a symbol of protection and spiritual growth for millennia. At its points are the stages of Life: birth, initiation, consummation, repose, and death, with the circle bringing us back to birth in the cycle of reincarnation. Representing the element of Earth in the Tarot, the pentacle is also associated with prosperity and abundance and being grounded. It is often confused with the pentagram. The pentagram is the mathematical design itself, while the pentacle is an object in the shape of a pentagram. The paten is a dish for holding cakes and other offerings or for charging material items and often has a pentacle or pentagram inscribed upon it.