Two overlapping triangles, one pointing up and one pointing down, form a six-pointed star shape known as a hexagram. This symbol carries different meanings depending on the context: it represents Jewish identity as the Star of David, the union of opposing forces in Hindu and alchemical traditions, bisexual pride in LGBTQ+ communities, and concepts like balance and duality in modern art and design.
The Star of David in Judaism
The most widely recognized version of two overlapping triangles is the Star of David, or Magen David (Hebrew for “Shield of David”). It consists of two separate equilateral triangles placed on top of each other, one pointing up and one pointing down. Today it is the central symbol on the flag of Israel and is generally recognized as representing both Jewish identity and Judaism as a religion.
Despite its strong association with Jewish culture, the hexagram was not originally a uniquely Jewish symbol. It appeared as a decorative motif in both 4th-century synagogues and Christian churches in the Galilee region. The historian Gershom Scholem traced examples to a Jewish seal from 7th-century BCE Sidon, but noted it appeared alongside symbols that were clearly not Jewish in origin. The hexagram only became widespread in Jewish magical texts and amulets during the early Middle Ages, likely influenced by Islamic mysticism.
Its adoption as a distinctly Jewish symbol traces to 17th-century Prague. In 1354, the King of Bohemia had approved a red flag with a hexagram for the Jews of Prague, and over the following centuries the symbol spread through Eastern European Jewish communities. By the 19th century, Jewish communities were using it as an identifier comparable to the Christian cross. It was cemented as a symbol of Jewish national identity when the First Zionist Congress chose it for a Jewish national flag in 1897.
The Seal of Solomon
The Seal of Solomon looks similar to the Star of David but has one key visual difference: its two triangles are interwoven rather than simply overlapping. The lines weave over and under each other, creating what looks like a single continuous form rather than two separate shapes stacked together. This interlocking construction is central to its meaning, representing an unbreakable bond between opposing cosmic forces like spirit and matter or masculine and feminine energy.
The symbol is linked to the biblical King Solomon, who was said to have received a magical ring from God engraved with this seal. According to tradition, the ring granted him power over demons and spirits and the ability to communicate with animals. The Seal of Solomon has much older and more varied roots than the Star of David, appearing across multiple faiths in mystical, magical, and esoteric traditions for centuries before the hexagram became closely associated with Judaism.
Hindu and Buddhist Traditions
In Hinduism, two interlocking triangles form the Shatkona, a six-pointed star used in sacred geometric diagrams called yantras. The upward-pointing triangle represents Shiva (the supreme being, masculine energy), while the downward-pointing triangle represents Shakti (mother nature, feminine energy). Their union symbolizes the divine merging of masculine and feminine forces as the source of all creation. The Shatkona is also connected to Kartikeya, the son of Shiva and Shakti, whose sacred number is six.
In Buddhism, the same hexagram shape is used as a meditation aid, intended to help practitioners achieve a sense of peace and harmony. The emphasis in both traditions is on balance and the integration of opposites into a unified whole.
Alchemy and the Four Elements
In Western alchemy, individual triangles represented the four classical elements, and the hexagram they formed when combined held its own significance. An upward-pointing triangle stood for fire, and adding a horizontal line through it represented air. A downward-pointing triangle stood for water, and a line through that one represented earth. The logic was that fire and air naturally ascend (pointing up), while water and earth naturally descend (pointing down).
When the upward fire triangle and the downward water triangle overlap, they form the hexagram. Alchemists read this as a visual expression of the principle “as above, so below,” the idea that opposing forces in the universe mirror and complete each other. Fire is hot and dry; water is cold and wet. Their overlap represents the reconciliation of these fundamental opposites into a harmonious whole.
Bisexual Pride and the Biangles
In LGBTQ+ culture, two overlapping triangles in pink and blue are known as “biangles,” a symbol of bisexuality designed by artist Liz Nania in 1987 for a bisexual contingent at the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The design started with the pink triangle, originally a Nazi concentration camp badge that was later reclaimed as a symbol of gay liberation. Nania added a blue triangle to represent heterosexuality, and the area where the two overlap creates a lavender color representing bisexuality.
The symbolism is deliberate: pink for same-sex attraction, blue for opposite-sex attraction, and the blended lavender for attraction to both. Michael Page later drew directly from these colors and the concept of overlap when he created the bisexual pride flag, unveiled in 1998. He described the purple stripe as blending unnoticeably into both the pink and blue, just as bisexual people blend into both gay and straight communities in everyday life.
Modern Design and Tattoo Culture
In logo design and branding, triangles carry strong psychological associations. An upward-pointing triangle suggests growth, progress, and ambition. A downward-pointing triangle can imply risk or tension. When combined, overlapping triangles communicate balance between these energies. Triangle-based logos are popular among technology, innovation, and performance-driven brands because they introduce a sense of motion and forward momentum.
In tattoo culture, two overlapping triangles are commonly chosen to represent duality and balance. An upward triangle symbolizes masculinity and strength, while a downward triangle represents femininity and intuition. Combined into a single design, the image speaks to the coexistence of both energies within a person. People also choose the design to represent the balance of opposites more broadly: light and dark, past and future, physical and spiritual.
How Context Changes the Meaning
The same geometric shape carries very different weight depending on where you encounter it. On a synagogue or an Israeli flag, it is the Star of David. On a Hindu yantra, it is the Shatkona. Woven into a single continuous form on an amulet, it is the Seal of Solomon. In pink and blue at a pride event, it represents bisexual identity. As a minimalist tattoo or logo, it typically signals balance, duality, or the union of opposites.
If you spotted two overlapping triangles and want to know what they mean in a specific instance, the most reliable clues are the surrounding context: color, setting, whether the triangles are simply overlapping or interwoven, and the cultural tradition they appear within. The geometry is universal, but the meaning is always shaped by who is using it and why.