Tattoos....social markings

[Lady Nimue]

Hi all.....

I am contemplating another tattoo for myself...something that will be symbolic for myself, and express an idea to others.

We all know that this art form has been around for ages, and in some ancient cultures revered and used to depict tribal associations, spiritual quests, etc.
I think its a common quest for us all to be heard...to leave a mark, and/or to share a philosophy or idea. I believe its also a shared human instinct to want our "shell" to represent our inner selves.

What do you all think?  Do any of you have tattoos, or brandings, or markings that are symbolic, and that you would like to share.

[Moonpanther]

ooohhhhh tattoos are one of my 'things'! I have the STRONG belief that tattoos should only be obtained for a reason very important to the bearer and that they should be individual (I design my own and burn the transfers so no one else can have them!) so that they have deep meaning and personal significance to the bearer (just ask my younger siblings about my lectures on the evils of 'flash art!' ) I also believe, however, that the choice to have any form of body modification is intensely personal and different for each soul - for example my husband does not like tattoos for himself as he feels he is to 'morphic' to be happy with something like that permenantly, instead he gets cuttings (scarifications) done in ritual style which will fade over the years.

As for mine, I only have two so far but have quite a few more planned (and have had for many years - just waiting for the right time)

My first was a pentagram on my chest (right on the bone between but above my breasts) This is where my pentagram necklace always sat but I kept losing it and I have an allergy to most metals (except titanium and gold/silver) so I decided to get a more permenant version. For me the symbol itself has many meanings however that particular application of it is intended as a symbol of protection (situated just over my heart chakra it is in an apropriate place for protecting my soul ) and when people ask what it means that is what I tell them.

My second is the bardic symbol on the left hand side of the back of my neck. It is positioned so that the symbols for the other grades and the awen can eventually be placed to form a diamond.

I hope to be able to get the ovate symbol done on the right side of the back of my neck next month.

As for the future, they include
- a pegasus flying infront of a blue full moon on my left hip (pull out the symbology notes for that one, it is full of meaning)
- a unicorn on my right hip to balance and symbolise guardianship of the otherworld
- a faerie on my lower stomach (in many years - after children!!) because if I get the others and don't get a faerie I will never hear the end of it!!
- a dragon flying out of the small of my back for power, air, fire etc. etc
- the other grade symbols as I progress
- a faint blue cresent moon over my third eye (also likely to be one of my last done as I will really have to earn that mark!)

As for the wanting of a 'shell' to represent our inner selves... this is pretty exactly what I believe. I am slowly modifying how I look to the rest of the world into the same person that I see when I close my eyes. It's a slow evolution but it's greatly satisfying to know that you are there for those who 'can', to see....

[Dryadia2]

Greetings Lady Nimue!

I have 'a few' tats, which I designed myself, to honor my Medicine and Totem Animals, and they are small sized, mostly covered by clothing.  I have a Native American 'set', and a Celtic 'set'.  I also have a few other 'critters' & dragons that have special personal meanings.  But my most recent tats are larger, and honor Cernunnos and the Green Man, and are located on the outside of each leg above my ankles.

All my tats have deep personal meaning, and I take my time when designing them.  It's sometimes months or a year later, that I actually get the tat inked, because I want it 'perfect' before it's permanent.

/|\

[Lady Nimue]

I so respect how you came to your choices of tattoo.
I love my custom Triple Goddess, adorned with the Horned God, as well.

[SidheAingeal]

I agree with Moonpanther that tattoos are intensely personal and should be deeply meaningful to the person wearing it.  Never pick a design of the wall of the shop!

As for myself, I' currently uninked but I plan for:

~ A Celtic knot that symbolises eternity on my right calf
~ A Brighid's Cross
~ Cernunnos symbol
~ A fae with more angel-like wings with the name Sidhe Aingeal written beneath it
~ A triskele and awen symbol are also both under consideratton

My problem is apart from the one on ymy calf, I have no idea where to put them all! Any suggestions for body parts that can be shown off but easily hidden for work or formal occasons? I want nothing on my arms as tatts on the arms ruin evening dresses but am open to pretty much anywhere else.

[Dryadia2]

I don't have any 'tribal' tats, but find the Maori culture very fascinating.  Here are a couple of links about the symbolism of tattooing:

http://www.tanahaka.de/maori_4.htm
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/sights ... -forms.cfm

I watched a program on cable TV awhile back, about the actual traditional tattooing process in Polynesia (they use a pointy stick and mallet, OUCH!), and how it is a 'rite of passage' for men.

/|\

[Jingle]

My only tattoo was ruined by (or caused) pregnancy.  Not thinking I would ever become pregnant, I got a bunny tattooed on my lower abdomen on the right...  It doesn't look like a bunny anymore, so if you are planning on changing your shape, be careful where you put it!

On my list:

Triskele
Grade symbols
Awen

But, similar to the guy at the cemetary that wanted to sell me a headstone, I'm not sure yet that I won't change my mind again someday.  My path may change its course again.  The triskele I know will always be symbolic to me no matter where my journey leads.  The others are too specific at the moment.  Hope to do the triskele soon...  As soon as I work up the courage and decide where I really want it placed.  I like the back of the neck idea.

[SidheAingeal]

My only tattoo was ruined by (or caused) pregnancy.  Not thinking I would ever become pregnant, I got a bunny tattooed on my lower abdomen on the right...  It doesn't look like a bunny anymore, so if you are planning on changing your shape, be careful where you put it!

On my list:

Triskele
Grade symbols
Awen

But, similar to the guy at the cemetary that wanted to sell me a headstone, I'm not sure yet that I won't change my mind again someday.  My path may change its course again.  The triskele I know will always be symbolic to me no matter where my journey leads.  The others are too specific at the moment.  Hope to do the triskele soon...  As soon as I work up the courage and decide where I really want it placed.  I like the back of the neck idea.

If I ever get a belly tatt it will be post menopause just to assure myself it won;'t be ruined by pregancy! Then of course there is middle age spread!

What does your bunny look like now anyway?

[Dryadia2]

...If I ever get a belly tatt it will be post menopause just to assure myself it won;'t be ruined by pregancy! Then of course there is middle age spread! ...

I have a Celtic knot Dragon above my bellybutton, disguising a stretchmark.

/|\

[Busker]

 Never pick a design of the wall of the shop!

I did,when I was 15 yrs old.  Three of the dratted things.

[Lady Nimue]

Hi gang...

Well I think I agree with all of you.
I will say that I dont expect an evening dress to be ruined by the tat I got yesterday...a Celtic Warrior armband on my left arm. It was custom as are all my inkwork. I have now three in total.....my name NIMUE above the Horned God/Triple Goddess I created (it also contains a Pentagram. My other is a kitty head with hubbies name above it. All have great signifigance. I have thoghts of one more but, for when I graduate Druid grade.

[SidheAingeal]

 Never pick a design of the wall of the shop!

I did,when I was 15 yrs old.  Three of the dratted things.

Still have them?

[Busker]

Still have them?

'fraid so. An eagle,a heart and a dagger on the right forearm,left forearm and upper left arm respectively.

[Jingle]

What does your bunny look like now anyway

Picture demented frankenbunny on heroin.

[katsu]

Indeed all of my tat's are symbolic in one way or another.
(I'll do them in the order I had them done)

1) A panther on my rightupperarm(crawling away from me). Symbolising the energy/influence I extend to the world.

2) A panther on my leftupperarm(crawling towards me). Symbolising the energy/influence the world has on me.

3) Bardic Symbol between my shoulderblades. The most painfull to get so far(it's right over my spine. *ouch*)

4) Awen on my right shoulderblade.

5) Awen on left shoulderblade.

6) Scorpion on my bottomleftleg. This is a representation of my name and of myself.

So, 6 so far and I doubt that it'll stop with these

Katsu

[SidheAingeal]

What does your bunny look like now anyway

Picture demented frankenbunny on heroin.

 :o  :o

[Branwen Fach]

I had my first ( and to be only!) tattoo done this year on the Summer Solstice.  It is the triple spiral design to, represent the triple goddess and the three stages of womanhood.

I choose this at I felt it represented my Celtic roots, honoured my ancestors and celerated my achievements in this life time.

[eagledance]

I have a triskle on my left shoulder  - had it done in memory of my firstborn daughter who was stillborn. It is also a reminder to me of my spiritual path

[Rocas Faol 777]

Greetings


I use my body modification to express the pain in my life, and the release of that pain, as well as my spiritual existence.  My body piercings are representations of my pain and bondage to this physical existence and its strife.  The act of piercing (for me) is done with reverence and respect through ritual.  I will only have piercings done by those who understand this and will participate as needed.  Needless-to-say I have done almost all of them myself.  The final act, the releasing of the will and energy built up by the preceding ritual, is a form of release for my soul, my self.  I allow the pain to wash over me, and through me, until only I remain--the pain or trouble within me released and sent onward with it.


Piercings:

1) Tongue (14 Gauge hole)--performed the first time by my good friend and brother, Kat--the second time by me.  It represents my tendency to speak my mind without thought to the situation.  I am brutally frank, painfully honest, and since I do not like hiding things from others--especially things I am thinking--I tend to speak my thoughts in an inappropriate manner.  The piercing of my tongue was a way to represent my bondage to this flaw, a reminder to fight the impulse, and a release of my creative use of articulate speech instead.  Removed it around the time my son was born/daughter was conceived; plan to do it again.

2) Ear 1 (left; 14 Gauge hole)--performed every time by myself.  Represents my tendency to not listen to what others have to say.  I used to listen only enough to formulate an argument for why an individual was wrong--and I was right.  Now I listen, and can acknowledge my own imperfections and mistakes.  This piercing is a representation of my bondage to this flaw and a constant reminder to keep my ears, and mind, open to others.

3) Ear 2 (left; 14 Gauge hole)--performed every time by myself.  Represents my tendency to buck authority, to not acknowledge any other person as having authority above my own.  A symbol of this flaw, it is a reminder to listen to those older and wiser than myself, and accede to authority above my own and listen to their dictates when necessary .

3) Ear 3 (right; 14 Gauge hole)--performed every time by myself.  This represents the difficulties caused by my Empathy, and the trouble it gets me into--my inability to close it off and shut it out when needed.  A symbol of my bondage to my gift and a reminder to shut myself off, away from the troubles and pains of others for a while, when I need to realign; the inability to do so can lead to serious problems and imbalance for myself.  You can only take so much of other’s troubles, pains, and ills upon yourself before you become affected instead--this is a reminder of that danger--a reminder to realign before it goes too far.

4) Prince Albert (14 Gauge hole)--performed by Kat the first time, the second by me for my apprenticeship test (I did not want to risk someone else with something that delicate the first time, and I had my own reasons).  It is a symbol of my bondage to my more primal instincts.  It is a reminder that with every action there is a price.  It is also, a constant reminder that I am in control, not my emotions or instincts--my mind controls my body, not my passions.  I removed it after I met my wife, when the Mother laid bare the answer to a question I asked her; the only time I have ever received an answer so plain, and so clearly.  I no longer have need of this reminder.


Ink and branding are art forms that have been around since our ancestors first discovered the ability to use dyes and fire thus.  They are a phenomenon that spans many cultures and times.  With this in mind, I approach this particular part of my body modification with even more reverence, respect, and love than any other form.  One of the reasons I have not had much done yet is the lack of “ink slingers” and branders that have a sympathetic feel for working when ritual needs be involved.  Yes, I know that part of the Druid path is a coexistence between the spiritual path and everyday life, but my body is a sacred vessel, flawed though it may be, that contains and transports my spirit for a while.  Anything done to it that drastically alters it (barring accidents that cause drastic changes) should be done in the proper fashion--in my opinion.  Another reason for my inaction is a still clouded vision of the whole picture.

Hey Merlyn--I have seen some of your art brother... ever thought of doing Ink?


Current:

1) Celtic Knot-work Cross--on my right arm about 1" below my shoulder and going down to just above my elbow (black ink).

2) Quarter sized Chinese Character for Crow--on my spine at the base of my neck (blue ink).

3) Quarter sized Awen--on the inside of my right wrist about an inch below the heel of my palm (white ink).


Planned:

1a) MacMillan Cross--on my left arm (same dimension as the one on the right--black ink) depicting the west facing side (sword and crucifix).

1b) Cover-up of the Knot-work Cross on my right arm with the east facing side of the MacMillan Cross (chief hunting).

2) Quarter sized Awen--on the back of my right wrist (parallel the one on the inside) in black ink (representing light and dark when taken together.

3) Four Dragons/Serpents intertwined/knotted down my right arm from the elbow--two ending with the black Awen between their open mouths (on either side), two with the white Awen between them likewise.  The colors of the Dragons are still a subject of meditation.

4) A pair of Dice showing the faces bearing six pips and one pip to the front, five pips and two pips on the top, four pips and three pips on the sides--all representations of a roll of SEVEN.  They show three different rolls of seven--or seven, seven, seven (777).  In this way I represent my sacred numbers of 7 & 777, a sacred triptych of 3--thus also representing the trinity.  It displays my reverence and gratitude for my ability to see patterns and bend "chance" to my will (no such thing as chance--no coincidences) and "Lady Luck", representative of my trickster aspect.

5) Some form of representation of the zodiac sign of Leo on my right shoulder above the MacMillan Cross cover-up--and some form of representation of Virgo above the MacMillan Cross on my left shoulder.  This represents my position between the two signs and the duality of my nature (my birthday is in the middle of the Leo/Virgo cusp).  The two signs are on either side of me and I am stuck in between.

6) Big Dipper asterism on the inside of my right forearm to overlap the faded branding of the asterism I have already done on myself.

7) Orion/Arthur asterism on the back of my left forearm to overlap the faded branding of the asterism I have already done on myself.

All of the tattoos on my arms will eventually be connected in some way to create full sleeves, though the connective tissue and/or other archetypes are still the subject of meditation and study.

8) A multi-part Oak Tree Crow on my back--inspired by the crow outline design from the comics/graphic novels/movie(s) The Crow.  The short, wide trunk of the ancient oak, its large broad canopy, and its spreading root system will provide the outline/shape of the crow's body, wings, and tail feathers respectively.  A large Awen will rest its base just above a dip in the canopy, and rise from there up to a point at the base of my neck (passing behind the Chinese Character for Crow); this is the head and beak.  Below the roots will be a representation of a typical rock "step" structure surrounded by trees (like viewing a cut-out of the forested resting place of a pack) with wolves arranged in various positions around, and on, the rocks--the alpha pairing on the highest reach of the rocks.  A full moon and a new moon will flank a "Black Hole Sun", a representation of light and dark aspects, with the merging of the thought in the middle (a sun that is a sun and a black hole at the same time--light and void in one).  This triad will shine down upon them.

Any other archetypes present in the back piece have yet to present themselves (if they exist), and the connective tissue of it all is still the subject of meditation.


That is my tale of body modification thus far; I have enjoyed reading everyone’s responses.  This was a truly excellent topic to open Lady Nimue!  Thank you for thinking along this path, and sharing your thoughts with us all.




Good Hunting

[Moonpanther]

Hey Rocas,

Loved reading about your modifications! makes me all the more anxious to get more of my planned ones done!

A few of my friends and I have a theory about peircings that I thought I might float here seeing you have so many and mentioned the ritual and representational aspects of the piercing, bear with me while I try to explain it in a way that makes sense.

* The body runs on electricity
* Most peircings mean that the wearer has a piece of metal placed in their body
* Metal is conductive
Therefore, it seems to make sense to us that the metal of peircings can change how electricity runs through your body.

Some examples of how this works:

My husband used to have many peircings, after a while he went to a naturopath about some (psychic) energy related issues and she suggested that he try taking out his peircings as they were in areas that in accupuncture would change the energy flow through his body (so imagine that he had been having major accupuncture constantly for years!!!). He decided to give it a try and took them all out. He says that the change was phenomenal and could be felt as he was taking them out. He no longer has any peircings although he is considering getting some soon, but planning it more with the flows of energy through his body in mind.

When I met my husband I had a number of peircings and he suggested that I try taking them out (just for a couple of days) to see if I experienced something similar. I was sceptical but tried it.
I was AMAZED at the result.
* My belly button was not much but I did feel a slight lightening as if a small weight had been lifted. I felt no desire to replace that peircing.
* My lip had grown over due to lack of a work appropriate ring, just previous and I had not noticed any change at that time. I have since had my husband re-peirce my lip - it was the only peircing I ever 'really' wanted and feels very right now.
* My ears had two rings in each and I noticed no real change when they were taken out, however when I tried putting them back in a couple of days later I found that I experienced a similar depressive state that I had when I was 15 (the age that I got those peircings) so I took them out again, I only wear earings occasionally now although I intend to work on improving them so I can wear them all the time (I miss my earings!)
* The truley amazing one though was my tounge. I had had it peirced at the request of my ex who had not wanted me to get my lip done and said I should get my tounge done instead. I never really felt any personal meaning in it. When we took it out we both felt a physical release of 'nasty, smelly, dark and generally icky' energy - it made me quite dizzy!.
we soaked the ring in salt water and threw it away. I have not worn one there since and have no intention to get it re-peirced. Interestingly enough I have found that I now have much less trouble speaking my mind/verbally standing up for my self, which was quite an issue before.

Anyhow I just thought that this was interesting and felt like sharing it with you all (sorry it was so long!!) and finding out if anyone else had had similar ideas/experiences...