Magickal Tattoos

[The Bookwyrm]

Getting a tattoo is a very intimate experience, and can also be spiritual. The pain of the needle can bring us to new consciousness, and through the act itself, we're making something a part of our body; decorating our temple, if you will. Sometimes, they're images that represent something about our personality, or represent something of interest. Other times, they can incorperate spiritual symbols and are a means of connecting to the devine.

I've heard of a number of Pagans doing this, and I was wondering if there are any here who have done this?

My reason for asking is that I'm about to get my second tattoo (hopefully over the next couple of weeks), and again I've chosen images which not only resonate with me personally, but spiritually. My first tattoo was a combination of two symbols: The Chinese symbol for Water, and the zodiac sign, which is Scorpio. This time, I'm having a Celtic Cat, done in black, surrounded by a crimson Celtic knot.  

[Jameta]

One of the things that gets my goat are people who get tattoos because they're "cool". xp

When I am old enough, I will be getting a tattoo of my own design somewhere (I'm not sure where yet), and I'm making sure it has dep meaning to me. I've designed two for my boyfriend, as well.  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

I tend to shift about my interest in one field a fair amount, so what I find meaningful one year might seem less so another. And the darndest things about these tattoos, is that they don't come off...  

[Siofra Da`Halbria]

I also believe they can be spiritual. On my 18th birthday, I am getting a tattoo of a pentagram. It will either be the size of a silver dollar 1-1.5" below my belly button, or a bit bigger on my back somewhere. I have a few months to decide though.  

[The Bookwyrm]

Nihilistic Seraph

I tend to shift about my interest in one field a fair amount, so what I find meaningful one year might seem less so another. And the darndest things about these tattoos, is that they don't come off...

You're very right, they are permanent, unless you want to go through the expense and hassle of having them removed with a lazer. They're something you have to be very sure about, and I find some times it's best to pick images that can be both meaningful spiritually as well as more mundanely. My first tattoo for example: No matter what I move on to do, I will always be a scorpio, which is ruled by the element of water. On the spiritual side of things, I find that the tatto helps me to connect with both my sign and my element. My next tattoo can be said to represent both my Celtic ancestry, and my love for cats (black ones especially). Spiritually, it represents my leaning towards a very Celtic inspired path, while still seeking the protecive presence of Bast in my life.

They're certainly not for everyone, but they can be an interesting addition.  

[The Bookwyrm]

Siofra Da`Halbria

I also believe they can be spiritual. On my 18th birthday, I am getting a tattoo of a pentagram. It will either be the size of a silver dollar 1-1.5" below my belly button, or a bit bigger on my back somewhere. I have a few months to decide though.

I got my first tattoo on my 18th birthday, as well. ^^ A friend of mine did the same, and designed her own tattoo which incorperated a pentagram which she had placed on her ankle. It was small, but it was very femanine and lovely.  

[WebenBanu]

I probably won't ever get a tattoo, for pretty much the same reasons that Seraph gave- they tend to be rather permanent, and I'd have to make sure that it was something that would be worth the risk to my career that a marking like that would pose, and it would really suck if I signed on for it and then decided that I didn't like the result so much after all. I also think that people who have a lot of tattoos end up looking rather... cluttered... like graffitti on the walls, and it's just not very appealing to me. Even with the laser removal, the skin will scar from the removal procedure, so you still carry a reminder of your ex-tattoo for the rest of your life.

But there have been times when I think that, if I were going to get a tattoo, I would get some beautifully detailed wings running down the full length of my back. I've always wanted wings.^_^ But that has little to do with the spiritual aspects of tattoos.^_^'

Many Kemetics get tattoos of their gods- and some of them place the images on certain parts of their bodies to ward them. A tattoo can function as an amulet, after all- the image unlocks a certain presence, and attaches it to your person at all times. For this reason, we often caution new Kemetics not to rush right out and get tats of their Patron gods- because if you find out that you were mistaken later on, and certainly if you become drawn to an entirely different religion, it would really suck to have an image of Ntjr breathing down your neck all the time.

I stick to amulets which can be worn, or drawn in more temporary methods on my body as the need arises. That way you can custom fit them to the circumstances of your life at the time, and they don't get in the way of other affiliations.  

[WebenBanu]

And I almost forgot to add this! Gypsy, you mentioned wanting to get a tattoo of a Celtic cat in honor of your Celtic ancestry and your love of Bast, so I thought that you might like this.^_^ This was created by an artist friend of mine, who is a devotee of Mai-Hs (a son of Bast, who usually takes the form of a lion or a lion-headed man) and also has some Celtic ancestry:



A Celtic lioness! ^_^  

[The Bookwyrm]

That's fantastic! I didn't realize that the Egyptian pantheon traveled so far! Thanks, Weben. ^^

This is what I'm getting for my second
 

[Siofra Da`Halbria]

By the way... If that last post I made showed up multiple times, that's because I was on my sister's side of the computer (Windows XP) and hers runs slower than mine. So it was spazzing out and I had to just quit. So if I posted multiple times, I am sorry to whoever had to clean it up.  

[Vertigo_Kiwi]

I don't think I could ever get a real tattoo, but I do like to mess around with henna tattoos. The last time I gave myself one it was on my hand, and the whole design was centered around a pentagram. I think this type would be perfect for a ritual, you could put certain symbols on your body that relates to the ritual, and they don't last forever. I think, maybe, when I'm older.. and not so much of a wuss around needles.. I could get a real one.  

[Jameta]

Vertigo_Kiwi

I don''t think I could ever get a real tattoo, but I do like to mess around with henna tattoos. The last time I gave myself one it was on my hand, and the whole design was centered around a pentagram. I think this type would be perfect for a ritual, you could put certain symbols on your body that relates to the ritual, and they don''t last forever. I think, maybe, when I''m older.. and not so much of a wuss around needles.. I could get a real one.

Now that you metnion it, multiple cultures use body paints for rituals...

Sorry, just a random thought... sweatdrop  

[WebenBanu]

Gypsy Blue

That's fantastic! I didn't realize that the Egyptian pantheon traveled so far! Thanks, Weben. ^^

This is what I'm getting for my second...

Nice one! I love to look at tattoo art, even though I know I'll never get one myself. People come up with some interesting designs to put on their bodies, as I'm sure you know.^_^


The AE pantheon did move around a bit, though they tended to get altered a bit when Their cults passed out of the hands of traditionalists, and I don't think that foreign cults were entirely accepted by the ancient Egyptian people themselves- unless they put them there in the first place.^_~ Arcane tells me that there were some Egyptian ornaments found in a couple of Celtic grave sites, but that no one wants to say anything about it because they'd look crazy. That may or may not be true, but at any rate- one of the tenets of Kemetic belief is to honor one's ancestors. For those who have a large chunk of ancestry in a certain culture, and/or feel particularly pulled to it, they will often take up at least minimal practices of that other faith and incorporate them into their observance of ancestral honors.  

[Keistera]

Banu & Gypsy Blue: Both tattoo images are very cool. I hate needles, and don't want something permanent - otherwise, I would get something done. I may eventually get Henna, but for now, it's my jewelry that I use to express myself. A pair of witch earrings (they're cute, I like witchy stuff, and I'm slightly witchy), a raven pendant (the package said for Morrighan, but I picked it for the Raven itself - the messenger, the trickster, and I have deep respect for both Crow and Raven), and Amethyst heart pendant. *sagenod*

... I had a small, silver Ankh... however, it seems to have run away on me. I'd love to make jewelry, but I"m not sure where I would start. Permanent body art just doesn't appeal to me right now, and probably never will. Henna, on the other hand, is tempting.  

[Cosmic Space Orange]

i absolutly hate needles but im still going to get a large stylized decagram on my back when im 18