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Tattoo suggestions

15:42 / 16.01.05

as I am approaching a very important turning point in my life, I was thinking about sealing it with a new tattoo. I don't have a clear idea so far, I liked the idea of including a sigil at first, but lately I've been changing my mind towards something more figurative: something related to alchemy maybe, like a crow, a raven, a phoenix...there is one I like with 3 ravens in a knot. Also a chimaera was a possible candidate, or a gryphon...

Here's the question: what do you think about the symbolism behind these and can you give me any suggestions or new ideas? I am also planning to do it on my left shoulderblade, where my heart is, or same position, frontal. Can you give me your advice on body parts and symbolism?

Grazie!
I.R:CP

All Acting Regiment

20:03 / 16.01.05

Chimera? Be careful, I mean they're well known as something that doesn't actually exist- a symbol, in fact, for all made up stuff. Dunno if that affects it's meaning for you, but is it something you want to attach directly to your heart?

You could make up your own chimera that relates to you, with the heads of Flava Fla V, Grant Morrison and a Fish. Or something. That's just an example. Might be interesting.

Phoenixes- well, rising up after bad times, s'allgood. Have to be destroyed before you can rise though.

Another idea for birds might be Garuda, the mythic bird from Hinduism, who looks pretty:

...and who carries Vishnu. So, if he's on your heart, he's carrying you, and you're a god. Maybe. You might have to ask him first.

I find this interesting. I'd like to have a tattoo myself but I know I'd grow out of it too quick.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

20:33 / 16.01.05

Don't ask us, silly! Ask your skin. It knows what you need right now and it will tell you.

23:08 / 18.01.05

Legba wrote:
You could make up your own chimera that relates to you, with the heads of Flava Fla V, Grant Morrison and a Fish. Or something. That's just an example. Might be interesting.

Interesting's an understatement! Picturing that combination, and the discourse that might happen between them all temporarily paralyzed me in some sort of fugue state.

I would suggest looking through books of symbols, alchemy, mythology, etc. The more elements you expose yourself to, the greater the chance that the images you are looking for will coalesce. Take your ideas to your artist, and see what the two of you can come up with from them. That's given me very satisfactory results with my tattoos.

farseer /pokes out an i

01:51 / 19.01.05

Hm. I have a celtic sun on my left shoulder, and an Ouroboros on my right. I got them for some pretty specific reasons at the time. As time has passed, I've been able to relate to them in new ways, so my advice would don't necessarily fixate/assign(?!) them a single meaning. Symbols are funny like that.

13:17 / 19.01.05

I personally would avoid getting a sigil, because people will be continually asking what it means, and you'll get tired of explaining it, or of telling them that you can't tell them, and then explaining why you can't tell them. It just sounds like a recipe for constant annoyance.

My advice: Do not walk into a tattoo shop and point at a piece of flash on the wall. Find a few specific designs that you really like, and meditate on them. Determine which designs best encapsulate the symbolism you're trying to evoke. Figure out whether you'll be happy having any of them on your body until your dying day. Consider whether you can find a tattooist with sufficient skill to execute it, particularly if there's heavy precision needed (as with Celtic knotwork). Talk to a few different artists and get some price quotes. Choose a design. Then wait at least a week, preferably longer, before you get it. See if you change your mind.

My only other remark is that the shoulder blade location may be more painful than the chest; also, you'll never be able to see the tat "in person" if it's on your back. However, back tattoos are far sexier than chest tats IMHO.

BTW, tats are v. personal, so you probably shouldn't listen to a damn thing anyone else says about it.

20:16 / 19.01.05

You might find this thing interesting.

The top image is the one referred to in this passage near the end:

The three fleur-de-lis on the shield may refer to the three principles of Mercury, Sulphur and Salt, while the crowned lion holding two fleur-de-lis and between two trumpets in the crest may well indicate the completion of the Magnum Opus (the Red Lion of alchemy with the Red and White Tinctures). The possibility of such interpretation is stressed by two traditional alchemical symbols appearing at the bottom of the engraving - the Pelican and the Phoenix.

04:50 / 20.01.05

The tat's I've gotten were all picked/created very carefully as personal keys to remind me of the core esoteric reallizations most important to me. I drew each with the idea that they would be reminders to my future self: "Don't forget what really matters".

So definitely pick something that's very meaningful and personal to you. Don't get flash. Don't rush into it. You're stuck with it. Find a tattoo artist that you like and respect. Don't just let anyone carve into you. And walk into the experience as a rite, a passage, a transformation. The pain can carry you far and seal the ritual.

09:11 / 20.01.05

cheers guys, you've been very useful...I know the importance of getting a tattoo done and I certainly wouldn't rush and choose a flash. As the tattoo artist, a friend is a pro with many prizes won in several parts of the world and he stidied in japan classical tattooing (with wood needles). But I'd like to talk to him and explain the meaning of the tattoo beore getting it done. I like the idea of the lion, one of the possible candidates was the green lion (alchemical symbol).
If I chose an alcehmical symbol, I think it should be high on the "ladder" of the magnus opus (like the phoenix), because it would be the sign of aspiration to a higher truth rather than accomplishment or getting stuck, but I don't want to be too arrogant either...
Also, a symbol of mercury, that relates to my job (communication/languages/travel I'm an interpreter), would be nice, but I don't like the caduceus at all...

12:53 / 20.01.05

I don't like the caduceus at all...

That's not the only option you have - there's an alchemical symbol for the planet Mercury, or you could just choose one element of the caduceus, such as the serpent or double serpent, or even a winged serpent, all of which are powerful symbols in their own right. There are also other gods of communication, language, and travel. Odin comes to mind, and one of his symbols is the raven, which you've already mentioned as an option.

It sounds like you have plenty of ideas. You just need to eliminate some of them.