Ankh tattoos

Ankh tattoos have various meanings according to the bearer of the symbol.

Here are some meanings at-a-glance:

• Authority
• Protection
• Power
• Unification
• Vision
• Magic
• Mystery
• Hidden wisdom
• Sacred
• Life
• Provision
• Truth
• Growth/evolution
• Covenant
• Divine
• Combination
• Afterlife
• Immortality

At their most basic, ankh tattoos represent life and the abundance available to mankind in living life. 

Specifically, the ankh symbol illustrates the combination of elements to create life.

The loop at the top is symbolic of the sun as it joins the earths horizon.  This union between sun and earth as conveyed in the ankh symbol is profound for the ancient Egyptian mindset which is where this symbol originates.  The sun sweetly kisses the lands of Egypt – providing vital growth and abundance.  With the combination of the all-powerful sun and the earth along with her waters – all life in Egypt is promised to prosper.

The ankh is also a symbol of combination of male and female powers as well as the connection between sun and earth.  These conjugative associations are sacred as we see the ankh is a symbol of the union between Osiris and Isis – prime deities of the ancient Egyptians.

Egyptians also may have held the ankh symbol as a key which unlocks the gateways into the realms of mystery – even the realms of the dead.  In this light the loop on the top is considered a portal with the other side of the opening leading to shifted consciousness and an altered state of being.  This concept is enhanced by the discovery of many ankhs in Egyptian funerary art.

In this same vein, ankh tattoos could symbolize immortality as Egyptian writing indicates the ankh represents “The Life to Come” meaning afterlife.  Similarly, the ankh could express the belief that there is no death.

For more information, you might be interested in my page on the ankh symbol meaning in the Tarot here.