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Sunday, February 14th, 2010
Lotus Tattoo Meaning
Lotus Tattoo Meaning
at-a-glance:
- Light
- Awareness
- Illumination
- Opening
- Renewal
- Creation
- Life
- Balance
- Revelation
- Direction
Much of the sacred symbolism behind the lotus comes from its relationship with the elements of water and fire.
It grows in the water, and so therefore the lotus is a natural tribute to water-affiliated concepts like: Dreams, Emotion, Intuition, Awareness, Purification.
The lotus blossom opens each morning, unfolding its vitality in the face of the dawning sun. This is the solar connection – the link to fire which proffers symbolism of: Passion, Vitality, Revelation, Clarity, Life and Vision.
These powerful symbolic meanings combined with the lush, elegant lotus make for a dynamic tattoo – especially for people wanting to convey a gentle opening to the profound simplicity of Nature as an analogy for walking along the spiritual path.
Lotus tattoo meaning is deeply rooted in spiritual purity. The Buddha for example is seen emerging from the lotus. In fact the mantra “mani padme” meaning “jewel of the lotus” is a reference to Nirvana.
Observation, meditation and focus upon the lotus is encouraged as a doorway to unique realms of perception. The lotus is a portal to magnificent awareness – and many masters (ancient and modern alike) recognize this enchanting power of this beguiling blossom. A lotus tattoo might serve as a constant reminder of the majesty it represents.
The lotus is symbolic of many vast concepts in ancient culture, such as:
- The human heart
- Unmanifested potential
- The process of universal creation
- The eight (petals) directions – navigation
- Awareness rising out of chaos (blooms from murky water)
The blooms emerging from water, along with distinctly delicate features of the lotus are reminiscent of feminine qualities. Egyptian, Hindu, Japanese and Indian cultures all recognize the theme of birth and renewal through the lotus.
Are you birthing a new phase in your life that offers a gentle clarity in your inner views? Are you emerging from chaos into a lucid illumination? Are you seeking a daily devotion that represents renewal and rebirth?
A “yes” to any one of these questions might make you give more consideration to the lotus tattoo meaning. If the lotus symbolism calls to you with a subtle song of tender elegance, it’s worth your time to look more deeply into its petals for meaning in your own life.
To be sure, there is a lot more involved to lotus symbolism than what I’ve covered here. Do more research on your own – I guarantee your investment to learning more about the lotus will be enlightening.
Some other pages of interest:
Symbolic Flower Meanings
Flower Color Meanings
Nature Symbolism
Chakra Symbolism
Sun Symbolism
Water Symbolism
Posted in Egyptian Tattoos, Flower Tattoos, Good Luck Tattoos, Oriental Tattoos, Personal Observations, Plant Tattoos, Spiritual Tattoos, Symbolic Tattoos | No Responses »
Tags: awareness, balance, clarification, creation, creativity, direction, enlightenment, evolution, evolved, fertility, illumination, intelligence, intuition, life, light, opening, passion, perception, purity, renewal, revelation, spirit, spiritual, spirituality, vision, vitality
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Aztec Tattoo of Creation
This Aztec tattoo stylized Aztec spiral symbol. Each medallion in this Aztec symbol represents:
- Creation
- Vitality
- Life
- Astrology (cosmos)
- Order
Each of the spiral medallions also represent a seed of the Universe and also symbolizes a unique phase of life:
- Birth
- Childhood
- Adulthood
- Death
- Afterlife
This Aztec symbol is associated with the legend of Huitzilopochtil who created the moon by tossing his sister into the skies, the sun was made the same way as Huitzilopochtil hurled his brother into the skies. The earth was made when Huitzilopochtil danced a spiral dance with his brother and sister (now the sun and the moon). The seas were made by Huitzilopochtil’s sweat from the spiral dance.
These spiraling seeds of life are all moving together in perfect harmony – just as all the stars and planets are moving in gravitational orbit with perfection. The Aztecs understood human life works in the same kind of rhythmic pattern, and this Aztec tattoo deftly depicts the flowing nature of life in all its perfection.
Another form of the Aztec legend states that in the beginning, there was an expansive void from which Ometeotl, the first Aztec god(dess) created himself. Ometeotl was androgynous: both male and female, light and dark, good and evil (Ometeotl is represented by the center spiral seed in the Aztec tattoo symbol shown above). Ometeotle birthed four children, who were deities and they were called the four Tezcatlipocas. These four gods are represented in the four surrounding “spiral seeds” (medallions in the symbol) and are known as:
- Quetzalcoatl: God of light, wind, mercy and rules the southern directions
- Huitzilopochtli: God of energy, war, vitality, strategy and rules west directions
- Xipe Totec: God of agriculture, spring, renewal, gold and rules the north
- Tezcatlipoca: God of discernment, night, secrets, magic and rules the east
These four deities and their maker, Ometeotle, were considered responsible for all life and order as it is known today. Hence, this is a powerful symbol of life; a powerful Aztec tattoo conveying cosmic order and harmony between all the elements.
Other pages of interest for your tattoo research:
Moon Symbolism
Sun Symbolism
Native American Symbolism
Mayan Symbolism
Posted in Astrological Tattoos, Celestial Tattoos, Good Luck Tattoos, Indigenous Tattoos, Mythological Tattoos, Native American Tattoos, Personal Observations, Planet Tattoos, Religious Tattoos, Spiritual Tattoos, Symbolic Tattoos | No Responses »
Tags: afterlife, astrology, awareness, balance, birth, cosmic, cosmos, creation, creativity, death, energy, faith, force, god, harmony, humanity, life, longevity, order, perfection, power, universe, vitality, wisdom
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Hunab Ku Tattoo Symbolism
If you’re considering getting a Hunab Ku tattoo, here are some thoughts about the origin and symbolism of this mark.
The Hunab Ku is beleived to be ancient Mayan symbol which is a center feature in their sacred wheels of time or calendar systems. There are also theories the symbol may belong to the ancient Aztecs. The symbol is a vital cornerstone into understanding the cycles of life (and also the core feature to understanding Mayan myths).
The symbol Hunab Ku literally translates to mean: “One Giver of Movement and Measure” or “The One Source of Energy.” With this kind of powerful concentration of energy, the Hunab Ku is also a symbolic representation of god; the one god, or the high god among the Mayans (although this observation hasn’t been proven, and you should read the “note” section at the end of this post).
And so, the Hunab Ku tattoo, can eloquently represent:
- the movement of life energy
- the cycle of life on a grander scale
- the order and balance of the cosmos
- the god force or infinite power available in all life
According to Mayan scholar Jose Arguelles, the Hunab Ku is the principle of life beyond the cosmos. He says “It may be described as possessing a simultaneous spin and counter-spin motion radiating outward from a center-point of indescribable energy that pulses at a specific rate. That pulse is the principle of life and all-pervading consciousness imminent in all phenomenon.”
Visually, we can see this symbol depicts the ancient tenet of balance in all things. It’s even reminiscent of the classic yin yang symbol found in Asian symbology. We see an equal balance of light and dark in the Hunab ku tattoo. Ergo, this carries deep symbolism of finding a balance. Balance in polarities like:
- shadow self and light self
- happy and sad
- mother and father
- night and day
- right and left
- sun and moon
Note: As with all ancient symbols, origins and traditional meanings can get fuzzy over time. It’s important to know this symbol (illustrated above) is likely a modernization, and probably doesn’t look exactly as it did in ancient Mesoamerica.
Furthermore, there is very little agreement about the actual meaning of the Hunab Ku. My thoughts on the the Hunab Ku concept are based on my observations of the indigenous culture and my impressions about the symbol. With a little research, you’ll find varying ideas about Hunab Ku.
At the end of the day, all you can rely on is what your heart and soul tells you about this piece. Personally, I think that’s how our ancient Mayan and Aztec ancestors would want it.
Other pages of interest:
Mayan Symbols
Yin Yang Symbols
Native American Symbols
Spiral Symbolism
Posted in Astrological Tattoos, Celestial Tattoos, Good Luck Tattoos, Indigenous Tattoos, Mythological Tattoos, Native American Tattoos, Personal Observations, Planet Tattoos, Religious Tattoos, Spiritual Tattoos, Symbolic Tattoos | No Responses »
Tags: awareness, balance, consciousness, cosmos, energy, enlightenment, faith, force, god, illumination, life, movement, polarity, power, sacred, spiritual, time, vitality
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
Peacock Tattoo Meanings
Peacock tattoo meanings
(at-a-glance):
- Royalty
- Vitality
- Sensuality
- Luxury
- Expansiveness
- Pride
- Nobility
- Generosity
- Immortality
- Longevity
- Love
- Watchfulness
- Sexuality
- Compassion
- Desire
- Beauty
Peacock tattoo meanings commonly deal with the impressively expansive fanning out of the male peacock’s tail feathers. The radiant blue of his body is equally impressive for tattooing.
These striking features make a big statement about the wearer of peacock tattoos.
It says: “I am marvelously unique, and not afraid to show it!”
Themes of nobility and royalty come into play from Chinese symbolism in which the peacock is an emblem of rank and high status. Indeed, peacock feathers were given to recognize impeccable service and honorable rank in positions of military office.
The peacock is a symbol of expansive consciousness in Buddhism. In this light, the bird is a representative of the all-compassionate goddess Kuan-Yin. The “eyes” in the peacock feathers are symbolic of the watchfulness concept - the Watcher in consciousness/meditative terms is the omniscient essence of the soul.
The concept of watching also comes into play in Christian symbolism the “eyes” of peacock tail-feathers represent the eyes of the church/Christ/God watching over the faithful. Esoteric Christianity also views the peacock as an emblem of immortality and resurrection (similar to phoenix symbolism).
In Greek and Roman mythology the peacock is the companion of Hera and Juno (respectively). In this light, peacock tattoo meanings may represent a regal status too, as its symbolic imagery points to the realm of the Empress and High Priestess.
The peacock is also a solar animal and so its character will convey attitudes like: Vitality, radiance, glory, stimulation, life, health, invigoration.
Check out these other pages for more information:
Posted in Animal Tattoos, Bird Tattoos, Christian Tattoos, Military Tattoos, Oriental Tattoos, Religious Tattoos, Spiritual Tattoos, Symbolic Tattoos | 3 Responses »
Tags: awareness, beauty, desire, generosity, honor, immortality, love, nobility, passion, proud, royalty, sensuality, sexuality
Saturday, May 9th, 2009
Shou Symbol Tattoo Meaning
The Shou symbol is a powerful Asian icon that represents long life and immortality. It is a symbol that comes from the Taoist philosophy which touts connection with Nature as the true way or path to enlightenment.
This symbol is prolific in Asian art to denote happiness, harmonic life and longevity.
The Shou tattoo meaning embodies five tenets in Asian/Taoist philosophy which are:
- Nobility
- Strength
- Wisdom
- Responsibility
- Awareness
You can see the four corners of these tenets in the Shou symbol. The fifth element is represented in the center of the Shou symbol – of the five tenets, Wisdom is held in the center because one must have wisdom to discern how to utilize the other four tenets.
Other pages of interest:
Chinese Symbols
Good Luck Symbols
Other Symbols for Longevity (Asian)
Posted in Good Luck Tattoos, Oriental Tattoos, Spiritual Tattoos, Symbolic Tattoos | No Responses »
Tags: awareness, consciousness, enlightenment, happiness, immortality, life, long life, longevity, luck, lucky, nobility, philosophy, responsibility, spiritual, spirituality, strength, tao, wisdom
Friday, May 1st, 2009
Spider Tattoo Meaning
Spider Tattoo Meaning
(at-a-glance):
- Thouroughness
- Connectivity
- Secretivness
- Thoughtfulness
- Practicality
- Magic
- Creation & Creativity
- Simplicity
- Luck
- Motherhood
- Progess
Spiders (and therefore spider tattoo meaning) share their symbolism with the webs they weave. Countless ancient cultures hailed the spiderweb as a connective matrixfrom which all of creation emerged. As the web mimics the interconnectivity of life/nature – the spider, then, is the creatrix.
For example, in India the spider is a weaver of reality and is a symbol of cosmic order. In this light, the web of reality is spun from the womb of the spider and so, the spider is also a representation of the Upanishads (spiritual wisdom) because the spider is both the creator and the inhabitant of wisdom. Spider tattoo meaning can also be connected to the Hindu concept of Maya (illusion) too as spiders weave crazy webs affecting perception.
The spider is often considered a solar creature and is associated with the sun because of its radiating legs & radiating webs. In this respect, the spider is also symbolic of: Life, vitality, health, radiating energy.
In Islam, white spiders are considered good luck symbols. Black spiders…not-so-much. 
Alternatively, the spider is also thought of as a lunar creature and is linked with moon symbolism too: Passivity, intuition, mysticism, shadows, cycles, time.
Mythological deities associated with the spider:
- Neith (Egyptian – the great weaver goddess)
- Anansi (African – spider god who tutored humans how to weave)
- Grandmother Spider (Native American Indian of Southwestern tribes - nature spirit connected to creation & wisdom)
- Arachne (Greek goddess turned into a spider after she bested the jealous Athena in weaving skills)
Furthermore, the spider has eight legs which is symbolic of infinity, cycles, time, progression and harmonic balance (more on meaning of number eight here).
For more information on spider tattoo meaning follow these links:
Symbolic Spider Meaning (full article)
White Widow Spider Meaning
Good Luck Animals (including spiders as lucky omens)
Posted in Animal Tattoos, Insect Tattoos, Native American Tattoos | No Responses »
Tags: awareness, connection, creativity, luck, magic, motherhood, progress, protection, vitality, wisdom
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
Snail Tattoo Meanings
Snail Tattoo Meanings
(at-a-glance):
- Progress
- Groundedness
- Whimsy
- Awareness
- Observation
- Patience
- Expansion
- Residual effects
- Dreams
- Consciousness
The snail is the steady-as-she-goes symbol in nature. Slowly but surely the snail gets to her destination, and this can be a prime point in snail tattoo meanings if you want to convey steady progress on your life-path.
Snail shells are typically spiral in nature. Spirals are symbolic of expanding consciousness. Alternatively, spirals can also imply a process of going within (spiraling inward) to seek inner consciousness for answers.
Snail tattoos can represent awareness, and an ability to effectively interpret dreams and unorthodox realities. This is because of the snails attenae which are hugely exploratory. Further, the entire body of the snail is a sensory tool. This is symbolic of experiencing reality via uncommon sensory perception.
The snail is also a lunar creature. Aboriginal cultures observed the snails ability to hide itself within its shell, or reveal itself. This behavior is likened to the waxing and waning of the moon. Similarly, the snail shares themes of progress, cycles, and fertility with the moon too.
In Mesoamerican lore, the snail is associated with the wind. Indeed Mayan symbolism indicates various wind gods riding in snail shells – descending upon the earth in tempestuous, unpredictable undulations.
The snail is also associated with new beginnings – specifically spring-time energies as it is the first to emerge from the earth in the spring…coaxed out by spring rains.
Here are a few other pages that may inspire you as you consider further snail tattoo meanings:
Symbolic Meaning of the Spiral
Lunar (Moon) Symbolism
Native American Wind Symbol
Mayan Symbolism
Posted in Animal Tattoos, Insect Tattoos, Spiritual Tattoos | No Responses »
Tags: awareness, consciousness, dreams, observation, patience, progress
