Badger Tattoo Meaning
Badger tattoo meaning
at-a-glance:
- Determination
- Cunning
- Intelligence
- Protection
- Slyness
- Defense
- Prosperity
- Survival
- Magic
- Deception
- Solitude
Badgers are rugged, persistent creatures and know how to: a) get what they want, and b) survive. They will fill these very basic needs with remarkable ferocity too, if need be. Do you feel like you need to defend yourself or your territory at all costs? Are you looking for a symbol of tenacity, endurance and vicious fortitude? The badger might be a great totem tattoo to convey your own ability to obtain your desires through rigorous determination.
Badgers are incredibly intelligent too. Their intelligence is two-fold: They can strategize, sure, but they also maintain uncanny sensory perceptions. They are infinitely linked to their surroundings and they have the ability to perceive even the smallest shifts in their environment. Their cunning allows them to strategize their actions to their best advantage.
In Japan, badgers are considered symbolic of self-advancement. There is a sense of personal achievement and industry where the badger is concerned. A badger is considered to look after its own interests, and can be deceitful in satisfying his own needs. Success in business sometimes call for a self-serving attitude, and this is why the badger is considered a prosperous symbol in business. They’re often seen as statues standing at the front door of business establishments in Japan. When they are, it’s a cue there’s a very shrewd and cunning business owner at the helm. This might be noteworthy for you if you are in need of toughening your personal resolve in business – or adopting a more strategic mentality in your industry.
The badger does a lot of digging, and in esoteric symbolism this links the animal to the earth - a very grounded, nurturing, foundational energy. Furthermore, the burrowing badger is a symbol of magic, because this act is symbolic of returning to the Source. Burrowing into the earth is also akin to returning to the womb in metaphorical symbolism. A return to our Source (as in a Divine Force), our roots, our home, the earth…these are all profound messages the badger bears. And, returning to the womb of our inception has crazy-magical connotations. If you are on a journey to return to your true nature, and all the primal energy you represent – a badger tattoo might be just the image to ignite your return.
In Native American symbolism the badger is linked with both earth, but also the moon. It is a nocturnal creature, which would explain its association with lunar symbolism. The badger is also pretty solitary – a hermit of the forest, and therefore is seen as a secretive being. This reclusive behavior along with moon symbolism make the badger a symbol of self-reflection, intuition, introspection and observation. The badger makes its progress in subtle, hidden movements – something the hermetic practitioner in all of us should respect. If you’re a loner, and you like to get things done in your own unsuspecting yet unusual ways – the badger might be a tattoo to convey you silent power.
I’ve written a page on general badger meanings - check it out here: Badger Symbolic Meanings.
You might also be interested in my page on animal tracks, where I’ve written about badger tracks symbolism.
