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Peacock Tattoo Meanings

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

Peacock Tattoo Meanings

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:

Ankh Tattoos

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Ankh tattoos

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.

Shou Symbol Tattoo Meaning

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

Shou Symbol Tattoo Meaning

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)