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Badger Tattoo Meaning

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Badger Tattoo Meaning

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.

Posted in Animal Tattoos, Good Luck Tattoos, Mammal Tattoos, Native American Tattoos, Oriental Tattoos, Personal Observations, Symbolic Tattoos | No Responses »
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Stag Tattoo Meaning

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Stag Tattoo Symbolism

Stag Tattoo Symbolism

Stag tattoo meaning
(at-a-glance):

  • Heroism
  • Confidence
  • Pride
  • Nobility
  • Strength
  • Virility
  • Cycles
  • Provision
  • Protection

The stag is a symbol of strength in countless cultures, legends and myth throughout history and across the globe.  Why?  Gee, just take a look at one – in the wilderness or even in a National Geographic mag – these beasts are stunning to behold. 

Most notably, their antlers are symbolic of their dominance within the ranks of Nature.  The bigger the rack – the more virile they are considered (by both doe and in human archetypal understanding).  In their environment – antlers are tools and weapons.  In a battle of territory and sexual conquest, size does matter and a massive antler-arrangement goes a long way to insure proper respect.  Same holds true with a stag tattoo sporting an awesome fan of antlers.  They’re symbolic of age (wisdom), elitism and superiority.

Antlers are also considered a solar feature by many Native perspectives.  It’s because antlers resemble expanding rays of the sun.  If we add solar symbolism to stag antlers, we get a symbolic mix of: Vitality, Energy, Radiance and Right-Action.

A stag tattoo meaning can also point to the recycling nature of all life.  Here again, it’s their antlers that point to this aspect.  Stags grow antlers in the Spring (symbolic of birth, renewal, the return of life), and fall off in the Fall (symbolic of death, introspection and hibernation).  Are you keen about your own personal cycles of being?  Do you profoundly feel the rise and fall of Nature and Time?  The Stag might help you express these stirrings in a bold way.

Of course, if you’re a hunter, a Stag tattoo might be common sense.  Let’s hope you’re in touch with the ancient history behind hunting, and the fact of interconnectivity of all life.  Maybe a Stag tattoo can galvanize the concept of becoming one: The hunter and the hunted sharing an infinite bond – a shamanistic sharing of souls.

Celtic symbolism hold the Stag in high regard.  A symbol of masculine fortitude and an icon of virile power.   In their myths, a white Stag was considered a message of divine importance.  Tons of heros of Celtic legend were lead to (enlightenment?) victory by a white stag. 

More information about this unique symbolism can be found here:

Symbolism of the Deer

White Deer Symbolism

Posted in Animal Tattoos, Celtic Tattoos, Mammal Tattoos, Native American Tattoos, Personal Observations, Symbolic Tattoos | No Responses »
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Scorpion Tattoos

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

Scorpion Tattoos and Scorpion Meaning

Scorpion Tattoos and Scorpion Meaning

Scorpion Tattoos and Symbolism
(at-a-glance):

  • Protection
  • Rebellion
  • Attachment
  • Retaliation
  • Aggression
  • Power
  • Warning
  • Mystery
  • Energy
  • Transition
  • Calculated
  • Stealth
  • Healing
  • Logic
  • Survival
  • Mysticism
  • Resilience
  • Guardianship
  • Self-defense
  • Altered perception

If you’re zealous about researching tattoo meanings to personal satisfaction, you’re going to run into sources touting scorpion tattoos as representations of dark traits like death, darkness or treachery.  If you want more of those kinds of meanings for scorpion tattoos, you can look elsewhere.

I’m not of the same mind, as I don’t believe in death.  Rather, we can look at the death theme associated with the scorpion as a time of transition from one phase of life into another. 

In this way, the scorpion tattoo can be a symbol of freedom from limiting beliefs about death.

The Egyptians were big on one life ending as a means to begin another life in the Afterworld.  And the scorpion was a powerful guardian to the ancient Egyptians and their concept of  life-after-life.

In fact, the scorpion was an attribute of the goddess Selket who was a guardian of transitioning souls.  Selket also protected canopic jars and various rituals of the mummification process that insured transition from one life to the next. 

This makes the scorpion a powerful guardian of soul-evolution.  – A protector of different kinds of life.  It also makes the scorpion a symbolic sentinel of the mysteries of the Afterworld.

In African aboriginal lore, the scorpion is associated with life and so-called death too.  The sting of a scorpion is said to have intense healing qualities and so this creature was greatly honored.  It was both highly respected because one sting could also prove lethal. 

Scorpion stings can also trigger hallucinogenic effects and so the theme of transition continues.  In this light, the scorpion (sting) is a catalyst for reaching altered states of consciousness. 

This puts scorpion tattoos in the psychedelic category – a message of limitless perception.  It’s also a shamanic creature due to its hallucination-sparking stings as shamans could utilize their venom for spirit journeying.

The scorpion is a master at survival.  It takes advantage of every opportunity for the sake of its existence as many kinds of scorpions live in brutally harsh environments.  This makes the scorpion a symbol of victory over adversity.

Scorpions are also associated with the sun.  Therefore, scorpion tattoos will have sun-like qualities including: Energy, Vitality, Clarity, Focus and Radiance.

The scorpion is a representation of the zodiac sign of Scorpio, and in this context a scorpion tattoo will convey attributes of: Boldness, Dynamism, Mystical Power, Secretiveness and Seduction.

Read more about this topic to fill out your research on scorpion tattoos:

Scorpion Symbolic Meaning (full article)

Scorpio zodiac sign meanings

Solar Animals: Radiating Symbolism

Insect Totems and Meanings

Posted in Animal Tattoos, Egyptian Tattoos, Insect Tattoos, Spiritual Tattoos, Symbolic Tattoos | 1 Response »
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Shark Tattoo Meaning

Friday, August 28th, 2009

Shark Tattoo Meaning

Shark Tattoo Meaning

Shark Tattoo Meaning
(at-a-glance):

  • Power
  • Assertiveness
  • Instinct
  • Focus
  • Authority
  • Effectiveness
  • Calculated
  • Confident
  • Protection
  • Graceful
  • Strength
  • Fearlessness
  • Energy
  • Knowing
  • Self-assurance
  • Survivor

Shark tattoo meaning deals with the indomitable spirit of the shark. These creatures are built for survival, (they haven’t evolved much in over 400 million years!).   As such they are perfect for people who want a tattoo to signify they are survivors.  Symbolically, this speaks to our human hearts, and tells us:

a) We are born perfectly designed (how can you improve perfection?).
b) Whatever life throws at us, we will survive.

To the Maori, the mako shark (mako meaning shark or shark tooth) is a sacred fish because of its status as “king of the waters.”  To their natural way of viewing life, the shark is a powerful symbol of victory and superior power to the Maori.  I’ve seen a few Maori shark tattoos (shark teeth, specifically) and indeed their bold presence is equally bold in symbolism.

Celtic shark tattoos will capture the symbolism of the scythe because ancient Celts (who were quite sea-savvy) observed the dorsal fin of the shark to look a lot like a sickle or scythe (the crescent blade used to harvest wheat. Also a sacred Druidic tool).  As scythes are synonymous with harvesting and also the closing of an agricultural season, the shark to the ancient Celts would speak of respectfully gathering resources while opportunity is available.  It also speaks of transition, cycles and acknowledging the passage of one phase of life into another.

Shark tattoos are considered symbols of protection – especially for sailors, pirates and those who travel often (particularly by sea).

Interestingly, the Hindu god Vishnu is sometimes shown leaping out of the mouth of a shark.  This can be interpreted several ways.  Predominantly it signifies the dominance of Nature; that Nature and her creatures must be respected – never underestimated.  This illustration also puts sharks on a divine level, having same status as gods and goddesses.  This reinforces shark symbolism of power and authority.

For more soulful insights and other pages of similar symbolism visit:

Shark Symbolism: Living Life Full-On

Water Symbolism: Emotional Intelligence

Water Totems: Swimming with Symbolism

Posted in Animal Tattoos, Celtic Tattoos, Fish Tattoos, Indigenous Tattoos, Spiritual Tattoos, Symbolic Tattoos | No Responses »
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