Tattoos have been surging in popularity at an astronomical pace lately – they’ve become a common “accessory”. Many people are recently inquired about what tattoos to get and where to place them. However, understanding the essence of a tattoo should come first.
Origin of Tattoos
A tattoo is a mark on the skin, made to last a lifetime. Historically, it’s a symbol of allegiance – to a tribe, clan, military, religious, or other group, imprinted during a special ritual. It fundamentally serves as a badge of affiliation, establishing a bond through symbols or inscriptions.
The Scorpion Nature of Tattoos
Tattoos encompass the full set of Scorpio traits:
- Combativeness: Traditionally, they were worn by warrior groups to show unity and/or to intimidate.
- Mystery: The tattooed symbol, holding a secret meaning, is understood only by members of a particular group or perhaps just the owner.
- Endurance: Getting a tattoo inflicts pain that must be endured.
- Sensuality: Tattoos emphasize allure, drawing attention to certain body parts.
- Provocation: An individual with a tattoo often appears more provocative and menacing, exemplifying the “bad boy” or “bad girl” image.
Magical Meaning of Tattoos
The skin is our natural defense, and a tattoo acts as a door. But the question remains: a door to where? The symbol or inscription of a tattoo is like a deep-rooted pledge, an oath etched permanently.
In some spiritual traditions, it’s believed that magicians shouldn’t mark their bodies, as it weakens them by making holes in their subtle bodies (a belief shared by C. Castaneda). However, in other traditions, specific symbols are tattooed to form connections with energetic allies.
Why Do Some People Strongly Desire Tattoos?
One might say, “It’s just a trend.” And for many, it may be just that. But, there could be deeper reasons.
Myths tell of beings covered in inscriptions, tales of civilizations far older than recorded history. In our imagination – in movies, art – cosmic beings with peculiar skin patterns and limbs often emerge. Observing heavily tattooed individuals, one might think they hail from another civilization and long for it, subconsciously trying to replicate at least the skin art.
Furthermore, tattoos often relate to potent magical symbols and rituals that have been etched deeply into the soul’s memory. There are tattooed mummies from Egypt that are 3000 years old. So, the tradition of having tattoos, as a reminder of power or significant rituals, might have been ingrained from ancient times and carried through lifetimes.
What’s Important to Know about Tattoos?
If a tattoo provides strength or protection, what’s the harm? Perhaps it’s a good thing? Considerations should include content, symbolism, location, color, and size of the tattoo.
Content and Symbolism
A tattoo sends a message to your conscious and subconscious, and to the world. So, understanding the message is crucial, rather than just instinctively copying others.
The worst-case scenario is tattooing negative symbols – things an average person wouldn’t want in their life – like snakes, devils, ruins, and so on (not to mention things like pierced hearts). These might be okay for yogis practicing in graveyards, attuning to detachment and non-duality, or for true Scorpios able to dwell in such places.
Speaking from the point of Magic, whatever you invite through symbols will manifest in your life. On the other hand, overtly dramatic tattoos suggest the individual craves life drama, even through pain. A tattoo is a strong message, emphasizing a particular theme in one’s life. Even neutral or positive inscriptions (related to honor, courage, and financial prosperity) can overshadow other life aspects. For instance, a person might become consumed by the theme of the tattoo, living like a warrior or focusing solely on wealth.
Some Symbol Meanings
Heart – love; Anchor – hope; Butterfly – transformation, lightness; Dolphin – joy, friendliness; Four-leaf clover – luck; Sword – fight, power; Flower – beauty, love; Sun – radiance, joy; Star – ideal, hope; Eagle – courage; Swan – harmony, loyalty; Lotus – divinity, purity; Dragon – power; Griffin – protection; Lion – nobility, power; Owl – wisdom, mysteries.
Location
Both the side of the body (left or right) and the specific body part matter.
Left vs. Right
Traditionally, the left side is “lucky” for women and the right for men (possibly related to energy flow in meridians). So, marks or symbols on the “lucky” side have positive meanings, while on the “unlucky” side they’re negative. Even the most beautiful symbol on the negative side can turn adverse, intensifying the person’s negative traits and consequently twisting their fate towards negativity.
Body Parts
Symbols on different parts of the body have varied meanings, from the head (Aries zone) to the feet (Pisces zone).
Signs in a certain area activate it, either highlighting or diminishing those qualities:
- Head, face: courage, decisions/cowardice, aggression
- Neck: prosperity, stability/loss of them
- Hands: information, communication/deception, manipulation
- Breasts: motherhood, tenderness/coarseness, indifference
- Chest, upper back: self-confidence, creativity/vanity, arrogance, distrust
- Stomach: health, duty/manipulation, dishonesty, doubt
- Loins: partnership/infidelity, loneliness
- Genitals: sexuality/promiscuity
- Thighs: belief/disbelief, cynicism
- Calves: openness to change/fear of change, panic
- Feet: love, empathy, inspiration, romance/delusion, illusions, disappointment.
Colors
They have symbolic meanings. For example, red – is passion; blue – is spirituality; green – is life; gold – is power, etc.