Tuesday 26 May 2015

Skin Deep

Tattoos are forever. Pigment forced deep into the skin by a painful, rhythmic process. A physical reminder of a time, a space, a feeling.

Tattoos have been around for thousands of years - the concept is not new - permanently marking the skin for cosmetic, religious, or cultural reasons.

I have many tattoos. They are a part of who I am, and will be, for the rest of my days. They are the permanent flags on the pages of my physical book. When I look at each one, I can tell you how I was feeling, who I was with, and where I was at that particular moment. My tattoos are an outward expression of myself, my true self. I will never forget what events led up to each one, and they all have a story to tell.

My first tattoo is turing 10 this year, a milestone to be sure. I feel the same way about it today as I did 10 years ago, if not more so. No regrets are to be found here. It is a purple triple goddess symbol )O( , with a pentacle in the middle, and vines wrapped around it.

*Note: This is what I see when I look down at my wrist - everyone else sees the pentacle pointing the "right" way*

I chose this to be my first tattoo because I wanted to get something meaningful to me that I could see every day. For me it was a statement: this is who I am. It was a way to reaffirm my beliefs and to offer myself and my dedication to my chosen path. That path has only become more solidified over the years, growing new off-shoots at the same time. This year I have changed - a lot - and so my tattoo is changing with me.

In two and a half weeks time I will be adding to my tattoo: a symbol of knowledge, mystery, and power. Along with it will come a sense of kinship and camaraderie. I am excited and nervous, just as I was when I got it 10 years ago. Regardless of where life takes me in the next 10 years - or 20 or 30 - this tattoo will be coming with me, and with it, the memories.




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