Symbols speak. They hide deep philosophical meanings and have been used throughout history as a way to communicate something without words. It is amazing how a bunch of lines can provoke joy, sadness, ecstasy, anger and desire and this is why a person shouldn’t choose a tattoo based only on how they look, after all, it is going to pass on a message, and it’s important to know what message is this, as one is suppose to carry it for a lifetime.
Egyptian designs contain wonderful symbolism that have inspired people for centuries. By discovering their meanings, a person might find a symbol that says what he or she wants to express.
The Meaning of the Eye of Horus
The eye of Horus is an important symbol because it represents the path to enlightenment. The left eye corresponds to the negative side of things, and the right eye to the positive side. When negative and positive cross information, they can perceive one object correctly. The eyes then, represent the duality of nature and how positive and negative or good and evil need each other in order to recognize the environment, meaning that the duality is, in fact, an unity. A person who is able to understand this philosophy is in the right path to become enlightened.
The tattoo artist must respect the proportion of the drawing, because without the right measures, the symbol does not have the same meaning (see image with the correct proportions at the bottom of this article).
The Meaning of the Falcon
Among all animals, the falcon has the best vision. A falcon can contemplate nature from the heights and still focus its attention on any spot on the ground, no matter how small it is. Egyptian god Horus as well as Tutankhamon are represented by a falcon because a falcon symbolizes how a perfect person should act – being conscious of the whole but capable of acting in the physical world as well. This why the falcon may also represent politics as the Egyptian concept of a good ruler is based on the idea that a governor should be able to project the divine into physical plane.
The Meaning of the Ankh or Ansated Cross
The ankh, also known as the tau or the ansated cross has been an enigma for egyptologists and no one has reached a definitive conclusion about its meaning, however, occultists claim to know the significance of this beautiful symbol.
The vertical line means the spirituality and the horizontal line means physical plane. Vertical lines have been used to represent the journey of the human soul towards ascension, but the ancient knowledge understood that one could not reach perfection without being born again, as many incarnations are needed in order to achieve the human ideal, so the loop at the top of the vertical line represents the return to the physical world (horizontal line), or a new incarnation. The ankh looks like a key and is sometimes called “the key of life”. The key of life, then, is to know the natural natural cycles of the universe and become aligned to it.
The Meaning of the Pyramid
The pyramid is a beautiful symbol that is associated to the number seven, which is indeed one of the most important numbers of the Esoteric tradition, as it refers to seven planes of consciousness that is said to exist in the universe. The pyramid is a combination of number four (since the base of the pyramid has four sides) and number three (the triangle). Number four represents the manifested world, and number three, the spiritual world, so the pyramid can be understood as the union of body and soul.
The top of the pyramid carries a special meaning, it is the first attribute of God – will or volition – from which all the other facets of the pyramid derive, just like every action and and every move a person makes should be a result of the highest level of consciousness.
For more tattoo design ideas, read Buddhist Tattoo Designs, the Meaning of the Buddhist Symbols. No matter what symbol a person chooses to tattoo, it should reflect one’s personality, hopes and motivations!
Mrs Sharon Bull presented a seminar at NAMTA Art Trade Fair in Indianapolis in 2010, where she reported on initiatives being undertaken in the Wollongong region in Australia
She indicated that graffiti on the traffic light signal boxes plagued the Road's and Traffic authority and the Wollongong Council. Together they initiated a scheme aimed at preventing graffiti and tagging. Funded by the two bodies they disseminated information calling for expressions of interest from artists to submit samples of their work
Artists donated their time and skill to paint the signal boxes. Prize monies through Cultural Services were offered for the judges' and the people's choices. "Through this method, the community 'buy in', not only to pride in their suburb but to art.
Over 300 boxes were painted providing ample scope for many artists to participate. They interacted with residents who became fiercely protective of the icon in their area. It has proved to be a very popular decision all round
So popular that, now the paint work is beginning to fade, it will be recommissioned having lasted some 5 years with a 95% rate of no graffiti or tagging. The organisers are fairly confident in assessing that some former graffiti artists found a positive outlet or canvas for their work. They too, are custodians
No one’s going to stop you if one fine day you wake up and decide to become a tattoo artist, but the job is extremely tasking. It needs practice and hard work that will make you feel like you’re in a boot camp. So if you are ready to face the challenge then this is the right profession for you. Its important to know and respect the ancient and sacred culture of tattoos. Tattoos existed before people began to write, it’s been an important and integral part of great civilizations. Good examples would be the Aztec and Mayan tattoos, Celtic tattoos, Japanese tattoos, Tahiti tattoos, tattoos still made by the Aborigines in Australia and the Maori Tattoos from New Zealand who are famous for their tattooed faces.
