Kintsugi Heart

Kintsugi/Kitsukuroi

In Japanese, kintsugi means “golden seams” or “golden joinery” and kintsukuroi means “golden repair” or “to repair with gold” or “golden mend”. Both words mean the same thing. It is a lavish, traditional technique and art form of repairing or mending broken ceramics and pottery with lacquer resin mixed with gold, silver or platinum.

The kintsugi technique may have been invented around the fifteenth century, when Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate after breaking his favorite cup of tea sent it to China to get it repaired. It seemed that the cup was irreparable but its owner decided to try to have some Japanese craftsmen repair it. They decided to transform the cup into a jewel by filling its cracks with lacquered resin and powdered gold. The legend seems plausible because the invention of kintsugi is set in a very fruitful era for art in Japan.

Kitsukuroi has a deeper philosophical significance as well; the mended flaws become part of the object’s design. The cracks in an object are viewed simply as events and rather than allowing its service to end because of the damage or breakage or replacing it with another object, it is repaired with care in such a way that acknowledges and beautifies the breakage. It suggests that we shouldn’t throw something or someone away just because it may be broken. If an object has been broken then it has more history and it should be celebrated.
Whether you’re going through the loss, or in recovery, divorce or other personal tragedy, Kintsugi can be a way to re-frame hardships to remind yourself that you’re not a victim of your circumstances — and to help you come out the other side stronger.

In Japanese philosophy there exists the idea of “wabi-sabi,” the act of embracing the flawed or the imperfect and finding beauty in broken or old things. Kintsugi highlights the cracks rather than hiding them.

It can be a symbol of:
- The human experience
- Resilience and renewal
- Strength
- Ability to adapt
- Commitment
- Acceptance and Embracing the imperfect
- Striving for a better self
- We are all connected
- Less is more
- It’s never too late
- Overcoming mental illness

The Personal Meanings Behind My 4th Tattoo (July 2018):
 - This tattoo shows that I am strong and even though I've been broken, continue to strive to put myself back together as a stronger, better version.
- I continue to work towards growing and being the best that I can be and this fluid colored and fluid shaped, very open and obvious tattoo represents that ongoing path of improvement.
- This tattoo was supposed to represent the relationship with my brothers and has evolved to be very personal to me and how my past has shaped who I want to be.

- Represents the relationship with my two younger brothers
- Red because our last name, our hair color, and one brothers favorite color; purple for my favorite color; blue for the other brother’s favorite color
- The forearm represents the capacity to start doing something, holding on to reality, reaching goals
- The left represents receiving and yin (or feminine) as well as the arm the flows directly into my heart
- A heart because there is no one I’m closer to or care more deeply for than my brothers and I wear my heart on my sleeve for them and they are what keeps me alive and I also guard their hearts and strive to protect them
- Two shatter points: one for each brother
- This is thus far my most visible tattoo as well as most colorful

Sources:
https://onbeing.org/blog/omid-safi-illuminating-the-beauty-in-our-broken-places/

https://mymodernmet.com/kintsugi-kintsukuroi/

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-centuries-old-japanese-tradition-mending-broken-ceramics-gold

https://medium.com/@BoushraDalile/kintsukuroi-suffering-and-love-2cef2f9bc306

https://www.lifegate.com/people/lifestyle/kintsugi

Celtic Triple Moon Butterfly

The Celtic Triple Moon Goddess

The triple moon represents renewal, cycles and change. The Celtic knotwork represents that nothing is coincidence, and everything is connected. Celtic moon knotwork is associated with femininity, women, growth and creativity.

The Celts had several triadic Goddesses and Gods that were seen to represent the mysterious nature of the cosmos. They expressed and ruled over the more mystical aspects and truths of life rather than the mundane and practical ruled over by the deities connected to geographical locations.

In the Pagan/Neo-Pagan/Wiccan religion, the triple moon is a Goddess symbol that represents the Maiden, Mother, and Crone as the waxing, full, and waning moon. It is also associated with feminine energy, mystery and psychic abilities. These aspects may also represent the cycle of birth, life and death (and rebirth) and the rhythm of time.

The first crescent (the waxing moon) symbolizes new life, rejuvenation, and new beginnings. The middle circle (the full moon) represents when magic is at its most powerful.
Finally, the second crescent (the waning period) represents the time that is regarded as the best to send things away, remove them from your life, or to finish something.

The Maiden represents enchantment, inception, expansion, the female principle, the promise of new beginnings, youth, excitement, and a carefree erotic aura.
The Mother represents ripeness, fertility, fulfillment, stability, and power.
The Crone represents wisdom, repose, and compassion.

It can be used as symbol of:
- Transformation
- Fertility
- Illumination
- Change
- Shadows
- Balance
- Emotions
- Intuition, Inner Knowledge
- Power of three


Butterfly

The butterfly symbolizes personal transformation and change; a secondary meaning is finding joy in life and having lightness of being. The meaning emphasizes the ability to move from one state, perspective, or lifestyle to another. It is an elemental air sign.

In early Christianity, the butterfly was a symbol of the eternal soul and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In China, it was used as a symbol of conjugal bliss and joy. It is also believed to represent a strong bond of young love and pure happiness. It is a sign of beauty, grace and long life. Two butterflies symbolize harmony and love.

In Japanese tradition the butterfly bears the message to help you sort out a problem. It represents the transition from young girl into womanhood, joyful marriage and spring’s arrival.

To Native American it is a symbol of change, joy and color; it was considered a miracle of transformation and resurrection. They also believed that butterflies were the messengers of the Great Spirit. They were the connection between the earth and sky.

In Ancient Greece the butterfly was a symbol of the soul, psyche and immortality. Psyche was an ancient Greek Goddess of love and passion that was depicted with the wings of a butterfly after her journey into the underworld for her love Eros. Her story represents the transformation of birth to death to resurrection.

Throughout Celtic regions the butterfly represents prosperity, joy, good fortune, honor and the soul.

Some believe that fairies can transform into butterflies. Some also believe it represents a soul or spirit that is crossed over trying to reach out.

The lesson of the butterfly is letting go of old behavior and expounding into the next phase of existence.

It can be used as a symbol of:
- The Powerful transformation
- Releasing the past and fears
- Personal growth
- Metamorphosis in your life and moving through different life cycles
- Renewal and rebirth
- Lightness of being and hope
- Playfulness and expression
- Elevation from earthly matters
- Tuning into your emotional and spiritual needs, greater awareness of your mental, physical and spiritual rhythms
- The world of the soul and the psyche
- Clarity of mind needed before self-transformation or vision
- Looking inward to review and evaluate the character
- Delicate but courageous
- Free
- Quiet independence
- Natural beauty
- The mind and it’s adaptability
- Never-ending cycle of life and love
- Patience

The Personal Meanings Behind My 3rd Tattoo (March 2016)
- It is who I want to be to others, what I want to represent in other people’s lives. An outward expression of an inward promise to those around me.
- It can be seen when I dance; while I’m sharing something that I love and am passionate about
- The lower back represents:
      o The natural female curve
      o Typically, representative of one's sexuality
      o It is revered by many religions as a storage place for spiritual energy; the same idea is found within the chi force and meridian fields talked about in eastern cultures
      o Confidence
      o The foundation of your life - like breathing, you don't need to think about it for it to work for you.
      o The root chakra (Muladhara): Mula meaning “root” and Adhara, which means “support” or “base.” is comprised of whatever grounds you to stability in your life. This includes your basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and safety, as well as your more emotional needs such as letting go of fear. When these needs are met, you feel grounded and safe.
- I have two mantras (that may turn into tattoos of their own): Everything happens for a reason and Everything is temporary and this tattoo symbolizes those and my beliefs around them.
- I am bisexual and polyamorous and believe that each love, each person, each experience is its own and unique and special
- This is the first tattoo that was designed specifically for me between my artist and I combining several ideas
- It was my first larger tattoo with the most color coverage signifying my own willingness to expand and be brave

Sources
https://www.ancient-symbols.com/symbols-directory/triple-moon.html

http://sacredwicca.com/the-wiccan-triple-goddess

https://exemplore.com/spirit-animals/Animal-Spirit-Guides-Meanings-Butterfly-Spirit-Guide

http://www.pure-spirit.com/more-animal-symbolism/611-butterfly-symbolism

https://whatismyspiritanimal.com/spirit-totem-power-animal-meanings/insects/butterfly-symbolism-meaning/

Baby Alicorn

In the English-language pantheon of mythical equines, a horse with a single horn is a unicorn (from the Latin for ‘one horn’), and a horse with wings is referred to as Pegasus, from the name of the winged horse of Greek mythology which sprang from the blood of Medusa when Perseus cut off her head.

Unicorns and Pegasi have in recent decades been joined in popular culture by another type of magical horse; several terms for a winged unicorn (or horned pegasus) have been suggested, but none of them have been entered into Oxford Dictionaries, because they do not yet meet the criteria for inclusion.

A winged unicorn is a fictional equine with the wings of a pegasus and the horn of a unicorn; in some literature and media is it also referred to as an alicorn.

Alicorn is an English rendering of the Italian word alicorno meaning ‘unicorn’ (liocorno and unicorno are the usual modern Italian words) or ‘unicorn’s horn’. Although alicorno was a synonym of unicorn in Italian, its original use in English, in 1678, was with reference to an entirely different animal, resembling a bull with wavy horns.

The connection between the word alicorn and a winged unicorn cropped up from time to time in the intervening decades, but the breakout moment didn’t come until 2012, when the word was introduced in an episode of the cartoon series 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'. Alicorn came to be the standard term used in the series to refer to a special category of magical pony princesses sporting both a horn and wings.

The alicorn of a unicorn has symbolic association with virginity, innocence, God’s Word and divine power. In magic is was considered protection against poison and evil.

The Personal Meaning Behind My 1^st Tattoo (2010)

- It a baby to the mamma to represent the relationship with my mom

- It is in the same spot on my left ankle as my mom’s piece to be an extension of hers

Sources

https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2016/11/29/unicorn-with-wings/

The Trinity Knot

The Trinity knot is a versatile, fluid, open to interpretation symbol that we each can derive our own special meaning from.

Alternatives names are: Triquetra, Irish Love Knot, Celtic Triangle

A triquetra is a tri-cornered shape made of three overlapping or interconnected arcs with pointed outer sections that resembles a three-cornered knot. As the word's beginning syllable 'tri' suggests, it means triangle, three or tri-cornered. Each of the three leaf-like shapes that form the symbol are not arbitrarily drawn, they are a mathematical shape called vesicae piscis. Sometimes, the triquetra is also depicted with a circle interlocking the triangular shape.

The word ‘Triquetra’ is Latin for ‘three-cornered’ and although its exact origins are unknown, it has been found on Indian heritage sites that are over 5,000 years old. It has also been found on carved stones in Northern Europe dating from the 8th century AD and on early Germanic coins. As far as the Trinity knot’s appearance in Celtic culture is concerned, it seems as if the distinctive artwork style developed during Ireland’s Insular Art movement around the 7th century but it is difficult to get a precise date.

According to the Celts, the most important things in the world came in threes; three domains (earth, sea and sky), three elements, three stages of life etc. It is very closely associated with nature and Life. The interpretations strongly hint at it being more closely associated with the female than the male.

In the Christian faith, the three points of the Trinity knot represent the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the intertwining of the three. The shape is a stylistic rendition of a fish. The Church adopted the name vesicae piscis, which translates as ‘bladder of the fish’ because Christ is described as a ‘fisher of men’.

In Japan, the design of a tomoe, interpreted as a ‘wishing’ or a ‘hoping’, that was used on family crests comes very close to resembling a triquetra in form.

In Korea, the use of Taegeuk, which use interlocking curved shapes to form a multi-colored whole is most easily recognized around the world in the Yin-Yang symbol. However, that symbol’s dual nature can be further expanded so it incorporates three interlocking curved-edge shapes. This design is sometimes found on ceremonial drums.

It is also possible that the Triquetra signified the lunar and solar phases. The triple nature of the feminine Divine is a popular theme in ancient pagan lore. The tripartite representation is probably most famous as the Triple Goddess. This symbol shows a full moon in the center with a waxing moon on one side and a waning moon on the other.

Sometimes, the traditional triquetra symbol is accompanied by a circle. The circle around the triquetra signifies the infinite & eternity. It also represents protection. Circles are often drawn around Celtic knots to represent spiritual unity with the divine - a connection that shall not be broken. Whether it is the eternity of unending love, God's love or the eternal circle of life itself, a romantic relationship, or a parent to a child.

It can be used as a symbol of:
- Ireland’s ancient culture
- Traditional Celtic Magic
- Representative of eternal love
- Uninterrupted life cycle
- Of the Goddess as mother, maiden and crone. The mother as a goddess is representative of creation, the maiden is representative of innocence and the crone is representative of wisdom.
- The three interlocking circles are symbolic of female fertility.
- The threefold nature/power of three:
     o Forces of nature (earth, fire and water)
     o Mind, body, soul (spirit)
     o Past, present, future
     o Thought, feeling/emotion, action
     o Creation, preservation, destruction
     o Life, death, rebirth
     o Promises in love (Love, Honor, Protection) or (Love, Respect, Friendship)
- Encompassing Meanings:
     o Infinite & Eternity
     o Protection
     o Equality
    o Divine Femininity

The Personal Meanings Behind My 2nd Tattoo (May 2010)
- The phases of a woman: maiden, mother, crone
- The balance between my thoughts, feelings and actions
- A never-ending search for balance and knowledge
- The relationship between me, earth and the Goddess
- Keeping my mind, body and spirit healthy
- Red to represent the fire element (passionate, adventurous, curious, determined, motivated)
- Gray to represent the earth element (practical, grounded, stable, dependable)
- It’s on my right hip to represent the divine femininity and my strength as a woman and embracing my feminine power
- To express my heritage
- Pay respect to my ancestry
- The love for my Celtic and pagan belief system
- It is the symbol the represents who I am and who I want to be; it represents my beliefs and my character

Sources
https://www.celtic-weddingrings.com/trinity-knot-meaning

http://mythologian.net/triquetra-celtic-trinity-knot-symbol-meaning/