Fire and Flight

Sticking with the post-parent rebellion I'm currently enjoying, I went and got my tattoo started this week. It was oh so much fun! It was supposed to be incredibly painful and sore, but I sat through the whole session just fine and today I don't even really remember that it's there. Until I smell it. It's got that A+D stuff on it and it smells like a wet dog at times. Uhhg. But it's not bad. I'm completely pleased with it. It needs a bit of touch up, which will happen in a couple of weeks with the fill-in, and the tips need to be extended just a bit to make it a bit more symmetrical, but not bad at all. I had it done by my friend Molly who just finished her apprenticeship to another awesome guy and is now fully able to professionally tattoo and charge you for it! She does awesome work, so check her out if you are thinkin' of getting a piece done.



The symbolism of the tattoo is one that I've been working on since I was seventeen. It has the Celtic symbol for inner strength and also triplicity of being as is the popular idea today. That also ties in with my Celtic heritage that, while muddied considerably, still is pretty strong for me. The curling fire represents emergence and passion, 'cus who don't love passion! Seriously though, passion is important in any artists life and I draw on mine continuously. The tattoo also has a yin yang element that of course represents balance and duality. That's a no brainer for me. The fire unfurls to represent wings which carry four meanings- the phoenix, which is one of my favorite mythical and metaphysical creatures and also ties in with the fire; flight, when I dream, my dreams are of flying and are usually remembered for a long time after waking and they also are my favorites; freedom, also felt in my dreams while flying, but something I have also come into realization of as my inheritance as a human being in the last few years; and Air, which is the element of my zodiac sign Gemini. So appropriate, too, if you know me at all.

And that's about all for this post. On a side note, Fall is finally here. It swept in on first fallen leaves rustling in the wind. The first day this week was a perfect cold, grey day with just enough sullen beauty in the sky and earth to be appropriately chilling. In the old pagan beliefs and many other earth born people's today it signified the slow fading of the Old God as he made his decent into the Underworld. The Dark Mother began her reign over the land and winter settled in, blanketing the ground until the God was reborn and emerged from the Goddess' womb to cover the Earth with new beginnings. Sigh. I love all the old stories.