INKED! A Tattoo Virgin No More

Long-time readers may remember a series of posts I wrote a few years back about my thwarted plans to get a tattoo. Long before tattoos on women were a mainstream fashion, dyke chic meant that every lesbian had to have at least one tat! But like a female Hamlet, I waffled forever over what design I should get. And then when I did finally resolve to get inked for my 40th birthday, I got downsized in government job cuts and prudently decided not to spend the money after all.

After that, the moment simply passed. And then years, many years, passed. The desire to get some ink did not surface again until 2014. I was born in '57 and 2014 was when I turned 57. It was like my friggin year of Harmonic Convergence! And lo, all of a sudden, in a flash of blinding inspiration, I knew exactly what I should get for my tattoo -- a design of great personal significance to me.

[Photo by My Rare One,

who does not really like tattoos at all

but who has adjusted]

And to answer everyone's inevitable question -- no, it didn't really hurt because modern, high-speed tattooing equipment has eliminated much of the pain. It felt like someone was lightly dragging a hot needle across my skin, that was all. Some mild discomfort, yes, but nothing that I would dignify with the word "pain." Fer chrissakes, I've had menstrual cramps that were a million times more painful than this! Tattooing was nothing by comparison.

So what is the meaning and significance of my tat's design? It's a pagan tattoo honouring the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine and which also cites a famous pagan quotation about the nature of the human/Divine relationship. As you can see, I decided not to get a coloured tat but went old school with simple black and grey scale. That's a nod to my father's monochromatic tattoos that I remember so well from childhood onwards.

I'm going to post individually about each element of the design over the next three days. Hey, I waited 57 years to get a tattoo, I damn well intend to milk its blog post potential for all it's worth!

Tomorrow: Labrys (Divine Feminine)