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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 10481
[Culture]
Date Posted:
7/19/2004
6:59:53 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 9,954
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Comments: 22
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Eight Women Share Their Tattoo Tales
Author: Barrington Times Source: Barrington Times (RI)
Title: EIGHT WOMEN SHARE THEIR TATTOO TALES
These days, you can't help but notice how many people have some sort of tattoo. Young, old, male, female, parents, students, singles, divorcees — it doesn't seem to matter. Tattoos have gone from being something only sailors or the toughest bikers got, to something you see women showing off quite regularly. In fact, women make up about 60 percent of local tattoo parlors' clientele.
Why do women get tattoos? We asked eight of them to find out, and got as wide a range of answers as the women themselves. At its most basic level, tattooing can be a way of recognizing the beauty of the body, positioned to complement certain features. Yet most of the women we spoke to said they got a tattoo to mark a rite of passage, or to celebrate or record a life transition. Some women incorporated the mystical or superstitious into their tattoos, others chose a subject that had a special meaning. And most chose a spot on their body which they could hide, if need be. Here are their stories.
Mary Bennett, 80, Barrington
* Her tattoo: A musical staff with the notes of "Bless the Beasts and the Children"
* Body part: Her right ankle
Mary Bennett decided to get a tattoo when she turned 75. "I always try to do something adventurous and out of the ordinary to commemorate my birthday," she said. That year, Ms. Bennett said she was running out of ideas, and suddenly the thought of getting a tattoo just came to her.
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Community Thoughts: There are 22 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Getting A Tattoo In A Few Months | Jul 21st. at 12:01:39 am EDT |
by Arinnadia (North Carolina) - wc_xemail
I really enjoyed this article, especially the mother and daughter that got theirs together. My daughter and I had been planning to get a tattoos in a few months, on her 18th birthday. Mine will be of a fairy picture I found that has a face that's eerily like my daughter as a child. My daughter will be getting a shooting star with a rainbow trail behind it that she's had picked out since she was 16.
With all the tattoo talk around the house my husband decided to get a tattoo too. He beat us to it in fact. He got a Tomahawk on his arm last year. When he first got it I teased him, knowing I couldn't touch it for the first week for sanitary reasons, I kept asking him if I could kiss it better for him. It became a running joke and when it was healed it became a ritual for me to kiss his tattoo every night. (it was on his bicep and right at lip level for me) . He just passed away last month, very suddenly in an accident at work. Now I cherish the memory of every one of those kisses. And yes I kissed his tattoo one last time to say goodbye. I guess tattoo's aren't just important to the one who gets them but sometime to the ones that love you too.
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| For The Love Of Ink | Jul 20th. at 11:47:27 pm EDT |
by Wyvern Kinrowan (St.Thomas Ont. Canada) - wc_xemail
Well my story seems similar to those I have read above.Got my First tattoo a year and a half ago a Pentagram with a feather hanging from similar to a dream catcher to celebrate my native and celtic heritage also to signify my coming out of the broom closet.This is on my upper Right arm. next one in a months time a dragon clutching a medicne wheel. Love the first one and know the second will be even better. Blessed be the lovers of the ink .
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| My Tattoo Story... | Jul 20th. at 11:22:46 pm EDT |
by Orionova (WV) - wc_xemail
I thought I'd go ahead and chime in with my tattoo experience. I got my tat two years ago, during my first semester at university. The spring before, I had been in a sweat lodge, and had seen a vision of a spider web penticle that I knew would become my first tattoo. The artist I chose worked with me to refince the design, which became a spider web with a red penticle entwined in it, and a spider hanging from the lower left corner. Sister Spider chose me when I was a child, and I honour her even though spiders themselves terrify me.
And yes, I was sitting in the chair, enduring the pain and thinking about my next tat. It'll be a tree, showing all four seasons. I just wish I could draw...
Tattoos are pieces of art that can't be taken from you.
BB!
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| Cool | Jul 20th. at 10:06:44 pm EDT |
by KarEEna (Perth, Australia) - wc_xemail
That was a very cool article.
I've been wanting a second tatoo since halfway through my first tatoo. I'd *like* to get it to commemorate graduating from university (officially in September) as I got the first one to commemorate moving to Australia. But I designed the first one (a yin yang with stylized flame-like designs around it ... all in black ink) and it was the extent of my artistic abilities. I don't know any artists! Anyone here artistic and interested in designing a tatoo for some stranger in Australia? :)
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| Tattoos | Jul 20th. at 8:48:34 pm EDT |
by Abigail Gerlach (Colorado Springs, CO) - wc_xemail
Tattoos are a great way of expressing yourself artistically, especially if you can't draw. I got my first tattoo at 35 and and my most recent at 49. I now have 6 tattoos and will probably get one or two more.
I'm very fond of celtic designs and I have a little grinning fish on my ankle that just makes me laugh. I can cover them up for professional occasions or let them loose for days at home. I'm my own art gallery.
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| Throwing In My Story As Well :) | Jul 20th. at 7:52:25 pm EDT |
by Lori Dake (Chicago, IL) - wc_xemail - Web
I have quite a ew tatoos, some good, a couple "scratchers" from when I was a kid. The ones that are the biggest conversation pieces are:
- the little star under my left eye. I had that done on my 16th birthday (I'm 30 now) , by a guy with a homemade machine and india ink. It's not the most beautiful thing in the world, but because it's so tiny, the flaw isn't so bad. It *did* make it rather hard at some job interviews, so I had to learn how to use good concealant ;) I'm really wishy-washy about it, because sometimes I get self-concious. But other times I get the biggest compliments on my bravery ;) (I then have to confess that I don't know if it hurt or not, because I wasn't ummm... coherent at the time!)
- my wedding band. My husband and I had the same design done, two rose vines intertwining with a few leaves, side by side, in a studio, a few days before we were married (Ronnie got a few blood splatters on his, because "he's a guy" LOL!) . Everyone loves them, even the people who normally don't like tattoos. The running joke is, "He can't take it off at the bar!"
Now I do need to boast on this one thing: neither tat was inspired by a rock star! LOL! Our wedding bands were done 6 months before Tommy Lee and Pam Anderson did theirs, and the star was done many years before I ever heard of Sully Erna (Godsmack singer) . AND... the star was also done waaay before I ever saw the Witches' Tarot deck - LOL!
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| Lovely Article, Same Name | Jul 20th. at 7:12:18 pm EDT |
by Lavender Rose (rebecca) (Sarnia Ontario , Canada) - wc_xemail
I love the creative expressions and the ideas of body art , as i have peircing that i love and are my own . I have my ears done twice , my belly button and yes both my nipples which i had done a few weeks ago . Lavender Rose has been my magical name for many years which i thought it was beautiful that someone else would have the same. 7 years ago i named my left breast lavender and my right breast rose which i use often for myself . I wanted to get my nipples pierced for years then i did it , being done by a teacher of body modification i did not feel a thing it was amasing , and a very erotic experience. And yes one day i will get many tatoos with meaning.Blessed to you all brothers and sisters.
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| I Was Really Drawn To This Article... | Jul 20th. at 5:22:09 pm EDT |
by tinytasha (Alberta, Canada) - wc_xemail
As I've recently just had my first tatoos done. I put a lot of thought into where and what I'd like to do, and recently had the opportunity as a friend of a friend is a semi retired tatoo artist and has decided to spend a majority of the summer in our town.
I got them both done at once, the first one being a triple moon symbol done in a rainbow motif on my right wrist (outer) , and the second being a protection symbol on my right shoulder, also in a rainbow pattern.
The colors are incredible and they really keep my spiritual consciousness in the foreground of everything I do...they keep me focused.
Since that time, I have had an offer on my house (before I ever put it up for sale) , I got a new job for which I start training next week, I am moving to a new city which is a necessity in order for my child to get a decent education, and for the first time in my life, I feel excited and happy just to merely exist!...
My health also seems to be improving dramatically after a significant illness of over 3 years.
If not a direct result of the tatooing, which I had done for spiritual reasons, I believe the ability to focus on what I want from my life is at least part of that.
The protection symbol, called a triquetra, is, I believe, the most important. My illness was stress induced partly due to an employer who was guilty of severe harassment. Since the tatoo, I feel protected and secure.
Might just be my imagination, but hey, whatever works.
TT
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| I'm Impressed | Jul 20th. at 4:32:11 pm EDT |
by Nyhtshade (Northern Wisconsin) - wc_xemail
I saw this article, and while wondering what it might have to do with spirituality, I found it incredibly well written. The author found the reasons behind each woman's body art and explained them very nicely.
As the happy owner of twelve tattoos, from a small heart on my hand to a pair of fairy lovers on my thigh, I can speak firsthand of the deeply spiritual meanings behind this form of artwork. Each tattoo brings you to a new place inside yourself and makes it easier to take a bolder place in the world.
To all my "sisters" in the world, don't do it because everybody else is. Do it because YOU want to....
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| I Have One, And . . . | Jul 20th. at 4:24:03 pm EDT |
by Ivy Skye-Raven (Jacksonville, IL) - wc_xemail
my uncle is working on the picture for the next one. I got my first tattoo when I was 17. I had no idea what I wanted, I just wanted one. My tattoo is a small fairy on my right shoulder, it isn't very detailed. I have ideas on how to make it better but have been working with my uncle on my next tattoo. I love having an old tattoo artist in the family, if only I could buy him the supplies tattoos would be reasonably price. I had been looking into the pagan world for about a year, questioning if it was right for me or not. Well after I had finally decided that I was indeed drawn to the pagan traditions I found a pagan webpage with a lot of fairy art. Well I found my new tattoo. My uncle is working on my drawing, the fairy sitting on tiger lillies (my favorite) , and it will be going in the middle of my lower back.
I still find it funny that my uncle and father don't understand my desire to have a tattoo while my dad has three and my uncle is a biker who's arms and back are completely covered in tattoos. I'm their sweet little girl. I guess they never expected it.
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| Beautiful Story | Jul 20th. at 2:08:41 pm EDT |
by Lavender Rose (Baltimore, MD) - wc_xemail
What a beautiful article!
I have long been a fan of body art. I'm young enough to have grown up as the stigma agains tattoos began to wane. Of course, that didn't keep my mother from freaking out when I got my first tattoo at 23. (Much to my amusement, my grandfather's only comment was, "well, it's nicely done.")
It was good to hear so many people chose their tattoos for deeply personal and/or symbolic reasons. Those are the people that will probably never regret the decision.
That would be my advice to people playing with the idea of getting one- pick something that has deep personal meaning to you, and sit on it for a while. I have a one-year rule when I choose tattoos... once I decide on a design, I wait one year. If I'm still certain I want it, and the design holds the same power and resonance a year later, I get it.
Also, listen to your body. I got my first tattoo on my right lower back because it's easy to hide when necessary, and the design wasn't sacred. I had planned on putting my newest design (which is sacred) on my left lower back for the same reason, but over the last year, every time I think about it, I feel it on my left shoulder blade. At first I wasn't sure- I wanted to hide the design, a silver pentacle with a lavender rose woven thru it, because I hadn't fully come out of the broom closet, and I didn't want the family to freak. But now I have. So that's where it's going.
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| My Tattoo And Ideas For More | Jul 20th. at 1:42:26 pm EDT |
by Athena DragonDancer (Hagerstown, Maryland, USA) - wc_xemail
My first tattoo was done four years ago, and it serves both as a form of identification for me and marks a rite of passage in my life. Mine is a Maltese Cross with the words "Washington County Fire Fighter" in the arms, and a roaring panther head surrounded by flames in the middle, and it resides on my upper left arm. I had it done to celebrate my surviving Firefighter I, which is the basic training course for volunteer firefighters in our state. I had started the class with five other probies (probationary firefighters) from my company, and by midterms I was the only one left. Originally I had gone into the class thinking "if I flunk, then I flunk, " but as I got further into it, the training became more of a challenge for me. It was a test of my endurance and courage to see if I had what it takes, and I surprised myself by getting through the four months of training. Therefore, I felt I was worthy of the ink. It's not just me, either. A lot of firefighters have tattoos that identify them as members of a specific company or as a firefighter in general. Some have tattoos of their station's mascot, others have tattoos having to do with fire, some do their station's logo-the ideas are limitless.
I plan to get two more tattoos done. One is to honor the fallen heroes of 9/11, and I haven't decided which body part to get it on. The arm or the calf? I've already drawn the sketch for it (the crying eagle on top of another Maltese Cross with the Twin Towers against an American Flag backdrop and the words "In Memoriam: 9-11-01" in the bottom arm of the cross) , and all I have to do is save up the money to get it done. The other idea is a roaring lion, courtesy of one of my friends who is a Native American shaman-I asked her to identify my totem spirit once, and she said it was a lion. No ideas about which body part to put that one on either, but she did say to have it done so the lion was facing my back-that way my totem spirit would always be watching my back and protecting me. Any suggestions about body part placement, let me know! just not on the back, please...the SCBA straps and a healing tattoo definitely don't mix!
BB!
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| Got Mine For My 40th Birthday | Jul 20th. at 12:58:47 pm EDT |
by Owlglass (Albuquerque, NM) - wc_xemail
Ten years ago. A dragon and a unicorn, facing off, on my left shoulder blade. Got the fleur de lys on my right ankle three years later, to celebrate my French heritage. I'm still trying to think of what to add to celebrate my Swedish/Viking heritage. Any ideas?
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| My First Tatttoo | Jul 20th. at 12:37:24 pm EDT |
by Ann (Princeton, NJ) - wc_xemail
was done this past Saturday , on the new Moon. I am 57 years old.
I had breast cancer several years ago and had the dots tattooed for the radiation but nothing real. There are 2 scars and these are ugly so I decided on a tattoo to beautify them. The first is a 13-leaved acacia sprig on my upper scar and I love it.
I, too, am thinking what the next one will be.
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| No Title | Jul 20th. at 12:22:35 pm EDT |
by PBS Jones (Sacramento, CA) - wc_xemail
My daughters and I all got tattoos together in January.
I had been wanting one for a long time, but didn't know what to get. My dad had several tattoos, so for me it was normal.
I thought and thought about it, but couldn't really think of anything that meant enough to me to have it drawn on for life. Then I went to the movies and my decision was pretty much thrust at me.......Dont' laugh now........In "Pirates of the Caribbean, " Cap'n Jack Sparrow has a tattoo of a bird on his forearm. When the scene played in the theater, I nearly leaped out of my seat. "That's my daddy's tattoo!" I yelped. I couldn't believe that this crazy character and my father shared the same tattoo. Well, my daddy's kind of a crazy character, too.
So, I've now got a beautiful red and green bird swooping across my upper breastular area, where everyone can see it.
And, come on, folks, half-way through your first tattoo were you thinking, like me, "What can I get for my next one?"
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