Celtic Tattoos – 3 Designs And What They
Mean
Celtic tattoos designs have been
influenced by the long, complex history and culture of the people
themselves. They are a spiritual people, with one foot in this
world and one in the spiritual world. The modern designs have been
influenced both by their earlier pagan religious practices, which
were nature based, and their now long practiced Christianity.
(Image: masterofink.com)
Most of their designs have reference
to a deeper meaning. Their folklore is full of stories of the other
world. Their art and symbols are heavily influenced by their
pre-Christian pagan religions in which they worshipped nature. The
sun, moon, stars and the earth were sacred to them, as were animals
and the seasons. Later, after they were introduced to Christianity,
their art included the cross, in various forms, but their earlier
traditions were well established by then. This mixture is seen in
their work today.
Celtic Cross Tattoos
This is the predominant symbol of
Christianity but the Celts have given it their own unique design
with the ringed cross. The cross, of course, represents the
Christian belief itself while the circle can represent eternity or
God's eternal love or the continuing act of salvation brought by
Christ's death and resurrection.
The symbol of the cross predates
Christianity and can be found in ancient civilizations. Both the
cross and the circle are found in a number of cultures. They have
been found on rock carvings several thousand years old. The circle
can represent the sun. Those not drawn to Christianity can find
other spiritual meaning in the symbols.
(Image: tattooique.com)
Celtic Knot Tattoos
The Celts have made knot work their
own but it has elements that evolved from earlier cultures and
civilizations. The intricate criss-crossing and inter-weaving
designs of their knot work is said to represent life itself. Life
is a maze, complex, with each life interwoven with another's. The
lines of the drawings are never-ending, representing the continuity
of the natural cycle of death and rebirth. It can also represent
the crossing over of the physical and spiritual world. It can
represent eternity and the boundlessness of God's bounty and
goodness.
Animal forms are often
intertwined, reflecting the people's earlier connection to nature
and the animal world. The images of horses, dogs, birds and other
animals can be found skillfully woven into the lines of artwork so
that they become an integral part of the whole. Animal images were
used in many cultures, often in the hope the wearer might take on
some of that animal's skills or characteristics or simply link them
spiritually to the animal.All these elements can be found in
illuminated documents, such as the Book of Kells, which have
heavily influenced modern Celtic tattoo designs.
Celtic Spiral
Tattoos
The spiral has fascinated humans from
earliest times. It appears on early rock carvings and in most
cultures. It appears in nature in the horns of animals, in snail
and seashells and in the galaxy. It has been studied by scientists
and mathematicians and pondered on by
philosophers.
The spiral most associated with Celtic
design is the triple spiral or triskele. The design is found around
the world because the Celts made inroads into so many cultures. In
earlier times it represented the sun but later came to be used in
Christianity to explain the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Some see it as representing our spiritual journey to God - an
ever-unfolding mystery. Others see in it our journey through life.
It is a tattoo symbol full of mystery and can remind us of our own
spiritual and emotional journey.
Check out www.tattooartdesign.info for your Celtic tattoo
design - and several thousand other designs.

Date Published:
Take Care If Your Tattoo
Machines Hit Too Hard
By
Joshua Rowe
The strength of tattoo machines is very crucial to the process of
tattooing. Many tattoo artists are paying highly attention to the
working strength when they are choosing their new machines. The
most important reason why working strength is so essential is that
it has a close relation to the pain extent and skin damage from the
customers and as well as the final artistic value which is
presented by the tattoo patterns in the later.
We all know with our basic logical thinking that hard things could
often easily break or make damage to the objects, which surely
suits to the working theory of tattoo machines, too. Those with too
hard working strength would cause more severe damage to the human
skin, leading the result to the scales of fester of the skin.
During the process, customers would feel much stronger pain
than those working with soft strength. There is another account
that the tattoo artist are highly caring, which is, if using hard
strength tattoo machines to practice, the final tattoo pattern will
be lighter than normal, due to the structure of hard strength
machines keeping needles dip less ink than normal ones.
So when a experiences tattoo artist got his new tattoo machine, the
first thing he would do is to check out its working strength, and
make proper adjustment, which, often involve in such below steps:
check out if the coils have worn down to the contact of the
armature bar. Keep the armature bar away from the coils with a
distance of about a papers width. Please note that the armature bar
should be given a distance just as the gap between the contact
screw and the spring.
Usually, coils inside the
tattoo machines are made with different
materials from different origins, which could also affect the
working strength of the machines, because if a 10 wrap actually
contains of 14 layers of wires, it would easily cause your tattoo
machine hit hard and fast. The last thing which needs your
attention is the capacitor, a factor influencing the speed and
working strength, too.
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Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Rowe
http://EzineArticles.com/?Take-Care-If-Your-Tattoo-Machines-Hit-Too-Hard&id=5682245
(Image courtesy of techpin.com
)

Date Published: Jan 19, 2012 - 3:49 am
(Image: cross-tattoos-designs.net)
The symbol of the cross has always stood for Christianity. When
people wear the image we take it they are making a statement about
their beliefs. They are either saying to the world they are
believers, and they want us to know that, or they are using it to
connect to their spiritual side. They are wearing it as a reminder
they have a soul and there is a another dimension other than the
one they present to the world.
By wearing cross tattoos they are forcing themselves to live up to
a set of standards. They are declaring publicly they represent a
certain set of beliefs and live by a certain moral code. They are
saying we can hold them to account for their conduct, as they will
be holding themselves to account. We and they should be able to
expect they will act in a certain way. The cross should remind them
of their beliefs and of what is expected of them. It should
strengthen their resolve to live up to their ideals. It should be
their
strength tattoo.
(Image: cross-tattoos-designs.net)
Remembering Loved Ones Can Give Us Strength
(Image: trevortattoodesign.blogspot.com)
Another reason people wear cross tattoos is to remember those they
loved who are no longer with them. Cross tattoos are an ideal way
of remembering them. A cross is a symbol of a final resting place.
It may also represent the religious beliefs of a loved one or of
the person wearing it.
The cross can connect to a loved one in spirit so the memory of
that person can lift us by the love they showed to us. This is
important in times of stress or worry or self-doubt. These are the
times we need to call on our inner strength and the image of a
cross tattoo can lift our spirits. These are the times when cross
tattoos can become
strength
tattoos.
(Image: tattooblast.com)

Date Published: Apr 21, 2011 - 12:39 am
Your zodiac sign can be your
strength
tattoo
Look for the positive side of your character under your star sign.
The idea is to concentrate on the strong parts of your character.
In other words, emphasise the positive. We can all sit down and
list our faults, and we have trouble doing that, there is usually
somebody around who is only too willing to help.
Of course, we should try to strengthen our weaknesses and deal with
our faults but it is much more productive to work on our best
traits and make them better. To start with, it is a lot easier, as
you already have that character trait. It is much harder to try to
acquire a trait than to build on one that is naturally there.
Look under your star sign and you will see a long list of character
traits that you can build on. That's when a zodiac tattoo can help
to make you strong, by reminding you of these strengths when you
start to doubt yourself.
You can make you zodiac sign your
strength
tattoo.
You can find more ideas on strength tattoos at:
and at:
http://www.squidoo.com/zodiac-tattoo--symbol-of-strength

Date Published: Apr 19, 2011 - 3:25 pm
(Photo: victoriasecretangel.blogspot.com)
The stars and other celestial bodies have fascinated people from
early times. Not only because the stars and planets were source of
wonder, but also because of the belief they influenced behavior and
destiny. The sun and the moon had such a powerful influence - the
sun provided light and warmth; the moon gave light in the darkness.
It is easy to see how how they became objects of worship.
The Greeks devised the names of the Zodiac signs around 2000 years
ago and they have virtually remained unchanged. This means the
zodiac signs have been drawn by thousands of artists over a very
long time.
Tattoo art has been a part of this evolution giving
us a great number of designs.
(Photo: topoftattoointheworld.blogspot.com)
Greek/Roman Zodiac Signs
The designs we are most familiar with are the 12 Greek/Roman signs
and they all lend themselves to tattooing. The choice is to have an
image, such as the Water Carrier, for Aquarius or, the equivalent
symbol, which are two parallel wavy lines, or the image of a ram
for Aries or the outline of a ram's head and horns. It really
depends upon how you want to express yourself. A full image can be
detailed or colorful and obvious, whereas a symbol can be
understated and minimalist.
Whatever
zodiac tattoo you choose it can still connect you to
you star sign.
Chinese Zodiac signs
(Image: xxdistortion.deviantart.com)
(Image: hellokids.com)
The Chinese Zodiac has 12 signs also- the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit,
Dragon, Snake, Horse, Lamb, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. They run
over a 12-year cycle rather than a 12-month one. Your sign is
determined by the year of your birth rather than the month. The
Chinese believe the animal of that year has a strong influence on
the people born in the same year. It is said the people take on the
characteristics of the animal. Like western astrology, certain
personality or character traits are given to each person born under
a particular animal.
Your Zodiac tattoo could be a little more exotic and mysterious
with the image of the animal of your birth or the Chinese character
representing it.
Japanese Zodiac Signs
Japanese Virgo zodiac sign
(Image: www.seiza.ro)
The Japanese have followed the Chinese in that the signs and the
cycle are the same but, of course, the language is different. You
do need to be aware the words used to describe the signs are
written in traditional Japanese. This means the meaning could
change using Kanji. For example, Bull could be turned into Cow, not
quite the same image.
A tattoo with a Japanese Zodiac symbol could be different and a
good talking point.
Japanese Capricorn zodiac sign
(Image: seiza.ro)
With the number of choices available there is no reason why your
Zodiac
tattoo could not be decorative and meaningful, with maybe a
touch of the exotic.

Date Published: Mar 30, 2011 - 3:09 am
Apart from the serious blood borne diseases that can be spread by
dirty needles, there are a number of other conditions that can
occur. Most of these can be treated and will disappear in time but
some can be serious and could need medical attention.
Here are some of the tattoo risks associated with
getting new
tattoos:
Allergic reactions
Allergic reactions to the dyes used in the ink are not uncommon.
Red ink contains metals such as cadmium, chromium and iron, which
can set up allergic reactions. Some other colored inks can also
cause problems in some people, but not to the same extent. If you
are allergic to the ink you will most likely get an itchy rash on
and around the tattoo. If this happens you should seek medical
attention. You should be aware that this can happen even after a
number of years.
Skin infections
The risk of skin infection is greatest during the aftercare period.
The wound needs to be kept clean and sterile while it is healing.
You should take the same care as you would with any other wound. If
you think the new tattoo is not healing properly, it is best to
seek attention. Certainly, if the area around the tattoo becomes
very tender, swollen and inflamed and looks to be gathering, then
you need to see about it.
Granulomas
Bumps can form around the
tattoo design, mainly caused by red ink. They
are a reaction to the inks particularly to the mercury in the ink.
Most tattoo studios have discontinued the use of mercury, but you
need to be aware of the potential danger.
Keloids
These are overgrowths of scar tissue. They appear as red or
flesh-coloured lumps and generally disappear after two or three
weeks.
In fact, most of these skin reactions heal and fade after two or
three weeks. If you are not satisfied with the rate of healing or
if you feel you are suffering undue pain from the wound then the
wise thing to do is to get medical attention.
(Source: Mayo Clinic website. Photo: tattoosapeh.blogspot)
Swiss move to reduce tattoo risks by
regulation.(Clinical Rounds): An article from: Family Practice
News

Date Published: Mar 17, 2011 - 2:22 am
With the growing popularity of tattooing there are more studios
opening up to meet the demand. While most of these studios are run
well and comply with health regulations, it is wise to check them
out before visiting them.
Health Risks
Tattoos are applied using needles that puncture the skin and insert
ink. The most serious health risks occur when tattoo needles are
not sterilized. This carries the risk of infection from blood borne
diseases such as hepatitis B and C, tetanus and HIV. These are all
serious diseases and can be life threatening.
Hepatitis attacks the liver and can cause long-term debilitating
illnesses that can lead to liver failure. Tetanus affects the body
in a number of ways, the most common being muscle spasms - commonly
in the jaw, known as lockjaw. Treatment for tetanus takes 2-4
months.
About 25% of tetanus sufferers die in the United States and around
50% worldwide. HIV carries the AIDS virus.
These are all serious, life-threatening diseases.
Reputable studios are safe but you are entitled to check how they
sterilize their equipment. Most of them use an autoclave, which is
the same equipment doctors, dentists and other health professionals
use. An autoclave exposes the equipment to steam under pressure at
very high temperatures.
Before you visit a studio make sure it is reputable and is licensed
and certified by your city or state health authorities. Check with
people you know for a recommendation. While the risks may be low,
they still exist and it is prudent to make sure you are safe.
More on Tattooing Dangers
There are a number of other things that can go wrong such as an
allergic reaction to the ink, skin infection, soreness and
swelling.
Image: Sura Nualpradid / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Date Published: Feb 21, 2011 - 8:52 pm
(Photo:tattoo22.com)
People of strength
The Celts were warriors, feared for their fighting skills and
ruthlessness. They were a tall, muscular people who dyed their hair
blond and painted their faces blue and appeared naked in battle.
They stuck the severed heads of their defeated foes over the
outside of the doorways of their houses. They were said to go to
battle for the love of it, which made them sought after as
mercenaries. The Romans and the Greeks called them barbarians.
They were a tough, strong people.
Yet, with all this, they were also known for their chivalry and
their courage. They built a reputation as fierce warriors but, at
the same time, they were artists, poets and musicians. They were
skilled artisans as seen in their metal and artwork. They developed
an intricate knot work form of art that is uniquely theirs. Wearing
a
Celtic
tattoo connects you to this unique heritage
(Photo:designstattoo.org)
Your strength tattoo
Wearing a
Celtic knot work tattoo can be a symbol of strength.
It can be a strong declaration to the world that you are proud of
your Celtic or your Christian heritage – a symbol from which you
can take strength. It can simply be that you gain strength by
connecting to a people with a history of bold deeds, great
accomplishments and a rich mythology.
Where would you find your strength? Maybe you strength comes from
nature or one of its creatures. Then your tattoo can have your
favourite animal image interwoven in the knot work or if are more
drawn to the Celtic Otherworld you may choose a mythical creature
from their folklore. The cross and circle found in the Celtic cross
predate Christianity and have their roots in nature worship – the
sun, the moon. Maybe you can gain strength from wearing those
ancient symbols and thus connecting to the Universe.
(Photo:tattoos-ideas.net)
Knot work designs alone can be strength tattoos but
Celtic tribal
tattoos can be even more dramatic. They work well as armbands
or larger back drawings. You have a great deal of choice, as there
is a vast array of designs developed over many years. With a little
research you should be able to find your Celtic strength
tattoo.
Originally published in www.ezinearticles.com

Date Published: Feb 14, 2011 - 11:59 am
(Photo: tattooone.dr.ag)
While you can choose a tattoo design that literally means
“strength”,
as in Kanji, the important thing is to have a design
that gives you strength. You can choose from a number of designs as
long as the one you chose has a special meaning and significance to
you. It may remind you of someone close to you or someone who
supported you in troubled times. Maybe someone who was there for
you when you were young and from whom you gained strength.
(Photo:centurionsblogs.blogspot.com)
Animal Tattoo Designs
A number of cultures used animal images to give them strength. The
animals in their worlds they most admired would be a source of
strength, endurance, and courage. By tattooing the
animal images on their bodies they hoped to become more like them.
Thus the image of a bear or lion or wolf would help the tattoo
owners to become more courageous or stronger.
This might apply to you – the person who gives you strength could
be represented by an image of a powerful animal, one renowned for
its strength and courage.
(Photo: tribal-tattoos-design.net)
Tribal Tattoo Designs
Tribal
tattoos can evoke images in the mind of tribal battles for
leadership, fighting for survival or dominance, hunting wild
animals, braving the elements. They can take us back to primitive
man when life itself was a gamble and only the strong survived.
Whether the tattoos were done as part of a rite of passage, or to
denote a position in the tribe or as an animal totem, they were all
done crudely which inflicted pain. Just having the tattoo said the
wearer was a person of courage because of the pain endured. Indeed,
some tattoos were done simply to test a person’s ability to endure
pain – a test of courage.
(Photo:angel-tattoo-design.com)
Angel or Wing Tattoo Designs
People in the West are a familiar with Guardian Angels and as
special messengers from God. Angels are also part of Jewish and
Islamic faiths as well as a number of other religions and cultures
going back to ancient times. They are usually represented as
creatures with wings. An
angel tattoo can remind us of strength as we are
protected or inspired by these spiritual creatures. Wing tattoos
can also act in the same way. Wings can give us a sense of
protection, a sense of freedom – as in flight. How many oppressed
people or prisoners or those who have lost freedom have dreamed of
flying to freedom. Songs have been written about it.
Maybe there is someone in your life you see as your guardian angel,
someone who inspires you, lifts you up. Perhaps it is an event –
something you saw or did that makes you spirit take flight. A
tattoo design of an angel or a set of wings could bring this to
mind, to give you strength.
(Photo: prestonelijaharden.blogspot.com)
Cross Tattoos Designs
The cross is an enduring symbol of faith, hope and love. It can be
used to remind you to have faith when things turn against you. It
can be used to sustain you through tough times. It can be used to
remember loved ones and to connect to them in spirit to give you
strength.
There are other tattoo designs that can give you
strength: the crown, a symbol of authority and
leadership; the dragon, with its strength and magical powers; texts
that are inspirational in themselves or favourite quotes of someone
you love or admire.
The
tattoo
design you choose to give you strength may be on public display
but the feelings it evokes in you are uniquely yours. This is one
tattoo that should be done just for you.
Originally published in www.ezinearticles.com


Date Published: Feb 08, 2011 - 11:39 pm
The majority of people with
tattoos do not
regret getting them. In fact, according to a Harris online poll,
about 84 per cent have no regrets, but that leaves 16 per cent that
do have regrets. It is worthwhile finding out what caused the
regrets so we can avoid the same mistakes.
The reasons people gave for their regrets:
· They were too young when they got the tattoo
· The tattoos were permanent and were there for life
· They did not like the tattoo anymore
· The tattoos faded over time.
Some people said they were too young when they got the tattoo. I
guess we can all relate to wrong decisions we made when we were
young. This highlights the need for thorough discussion with elders
or mentors as getting a tattoo is a serious decision. It deserves
proper attention. Then again, some of us cannot be dissuaded from
doing something we really want to do regardless of other people's
advice. Many young people will probably be more influenced by their
peers than they will be by parents or elders.
To me the message here is take time to consider so there will be
less chance of regret.
Mind you, it does not matter how much consideration we give our
decisions, we can still do things we regret. Sometimes we just have
to live with them
Tattoos are not as permanent as they used to be.
They can be removed but not without expert advice and attention.
Your doctor is a good starting point.
Our tastes can change over time so that we may not like the tattoo
we chose some years earlier. There are techniques to alter existing
designs or, as mentioned before, to remove them.
Tattoos do fade over time. They will fade more slowly if they were
done correctly in the first place. This means choosing the
tattooist carefully. The sun will fade them – so cover up or use
sun block. Why some peoples' tattoos fade more than others can be
quite complex.
If you value your designs and want to keep them looking good then
visit your
tattooist every few years to sharpen up the
lines.
Originally published in www.ezinearticles.com

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Date Published: Dec 06, 2009 - 1:31 am
A recent press report revealed that Meghan McCain, Senator John
McCain's daughter, had a star tattoo on her ankle. I decided to do
a little research into the tattoos other well-known people were
wearing.
Angelina Joli's tattoos must be among the most famous. She has a
number of
tattoos, among them being the birthplaces of her adopted
children – in longitude and latitude. Britney Spears is another
lover of tattoos. According to press reports, she has quite a few –
lower back, both feet, lower stomach, back of her neck, her wrist,
one of her hands – the list goes on. Pink is another one who enjoys
tattoos. From what we can gather, she has tattoos on
several parts of her body. Her taste seems to be broad as she has
an oriental dragon as well as kanji for good luck. She even has her
father's and brother's army dog tags on her left foot – not a bad
way to keep a record of important data. This could give the rest of
us some ideas.
Drew Barrymore has several tattoos. She has a cross, butterfly,
flowers, angels and others. Beyonce has a praying angel on her
upper left thigh and Halle Berry supposedly has a flower tattooed
on her right buttock. Model Sarah O'Hare has dolphins on her right
arm and a tattoo around one of her toes.
Photo:tattoosilove.com
Tennis star Anna Kournikova, has a large
tribal type
tattoo and stars on her lower back.
Victoria Beckham has her husband's initials on her left wrist. She
also has Hebrew script on her upper back and five stars on her
lower back, representing each family member.
Singer Anastasia has an Egyptian symbol for eternal life,
surrounded by the sun, on the small of her back.
All these reports may or may not be completely accurate but they do
tell us that decorating the body with tattoos is alive and well
amongst well-known people. I get the impression that hands, toes
and ankles are very popular as are backs and shoulders.
These are only a few examples of famous women's tattoo preferences.
Out of this comes one thing – the choices are many and varied and
caters for all tastes. There is plenty of scope for each person to
find a tattoo, which expresses her personality or sends a desired
message.
Originally published in www.ezinearticles.com

Date Published: Dec 06, 2009 - 1:14 am