Jack O' Lantern with Bats

This tattoo comes from Ink Jam Tattoo out of Arlington, MA. They've got a nice big gallery full of eye candy.

Eye of the Pumpkin

The super cool Jack O' Lantern comes from Sabertooth Tattoo out of the state of Washington. Go check out the site, they've got some very nice things in their little gallery.

The First Jack O' Lantern

This firey (or slimey?) Jack O'Lantern, and accompanying spook, comes from this page.

Kreativ Blogger Award

Mrs. B. from Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom has nominated NeoPagan Ink for the Kreativ Blogger Award! How cool is that? Now I've got to nominate 6 others and list 6 things I like.

1. Mike from Ozark Photos for his gorgeous photography of my homeland
2. Moonroot for her beautiful arts and crafts
3. Raised by Puffins from Owl Tattoos
4. Kerrdelune from Beyond the Fields We Know for her stunning photography and beautiful words
5. Bill from Tattoosday
6. Red Witch from Sexy Witch, an amazing collection of witches in art and photography

Now, for the six things I like.

1. The smell of a newly struck match
2. Waking up before the alarm goes off just so I can go back to sleep again
3. Candles, incense and oil warmers, anything with small flames that make great smells
4. Honey on fried ham and eggs
5. Walking in the woods or walking in the rain
6. Sunlight through green leaves as seen from right underneath the tree

Simple Spiral

This simple yet really cool spiral comes from mighty stena's Flickr page.

Call for Submissions

Hey tattooed pagans of the world! I haven't been getting any submissions lately. So, if any of you have been holding back your ink get off your arse and send it in already. And spread the word to your pagan friends. Don't be afraid that your ink isn't good or complex enough. If I had a functioning USB cord I'd post images of my very simple pagan tattoos. There aren't any qualifications that a tattoo must meet. So please send in your ink!

Moons with Triquetra

Gorgeous Freya

This amazing tattoo comes from Pam's House Blend. If the style looks familiar that's because this piece was done by Hannah of LA Ink fame.

Temperance Card

From InkedBlog.

Thoth

From InkedBlog.

Aquarius Sleeve

From InkedBlog.

Totem Pole

This awesome tattoo comes from the InkedBlog archives.

Triquetra with Ivy

This lovely tattoo comes from Nikki; she is the 13th person to submit art to NeoPagan Ink! Yay! She had this say about it:

The one I'm submitting is on my inner right forearm. The center is a triquetra, the Celtic trinity knot, which represents the Triple Goddes or the three phases of a woman's life. The ivy that surrounds the knot is the Celtic zodiac symbol for the month of October, my birth month. If you look closely in the ivy, on the long side of the knot, you’ll see the initials of my two sons’ first names, J and W in script.

The tattoo has broad meaning for me. The Celtic knot, as I mentioned, is a symbol for the Triple Goddess or the three faces of Bridget and the three phases of a woman’s life: maiden, mother and crone. The ivy is my Celtic sign. My tattoo artist wanted to invert the knot, so that the flat end was closer to my wrist, but since the knot represents my life, I wanted it facing me as I hold my arm out. The knot is the Goddess and she is a part of me, hence the ivy surrounding it. My boys are also woven into my life, therefore they have their initials in the ivy. The initials face out (facing away from me) because I want to raise forward thinking men. But the initials are behind the knot because I’d like to raise them to put the Goddess/deity before all else and also for her protection of them.

This tattoo was created by Nick Bubash of Route 60 Tattoo out of Pittsburg, PA. I'm really lovin' this tattoo; the ivy is beautiful and I love how the letters are entwined within the overall piece. Very nice. Thanks to Nikki for submitting her tattoo!

Ganesha

Just found this amazing Ganesha on the now-defunct InkedBlog.

Zeus Calf

This wild Zeus comes from Cool Tattoos.

Unique Moons

These super cool moons come from Tahlea of Geekwitch; she is the twelfth person to submit art! She had this to say about her tattoo:

The design represents many things to me. As it’s a triple moon design, the first and most obvious one is that of the moon and the Triple Goddess, and my devotion to her. Secondly, I am one of three children, and thirdly, everything happens to me in threes – good and bad. Fourth, it’s a reminder to remember the past, live the present and look forward to the future, and finally it represents my love for the moon, which I’ve felt a deep connection with, even long before I came across Neo-Paganism.

Thanks to Tahlea for submitting her ink!

Multiples

Here's some more ink submitted by Em; these belong to her man Kev.

Ares in Black & Gray

This awesome Ares comes from TattooArtists.org.

Edited to add: The artist is Dan Henk.

Freya Sleeve

This gorgeous Freya was created by artist Nic Skrade.

Om and a Dead Bear

Here's some more ink from my friend Lilith. She's got some incense cone brandings along her upper back as well.

Triskele

Here's another tattoo from Sabrina!

The triskele is on my left shoulder; it represents the triple Goddess and all the other triplicities of life.

Many thanks to Sabrina for submitting multiple tattoos!

Moon and Broom

Here's another tattoo from Sabrina.

The broom and moon is on my lower back; it's a reminder to me that I always have the means to fly and no one can take that from me.

Thanks to Sabrina for sharing her broom and moon!

Pagan and NeoPagan Ink

The history of tattoos is tightly bound up with that of paganism because the first people to create and receive them were pagans or, at the very least, their ancestors whose shamanistic ways gave birth to paganism. Tattoo is one of the oldest forms of art, right after cave and rock art from prehistoric times. In fact, the ancient history of tattoo is so varied and universal that simply picking a spot on the globe reveals a rich history of body art. Throughout history tattoos served many different purposes. Some were rites of passage that marked a person’s journey into adulthood. For some peoples, a tattoo was an attempt at healing or pain relief. Some tattoos labeled a person a criminal. Others were reserved for shamans, priests and priestesses. Still more were exclusive badges of nobility or royalty. Libraries full of books could be written about the history of tattoos but, for my purposes, I’ll highlight the most well-known or popular pagan forms.

Currently, the oldest evidence we have for tattoos comes from the affectionately named Otzi the Iceman. His body was found in the Alps and is dated to approximately 3300 BCE; his is the oldest mummified body ever found. And he just happens to have over 50 tattoos. While they are not very artistic tattoos, being only lines and a few crosses, they are numerous and, considering their placement on arthritic joints, are believed to be therapeutic.

And the ancient tattoo art doesn’t stop there. Tattooed mummies from Russia dating from approximately the 2nd century BCE have been found with beautiful factual and mythical animals. In ancient Egypt tattoos were restricted to women and were oftentimes placed for therapeutic reasons. For example, a circle of dots or lines was often tattooed over the belly in a pattern reminiscent of the growth of the belly during pregnancy. Also featured on ancient Egyptian women was the god Bes.

The history of tattoo in the formerly Celtic lands is a bit sketchier. We don’t have any tattooed mummies and, of course, no first person written records. What we do have is oftentimes questionable histories from Julius Caesar and Herodian, for example. They mention the use of woad body paint and the pricking or scarring of the skin which was then rubbed with pigment, but the dates and facts are inexact. So, while Celtic tattoos are incredibly popular today we don’t know with any certainty what kind of body art the ancient Celts may have practiced.

Speaking of the modern popularity of tattoos only people living under a rock for the last decade would be unaware of the immense rise of tattoo enthusiasts. You never can tell who might have tattoos because they’re not just for bikers, prisoners and gang members anymore. Mothers of small children have tattoos, doctors and lawyers and scientists have ink as do college professors, mechanics, artists, homemakers and everyone in between. Tattoos have become so main stream that several national and international newspapers have regular tattoo and body art sections. As the quality of the art has grown so have its adherents. Many artists are creating museum worthy tattoos. And it seems nearly everyone wants to carry this form of art with them forever. And neopagans are no exception.

As we all know neopagans are not always in a position to freely express their faith, their beliefs or their values. Whether it’s because of narrow-minded family members, on-the-job tensions, custody battles or simply one’s location some of us have to keep a low profile. But tattoos hidden under clothes can be an amazing answer to this problem. Even when one cannot show it off one knows it’s there. If a neopagan doesn’t feel comfortable openly wearing a pentagram or a Thor’s Hammer, etc. these symbols tattooed on the skin can provide comfort and an amazing sense of empowerment.

But that’s only part of the appeal that tattoos hold for neopagans of every stripe. Many of us tend to be freethinking, tree-hugging, nature lovin’, creative and individualistic spirits who were stifled by the religions of our youth. We are a faith set apart by our differences from the dominant Abrahamic religions which are generally anti-tattoo. Those folks say that tattoos are pagan and they are right. By getting and proudly wearing tattoos we are further distancing ourselves from the religions we knew as children.

Many of us consider our bodies to be temples and what better way to honor our gods or protective spirits than with beautiful art on our bodies? Tattoos representing specific deities, the elements, etc. enable our bodies to not only become temples but altars. Tattoos are magic for the skin, the needles entering the skin is a powerful ritual. By enduring the pain, letting it pass through us and owning it we are embracing the primal within ourselves. We are proving ourselves before the gods. Not only is the ritual of getting a tattoo a life changing one but the tattoo itself will last forever as a testament to our pagan ways.