Hummingbird and Sun

Here, have a twofer.

Beltaine Sun and Moon

Yule Sun

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This groovy sun tattoo comes from the Flickrstream of Fabi Dorighello and is licensed under Creative Commons. It was inked by the fine folks at Dark Side Tattoo.

Dualing Arm Tattoos

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This image comes from Rebecca and were inked at Phoenix Tattoo Company out of Tempe, Arizona. Here's what Rebecca had to say about her tattoos:

I put some thought into the symbolism of the tattoos when I got them done. I have a sun with the Libra sign and the horned god symbol on my right arm. They are on my right arm because in Wicca and Paganism the right hand side of your altar is for God and male spirituality. I have the Libra sign because my amazing husband is a Libra. I have the opposite on my left arm. I have a moon, Scorpio symbol, and the triple goddess symbol. For similar reasons-goddesses and female spirituality go on the left hand side and I am a Scorpio. I love the balance of my tattoos! I am representing myself, the goddess, my husband, and the god!

Thanks to Rebecca for sharing her tattoos!

Compass and Sun

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These images come to us from Scarlet who was kind enough to share two of her tattoos. Here's what Scarlet had to say about the top tattoo:

If I remember, it was called "Black Horse Tattoo" in Ironwood, MI and the guy (the owner, I believe) was incredible... unfortunately, I couldn't get back up there to get my new one...

The tiny mark is a compass/medicine-wheel located above and behind my right hip. It was my reward for putting myself through a series of coming-of-age and dedication rituals to mark my passage onto my new path and took me three years to get the courage to do. It was the perfect way to mark my journey and meant so much to me, even though it is very small. I like to say that it's so I always have a compass with me and so I can never get lost! lol! Wherever I go, there I am!

The second tattoo of the sun was inked by the fine folks at Body Ritual of Milwaukee. Here's what Scarlet had to say about it:

The Sun is the closest I have yet come to finding a "patron"... while many witches feel called by the moon, I've always been fascinated by the sun, the power it holds, the gifts it brings us and how our Earth interacts with it. The four major rays with four additional minor rays, echos the pattern of my earlier tattoo and its same symbolism (directions, elements, seasons of the year, the crossroads, etc), but now the mid-directions and the wheel of the year play a part. I searched for some time to find an appropriate image for the center, considering yin-yang, a pentacle or even a tree of life, but realised if I had to pick a "matron" that it would be the element of water, embodied most powerfully in my life by my spiritual and physical closeness to the Great Lake Michigan. I chose a rolling wave of Her holy waters to honor Her role in my spiritual life in partnership with the all-powerful Sun. I got this tattoo to honor those entities and the knowledge that they will forever impact my life. This one, also, being longer then the first, taught me the value of meditating during application and how discomfort can be a valuable magickal tool...

Thanks so much to Scarlet for sharing her tattoos and the hands down best tattoo explanations ever offered up to NeoPagan Ink!

Black Sun

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This simple, yet very cool, tattoo comes from the Flickrstream of Dreamattack and is licensed under Creative Commons.

This is the more typical Black Sun which consists of multiple swastikas.

The Black Sun symbol is one of the many historical symbols from Germanic folklore that was appropriated and perverted by the Nazis. Unfortunately, it is now also gaining in popularity among Neo-Nazis as a replacement for the much more easily recognizable swastika. That said, the Black Sun rightfully holds importance for the kinder, peace-loving variety of German, or other Nordic, neopagans and is featured here for this reason. The use of the Black Sun, or Sonnenrad (Sun Wheel), goes back at least as far as the third century and was most commonly worn as an accessory for women's clothing. It is usually interpreted as representative of the sun as it moves through the months of the year, hence the twelve arms in the traditional symbol above.

To learn more about the Black Sun, visit Wikipedia.

Triple Moons Sunset

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This tattoo was created by Randy Fox at Panama Fox Tattoo in Panama City, Florida.

This lovely and unique tattoo comes from Lea Anne and the importance of this tattoo is inspirational, to say the least. Here's what she had to say:

I got this tat a few weeks after I got out of the hospital. I had been suffering from undiagnosed depression for years, and I'd finally broken completely and tried to commit suicide. Fortunately or no, I survived the suicide attempt, but I was in a coma for about a week. I felt like the Goddess took my life in her mouth, chewed me up, and spit me back out--alive. She obviously did not feel that it was time for me to die, despite my best efforts. I got the tat to remind me to live, not just exist. The sunset in the center is to remind me that there is beauty in the world every day, and I should not just notice it, but take part in it.

Thanks to Lea Anne for sharing her gorgeous and meaningful tattoo!

Aphrodite Back Piece

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Another tattoo from Rate My Ink. No information listed regarding the artist though.

Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, sexuality and sensuality. When Cronus castrated his father Uranus, the father of the gods, in a bid for power he threw what he had cut off into the sea. Aphrodite was born from the foam surrounding the mutilated genitals thus her receiving her name as "aphros" translates as "sea foam".

Ahura Mazda

The tattoo comes from The Science Tattoo Emporium. The relief is from the palace of Xerxes at Persepolis. In Persian mythology Ahura Mazda is the supreme god, the creator of heaven and Earth.

Egyptian Symbols

This beautiful and unique mish mash of Egyptian symbols comes from Rate My Ink and was created by Gabriel Mendez at Stained Skin of Columbus, Ohio.

Pretty cool?

The eye is alternately called the Eye of Ra, udjat or the Eye of Horus, wedjet, depending on which period in history the symbol is lifted from. It is a protective symbol in which royal power from the gods can be utilized. The small cross arms, with the crook and flail, is the symbol of the pharoah as only he, or ruling deities like Osiris, may hold these items.

Solstice Sun

This tattoo comes from Everything Tattoo and was done at Xtreme Xpressions. Notice the facial tattoos and lip piercings.

Happy Solstice folks!

Winter Sun

This tattoo comes from here. I think this is a fitting sun for the time of year. It's got some dark blue winter colors and a third eye representing the introspection of the season.

Greco-Roman Back Piece

This amazing back piece comes from Rank My Tattoos. It appears to be Zeus/Jupiter in the center with his lightning bolt, Aphrodite/Venus in lower left being born from the foam in the classic Botticelli pose, Hephaistos/Vulcan toiling away in the lower right, a scorpion in the upper left and another god, perhaps Apollo in the upper right. Very nice. I can't help but wonder what this would've looked like in color. Be sure to click the image to see the larger version.

Zodiac

Art by Boe at Tat2Times.

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.

Aquarius Sleeve

From InkedBlog.

Horus

This is another image that's been stagnating in my documents so I don't know where it came from. Pretty neat though? By the way, the text is from a great Alice in Chains song that was very popular in the '90s. The song is "Down in a Hole" and the lyrics are as follows:


Bury me softly in this womb
I give this part of me for you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers
In a tomb...in bloom

Down in a hole and I don’t know if I can be saved
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
You don’t understand who they
Thought I was supposed to be
Look at me now a man
Who won’t let himself be

Down in a hole, feelin’ so small
Down in a hole, losin’ my soul
I’d like to fly,
But my wings have been so denied

Down in a hole and they’ve put all
The stones in their place
I’ve eaten the sun so my tongue
Has been burned of the taste
I have been guilty
Of kicking myself in the teeth
I will speak no more
Of my feelings beneath

Down in a hole, feelin’ so small
Down in a hole, losin’ my soul
I’d like to fly but my
Wings have been so denied

Bury me softly in this womb
Oh I want to be inside of you
I give this part of me for you
Oh I want to be inside of you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers (oh I want to be inside of you)
In a tomb...in bloom
Oh I want to be inside...

Down in a hole, feelin’ so small
Down in a hole, losin’ my soul
Down in a hole, feelin’ so small
Down in a hole, outta control
I’d like to fly but my
Wings have been so denied