I waited until my late thirties, to get my first tattoo. It was a big decision for me and one that I didn't take lightly. I wanted to get something that meant something, that represented a poignant moment in my life. A right of passage.
Now I have 6 and I know I will get more. Not too many more, but I already have some moments, that I want to honour and one of my ways, is by inking my skin.
One tattoo that I want to share, is the one I have on the side of my right thumb.
After my sister passed away, I knew that I wanted to find a way in which I could honour her and carry her with me. Both of us love trees and anything to do with Earth Wisdom.
Ogham, is an the alphabet used by the druids in Ireland. Each symbol/ letter, of which there are 20, correlates with a native tree or plant. 13 of them make up the ogham calendar. As my sister was born kn the 28th of June her birth tree is the Oak, tree.
The symbol for oak is the two lines coming out to the left, at the bottom of my thumb. Up for that is Alder, the three lines, which represent my birth tree. Then at the top is Holly, which is for younger sister.
I asked a very dear friend of mine to do the tattoo for me, which she done by hand. I also mixed some of my sisters ashes into the ink. That particular process, was quite emotional for me, as you can imagine.
She came to my truck and tattooed me in my home, as I talked about my sister. Whenever I miss her, I just look to that tattoo and I feel her with me.
I'm meant, to only show one tattoo. But as I've said before, I'm not always the best at following rules and I did follow a the rest. Besides these two tattoos are connected. On my right thumb are the Ogham Tree birth signs for me and my sisters. Then on my left thumb, are the Ogham Tree signs for my three girls.
He design is a little different, but they line up perfectly with one another. I got this one a year later. It was done by my wonderful friend J, but this time with a tattoo pen.
I have to say, that when they were being done they were pretty painful at times, especially when it was on bone. But they are a part of me and I really like when, I line them up side by side and they connect with one another.
Connection, is so important.