Such a fun piece to create this one was and oh how I love the symbolism, as  fellow Pisces myself.

This sacred tattoo design was created for a special Pisces client with some beautiful intentions she wanted to bring forth and emanate with her design we’d be co-creating.

What came to me right away when I was feeling into things and got the sizing we were working with, along with the upper, middle back area we both had intuited for her separately, was to create a personal Mandala.

Yet, not simply one that uses symmetry, but one that is more organic, flowing, feels like the energy is moving, graceful and feminine, yet also has harmony and balance to it within that organic execution. And since my client likes things off-center slightly, having it energetically balanced, but not necessarily all the exact same so that there is a sense of the natural at work, felt right.

Because of her love for nature and the ocean, the imagery that came through was of things that mirror this, while also reflecting the essence and energy of her and things to help empower and infuse her life with more of, drawing forth her gifts, and sharing who she is in essence.

I always have synchronicities that take place, and interestingly the night before I did the full outline execution of the vision, I had a dream of the ocean and a home that sat at the edge of a pebbled beach, where the ocean touched. And then the vision flowed through. I always receive the guidance and support to help with the channeling and to connect more deeply with the energy at hand.

Immediately a few things popped out to include, which are the seahorse, starfish, and ocean waves.

There’s also a lot of that ancient and sacred feminine flow of life in spirals everywhere in it, mirroring the spiral of life, the cycles of life, and even the nautilus and the tops of seashells I was feeling in essence.

These spirals then showing up in the waves, the curls of the starfish legs, and the curls of the seahorse tails.

There is the element of water here, but also an earthy grounded feel, which creates balance – this through a hint of almost a leaf-like design on the starfish body and the way the seahorses hold the energy grounded that is flowing all around…so like that connection to your core and body, although you are able to move in and out, be a chameleon, shift, and change.

The little “wings” of the seahorse bring in an aspect of the element of air as well, and since seahorses are considered the “hummingbirds of the sea,” they are bringing in the wisdom of these little messengers of the gods as well.

The two seahorses also remind me of a painting I did a few years back called “Dance of the Twin Flames” which had two seahorses in it.

To me, this aspect of the two seahorses is not isolated to a union found/created outside of oneself, but truly speaks about the union, and honor and cultivation, of our parts and the Sacred/Divine Feminine and Masculine within each of us that we bring together in wholeness and to be in the wholeness of our essence.

The two beautiful sea horses (known as hummingbirds of the sea) symbolize the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine in harmony as they unite. This equates to an honoring of all of our parts and both our left and right brain, as well as a marriage within us of mutual respect for each of the energies our parts have to share with us and that we can offer to the world in our most shining way when we honor them and bring them forth through our individual gifts.

As I’ve written before, sea horse wisdom shares the messages of joy, understanding the importance of the courtship dance within and without, stability in emotional waters, ceremony, bonding monogamously for life, great keepers of secrets, keen vision, psychic energy, analysis, strategy, independence, etiquette, sharing and mixing up of gender roles (as the male sea horse carries the young and births them), the water element, and connection with Poseidon.

Sea horses are graceful and almost mythological creatures that are one of those rare species that don’t seem to fit with any others in their category. They possess so many different qualities, similar to a platypus, and have been around since ancient times (40 million years ago). They can even change their color and pattern to match the environment they are in, so they speak to our ability to merge and flow with change with greater ease and grace.

And although they are known as “hummingbirds of the sea,” having dorsal fins that flutter as much as 35 times per second, they are built more for maneuverability than speed and actually don’t move around all that much. They prefer to wrap their tails around sea vegetation for stability, hence speaking to a grounding energy, although they live within the waters of life. They are able to hover just as hummingbirds, however their dorsal fin flapping speed is amazing since it takes place under water.

They are both remarkable and ethereal, creating and bringing an air of mystery and intrigue to our life, along with enchantment, magick, and a lot of balancing wisdom that grounds these more etheric concepts. They make dreams a reality…the unbelievable believable…the miraculous a daily potential.

The starfish that cradles the two seahorses as the backdrop and anchoring of the piece has such magickal symbolism as well. The starfish is a universal and celestial symbol of infinite divine love. It has been used to represent the Virgin Mary – or Stella Maris, which means Star of the Sea – an ancient title she goes by because she is believed to lovingly intercede as a guide and protector of those who travel over troubled waters or seek their livelihoods on the sea. For this reason she is also seen as an emblem of salvation during trying times, which the starfish reflects in this mirroring symbolism.

In addition to love, the starfish also emanates the energies of inspiration, guidance, brilliance, intuition, and vigilance, with its connection to the stars. In Egyptian mythology, the starfish is one of the many titles of the Goddess Isis – a name by which tempest-tossed sailors adored and honored her as. It is thought that the attributes of a marine deity may have been bestowed on Isis by sea-faring Greeks of Alexandria and that this assumption is then thought to point to Sirius, the bright star of Isis, being the Stella Maris.

The starfish is considered a keystone species that affects many other organisms in an ecosystem and plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community – so this points to our interconnectedness and how your example of life not only changes things in your individual experience, but affects and can support the collective.

The starfish is also a symbol of healing and regeneration due to its amazing ability to regenerate an arm and an entirely new starfish. They are able to simply drop an arm and scurry away to safety at will in order to outsmart predators. Because quite a few of the vital organs are housed in starfish arms, this enables the possibility to grow an entire new starfish from an arm and part of the central disc, if ripped off it. So this points to our resiliency, regenerative and healing abilities, endurance, and personal power.

Starfish wisdom includes a connection to the Star People, regeneration, Moon magick, beauty, and tidal movement. They are a way for us to realize our potentials, promises of dreams, ways to connect with the mystical, and to flow with the waters of life in trust. They also infuse an essence of joy when you look upon them, like twinkling star treasures from the sea.

The symbolism of the number five (in their five legs) not only points to the pentacle and the five elements, but carries the essence of radical transformation, travel, adventure, motion, wonder of life, appreciation of the perception of chaos around us, action, and journeying within and without to name a few.

The legs of the starfish, in the design, are complimented by five swirling waves of the ocean in mirror to the spiraling energy.

All of this creating the feel of a flowering and blossoming effect with the entire Mandala shape AND the two seahorses inside also have a hint of heart-shape creation between the two of them…perfect for that unconditional love energy sitting over the Heart Chakra, emanating out in waves of flowing, soft, and graceful love for all of life.

In all, it’s sort of a watery star blossom emblem and celebration of life, worthy of a true Sea Goddess or Elemental.

If you would like to partner in co-creating your own sacred visionary piece of artwork or tattoo design to embody the empowerment you desire, you can contact me at tania@spiritualskin.com.

There is currently a waiting list, but you can easily make your deposit at the link provided below to embark on this journey in partnership with me. I’m currently booked out until June.

ALSO – Don’t forget this month you could receive a free copy of Spiritual Skin if you book your design this month with a deposit. Details here: FREE copy of Spiritual Skin

For more information about the process and pricing please visit: Life Changing Tattoos

Some people have preferred to read my book, Spiritual Skin ~ Sacred Tattoos: More than Skin Deep, especially if they are new to sacred tattoo designs, before embarking on this journey.

If you are drawn to learn more about sacred tattoos you can order a copy of the book here: Spiritual Skin

It is also available in Kindle format here: Spiritual Skin