What a wonderful energy this sacred tattoo design embodies, as a send-off to my vacation tomorrow. I’ve been working like crazy to get things caught up and manageable for my upcoming trips away and so I’ve been working my way through not only creating designs, alongside my other work, but posting the back up of ones I’ve not had chance to as well.

This is an incredible piece that was not only a joy to create, but I loved working in a new area of the body for its placement. It will be sitting right under, framing, and in between my client’s breasts, and down a bit, pointing toward the Solar Plexus. So it is a decent sized piece extending about 8 and a half inches in width, and about 6 inches in height.

This was another example of allowing the process to percolate and it was in fact at one of the symphonies I went to that the vision channeled in full while I listened to the beautiful classical music.

Up until that point, I only knew the main elements that were speaking to me to add, but while immersed in the music, my client and her design came into my visions and immediately I saw it…just as it was to be/is now here as you see it.

Some of them were elements my client had mentioned being drawn to, others were the abstracts of those ideas in energetic expression, and one was the appearance of an animal spirit guide that just glaringly came through when I read one of her emails to me.

But I waited, as I did not know how to integrate it all, nor do I try to make that happen or force it…and then the music took me on the journey where the symphony was the experience of someone/me painting the canvas where all elements merged together and created the vision you see here. Later I saw an image of the swans I saw in my vision immediately after and knew it was confirmation.

It’s fun to see how things then synchronously unfold with meaning, as I look into the layers of symbolism more. I don’t have the answers/details always as to why I do something, know something, draw something, etc….I just know that’s what I see, feel, or know. The story comes together later, but isn’t necessary to me. It’s just fun to connect dots.

Anyway, what came through was swan (two of them), an eight petaled lotus (type of Water lily) in the center that shares one of its petals with the nautilus that unfolds from its potent center (dedicated to Patanjali’s eightfold path of yoga my client is connected to/had an idea about), and an Earth lily just below that. I melded the bottom in an organic flow of design that both creates a petaled richness to the lotus, as well as watery essence both the swans and lotus emerge from. The leaves double as pools of water with reflections.

While there is some symmetry, I wanted it to have balance created in a more organic feel. And each swan represents two aspects of self merging…the Divine Feminine and Masculine… so there is also a balance of gracing the front of, and one behind, the lotus…a yin/yang feel, as well as harmony, balance, and wholeness…

I wanted the piece to have this amazingly beautiful, soft grace and feminine quality, but also to be integrated and harmonized…supporting that gentle, but powerful/empowered feminine energy my client wanted reflected.

Here is a little on the symbolism of each main part of the design, which several I’ve shared before since they are collective symbols (each channeled to reflect individually unique to each), but I always like to reshare the info again for anyone only just seeing this piece at this particular time.

Swan: of course they are connected to the element of water and its symbolism of fluidity, intuition, dreaming (my client had mentioned dreams and being focused on them a lot), emotions, and creativity. They bring a sense of balance to our lives since they live in harmony amongst three elements….they ground on Earth, they fly to great heights in the Air, and gracefully flow through Waters with magnificent elegance. They bring messages of love, grace, union (within and without – so it’s our relationship with ourselves and others, and divine partners), purity, innocence, grace, inner beauty and realizing your own true beauty, dreams and understanding dream symbols, seeing into the future, understanding spiritual, balance, elegance, partnership, transformation, evolution, developing intuitive abilities, awakening the power of self, self-esteem and confidence, are Celtic Solar animals representing the rising glory of a new day and thus new beginnings that arise through the cycles of life, and also in Celtic tradition represent the Soul and our eternal essence. The swan is sacred to Venus and associated with love, poetry and music in this regard as well.

I especially like this little symbolism I found while researching that SO mirrors the image I channeled for her:

In the Saundarya Lahari (translated as “Waves of Beauty” it’s a text filled with beautiful mantras from the Hindu perspective) two swans (Ham and Sa) pair together, swimming around in the divine mind “living on honey from the blooming lotus of knowledge.”

I LOVE synchronicity and how the image that channeled through tuning in to her essence as something to symbolize this journey for her to support her into her empowerment basically paints the visual of this story. I didn’t know this until now. I also love that the vision of this design came through when at the symphony listening to beautiful classical music that evoked that mystery of inner grace and one’s song.

Lotus: the Lotus itself is a powerful and ancient image symbolizes harmony, spiritual illumination and unlimited potential. The lotus is a type of water lily which rises from the sludge of muddy waters and opens into a beautiful flower. It is often used as a mandala, or circular symbol, but any way you use the Lotus in a spiritual practice, it will provide a resonant field that reinforces the concept of resurrection. Human mistakes and challenges are the fertilizer for brilliance and awakened creation as the Lotus shows us. Born in the murkiest of ponds, Lotus still emerges pure. Use the Lotus as a reminder that “this, too, shall pass.” Be assured that all fertilizer nurtures a beautiful new life. In the greater world, Lotus is a peaceful cosmic beacon for forgiveness, gratitude and compassion to prevail where the sludge of conflict has resided. Using this symbol on water invites a balance between humility and pride.

Nautilus: The Nautilus shells to me are of an ancient nature and with its integrated chambers is symbolic of continuous progress, balance, new ideas, visionary discoveries, innovation and inspiration, renewal, eternal continuity, expansion, consistency, evolution, interconnectedness, divine perfection, natural flow, stability and internal harmony within regeneration, abundant creative energy – in general, a symbol of life and “the journey home” to Source within All That Is, through a succession of transcendent spirals. When gazing upon the Nautilus it provides a serene sense of balance and well-being. The spiral itself is a symbol of creation, movement, fluidity, surrender/releasing, holistic growth, and awareness of the one within the context of the whole. It reveals the cyclical nature of life, the consciousness of nature from core center expanding outward, and the relationship between unity and multiplicity. It is the limitless spirals that move both “inward towards the Source of creation and eternally outward with Source’s continual self-creation.” In this way, the spiral reflects the contiguous journey home to who you really are and the journey to be one with Source.

Lily: The lily not only connects to my client’s grandmother who shares that name and is important to her, but also symbolizes hope, faith, birth, purity, renewal, promise, passion, becoming, innocence, fertility, cleansing, maternal nurturing, remembrance, transitioning, development, growth, progress, freedom….The lily symbolizes the Goddess.

There is such a beautiful story this image depicts in many layered ways. I will let you find how it speaks to you.

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 here: Contact Tania Marie

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. Now scheduling for July.

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

I always add shading and detail to the drawings so that you can get a taste of what it might look like tattooed when details come together. But usually tattoo drawings by artists are done in just the simple outline of the piece and the details come together during the inking process…but this gives a reference to assist the tattoo artist and it helps you to envision the possibilities.