The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

I'm wondering, and correct me if I am wrong but.

Wouldn't it be appropriate to (if you can handle the pain) tattoo your patron/deities symbols on you. kind of turning you into your own personal shrine.

I'm not a pagan but it seems the most rational (esp. the polytheistic ones) to me.

thanks.

Dale!

I'm wondering, and correct me if I am wrong but.

Wouldn't it be appropriate to (if you can handle the pain) tattoo your patron/deities symbols on you. kind of turning you into your own personal shrine.

I'm not a pagan but it seems the most rational (esp. the polytheistic ones) to me.

thanks.

Dale!

 
Eh, depends. I've read arguments that doing so in traditions where possession is a common occurrence might be a bit like putting out the welcome mat 24/7 for the deity in question. On a less severe note, if the tattoo was designed to have magical purpose you won't ever really turn it 'off' so you had better be really, really sure you won't get sick of it in ten years time.

More to the point, not everyone likes tattoos, or thinks of their body as a shrine or the property of the gods. If that's the case you're not going to get anything out of a tattoo dedicated to a god or spirit or whatever.

Eh, depends. I've read arguments that doing so in traditions where possession is a common occurrence might be a bit like putting out the welcome mat 24/7 for the deity in question. On a less severe note, if the tattoo was designed to have magical purpose you won't ever really turn it 'off' so you had better be really, really sure you won't get sick of it in ten years time.

More to the point, not everyone likes tattoos, or thinks of their body as a shrine or the property of the gods. If that's the case you're not going to get anything out of a tattoo dedicated to a god or spirit or whatever.

 

I see, Makes sense. thanks all who answered.

I like tattoos a lot, I have a fair few myself and I love them on other people but the thought of something that is so personal, so wrapped up in body autonomy, being seen a a blanket appropriateness for all pagans who have relationships with deities makes me deeply uncomfortable

I kind of agree with you except that appropriate doesn't mean required. I think ( although i don't want to speak for the OP) that the question had more to do with how the Gods would react if someone would choose to do that. Or if there was some sort of social stigma or magickal reason to not do this sort of thing.

My 2 cents is this. It'sactually something I've considered. I did eventually decide against it for practical reasons, but i had no problems with it.

Where i would start to have problems is if it started to become a requirement for group work. Even then as an OPTION at like a 4 = 7 i might decide to make that choice, but the choiceshouldn't be get it or leave a group. Fortunately, I've never heard of that.

I know people that have done that and been happy with out, and i know people who are completely opposed for themselves, but i don't know anyone in my Pagan or magickal circles who would think to make that choice for someone else.

Wouldn't it be appropriate to (if you can handle the pain) tattoo your patron/deities symbols on you. kind of turning you into your own personal shrine.

I'm not a pagan but it seems the most rational (esp. the polytheistic ones) to me.

 
On the one hand, all the ink I have and intend to get is devotional in nature (though not so simplistic as a simple symbol rendering).

On the other hand, what's appropriate depends on a number of things.  (I can't help but think of the translation of the valknut tattoo as 'insert spear here', a translation which I heard from people who had that particular symbol marked on them.)  I do know that some religious witchcraft lines mark certain attainments with tattoos.  Aside from that, I'd expect what's appropriate to have a lot to do with the actual theology of someone's religion, and their personal stuff, rather than a blanket thing.