INK!!!!

This is ONE of my tattoos and blipped today after a conversation and dare from Pappa G although this is not the one I was dared to blip :-P However on further reflection of our fun blipversation I thought it might be interesting to do so as tattoos are a somewhat emotive subject for many due to their popularity in recent years although it is an ancient and very creative art.

People seem to either love or hate tattoos and even within those that love them there is a huge range of styles that divide opinion as to what is a great or beautiful tattoo from the fun and frivolous to the traditional and highly symbolic. My opinion is that they are body art and an artistic expression of the self. I think they should be very personal and for YOU - not for anyone else. People often say "oh but you will have it when you are OLD". Erm YES and so do people of many cultures why not ours too???

I have forty nine in total which sounds rather dramatic but more on that tomorrow as I have decided this shall have to be a small mini-series because I would not be able to blip them all in on one shot. This one I had done eleven years ago and I love it every bit as much now as I did when I first had it done. This Celtic symbol represents the trinity of the feminine and is one I felt I resonated with very strongly .

In Pagan tradition the triple goddess in one form, that of the Maiden/Mother/Crone is honoured and respected. She is seen as the feminine counterpart, partner, equal and balance to the male essence. Yin and Yang.

The Maiden is seen as the virginal young woman, or girl, who has not yet awakened. She is all about enchantment and new beginnings, youthful ideas and enthusiasm. She is associated with the waxing phase of the lunar cycle, as the moon grows from dark to full.

The Mother is the next phase in a woman's life. She is fertility and fecundity, abundance and growth, the gaining of knowledge. She is fulfillment -- sexual, social, and emotional -- and she is represented by the full Moon. Springtime and early summer are her domain; as the earth becomes green and fertile, so does the Mother.

Finally, the Crone aspect is the final stage. She is the hag, the midwife and the wise woman who passes her knowledge and experience on, the darkness of night, and eventually death. She is the waning Moon the chill of winter, the dying of the earth.

This last stage is in some ways the most interesting if only because in today's youth culture it is the least valued. In some forms of feminist spirituality, the Maiden/Mother/Crone is used as an example of society's treatment of women. While the Maiden is revered and the Mother is honored, the Crone is pushed aside and reviled. Many women are trying to turn that around and reclaim the title of Crone, much like the gay community has reclaimed "queer." Instead of allowing themselves to be "old ladies" at Cronehood, these women are taking back the notion that with age comes wisdom. They are vibrant, sexual, life-embracing women who are proud to be labeled as Crone. Instead of hiding in the shadows, they celebrate the later years of life.

I have a theory that as you get older you develop something called DGAFS (Don't Give A Fuck Syndrome) - it starts about forty and by the time you are fifty it is full blown and chronic but is actually just about self confidence and awareness.

That is what being a crone is about for me and here is a chooooon just cos it FAB and mentions a tattoo!!!!

Oh and I DON'T have the one mentioned in the song!!!!