Strength Tattoos

The Celtic Cross is a strong Christian symbol but it is also a symbol that was used in pagan times. It is drawn as a cross and circle - sometimes the cross is wholly within the circle, sometimes it is drawn as a cross with the circle joining the crossbeams and the upright.

As a Christian symbol, it represents Christ's suffering and death. Because of this, it is a strong sign of faith and endurance. It can represent such things as standing fast, never yielding in the face of adversity, belief in an ideal, belief in oneself. Of course, it can be worn as a testament to one's Christian belief or as a proud connection to a Celtic heritage.

The circle is said to represent eternity or God's endless love, whereas the circle in pagan times was thought to represent the sun or the circle of life. The early Celts worshipped nature and the universe, so the Celtic cross can connect to those times.

Animal images can be used as strength tattoos. The Celts gained strength from images of animals incorporated in their intricate knotwork. Because they revered nature and its creatures, any connection to them gave them strength. If your strength comes from nature or one of its creatures, then your tattoo could have your favorite animal inverwoven in the knotwork.


Celtic Animal Tattoos: Strength Lion - Celtic Wolf - Celtic Shark - Celtic Eagle
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Knot work designs alone can be strength tattoos but Celtic tribal tattoos can be even more dramatic. They work well as armbands, upper arm and shoulder or larger back drawings. You have a great deal of choice, as there is a vast array of designs developed over many years. With a little research you should be able to find your Celtic strength tattoo.


(Images: sexygirltribaltattoo.blogspot.com; tattoo-haram.blogspot.com)

Celtic knotwork design has no beginning and no end. While this can represent a number of things it is often taken to mean the never-ending cycle of rebirth and renewal. It means eternity. When this is entwined with a heart it can mean eternal love and a union of souls. When two hearts are interwoven, they are joined forever. That is why they are also called love knots.

These are the ties that bind forever. They are the ties that bind family, that bind lovers and bind friends - bonds of love, bonds of commitment, bonds of strength.

The knotwork design makes the difference between the Celtic heart tattoo images and other heart tattoo images. Within that intricate lacework can be an image of a heart saddened by loss or a heart suffering or a heart filled with faith. The endless lines connect to another person and to another people - to an ancient culture with a deep spirituality.

Through a Celtic heart tattoo you can connect to all these elements as a source of strength.

(Image: myspace.com)

Kanji can express in one or two symbols a thought, an idea, a philosophy. There are Kanji symbols for a number of things that could stand for strength:

• Strength


• Courage


• Honor


• Power


• Samurai

There are many more that could mean strength to an individual - each person has to select the symbol that gives them strength

A Kanji strength tattoo connects us to Japanese culture and its history, in which the Samurai played an important part. The Samurai followed the Bushido code of loyalty, courage, honesty, honour and compassion. The Samurai warrior was heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism, which meant he not only aspired to noble ideals and aspirations but sought self-awareness and spiritual strength. He strove for balance. He was aware that the battle is always over oneself and that it is often the hardest fight of all.

The Samurai have long gone but the qualities they practiced are still needed in our lives. A Kanji tattoo can remind us of this.

Our real strength is our inner strength. A Kanji symbol simply reminds us to tap into our inner strength, which was there all the time. This can remind us to live up to our aspirations and to hang in there when the going gets tough. We all want to be better than we are. This is a natural human aspiration, but we do need reminders from time to time to help us stay on track. A Kanji strength tattoo can do this.

There are a number of Kanji tattoo designs available so it is important to make sure you choose one whcih means what you want it to mean. It is better to choose an artist who is experienced in Kanji or, better still, one who understands the Japanese language.

There is a strong code of honor in Japanese society. This has come from the Samurai bushido code or Way of the Warrior. Until its demise in the late 19th century, the samurai had a strong influence in the Japanese way of life over several hundred years. At its source was dedication to their emperor and to their masters, which meant a willingness to die in the line of duty. Their duty was to protect the interests of those they served.

Laying down one's life for another, particularly those you served, was the noblist deed and the highest honor. The fear of death was secondary to achieving a noble and honorable death. This noble act was passed on through a warrior's family so that their reputation and standing was enhanced by the brave deeds of their kinsman. Conversely, the family suffered in the shame of a warrior who flinched in battle and avoided a warrior's death by saving his own life. There could be no more ignoble death.

When Zen Buddhism influenced the Samurai their code of honor expanded to include even higher ideals, such as honesty, integrity, selflessness, compassion. At the heart of this philosophy was the idea of being true to oneself.

This is the great strength of the Kanji symbol for Honor. It is a reminder to act with integrity. While it may be important what others think of us, it is not as important as what we think of ourselves. There can be a price to pay for acting with integrity as others may question our motives and may not understand our actions. A Kanji symbol of Honor can be a reminder to keep striving for those high ideals.

It is also a reminder to act with courage and fortitude, to hang in there when the going gets tough, as it does from time to time. Sometimes this is easier said than done, particularly when a situation drags on and there seems no end. That's when you need to call on support to get you through. That's when your Kanji symbol for Honor becomes your strength tattoo.

(Photo: japanese-symbols-tattoo-design.com)

The Kanji symbol for Samurai carries a connection to a very different, if not a unique, culture and history. The Samurai were a warrior class. They existed for one reason and one reason only, to fight. They were expected risk their life without question and to throw themselves fully into battle.

This was illustrated by some advice given to them by a 16th century leader: "Go to the battlefield firmly confident of victory, and you will come home with no wounds whatever. Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death. When you leave the house determined not to see it again you will come home safely; when you have any thought of returning you will not return".

While he was telling them they had a better chance of survival if they did not think of the things that tied them to this life, he was also telling them to throw themselves fully into the fight - to forget themselves and their fear - an they would have more chance of surviving and returning home.

Wearing a Samurai tattoo can help you take on some of the strength and courage that was expected of them:

• The strength to face problems full on.


• The strength to keep going in the face of adversity.


• The strength to throw yourself fully into the pursuit of your goals


• The strength to act with honor - "to thine own self be true".

("to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.." - from Shakespeare's Hamlet)

(Image: thejapaneseconnection.com)

A Samurai was expected to have more than just the courage to face danger in battle. This type of courage was taken for granted. This was a basic part of his code of conduct. But to live by the Bushido code, his bravery went deeper than this.

It was a mental and spiritual courage that impelled him to be honest at all times, to admit mistakes and wrongdoing and to face the consequences. It was the type of courage that would make him endure hardship and deprivation to follow his duty through to the end. It was the courage to face life and to face it honorably, regardless of the difficulties involved. In other words, he was expected to display mental toughness.

The Kanji symbols shown capture this meaning when they are written as two symbols. The first one can be used alone, as it means courage, but the two together capture the deeper meaning.

Wearing this symbol can remind you to pull on your inner strength when you need to make a hard decision you know is right and the mental toughness to stick with that decision. It can remind you to face difficulties with the same deep courage of the Samurai. It can remind you that there are times when you have to take charge of life and not let life control you.

(Image: thejapaneseconnection.com)

Being a member of a group of people or a community can give you strength. Strength comes from knowing you have a place in that group and you are respected by its members and, more importantly, they will support you and protect you becasue you are a part of of that group. This goes beyond helping someone you like, it is about about showing solidarity because you are a member of that group, a member of the tribe.

(Photo: Celtic Tribal Tattoo)

Tribal tattoos marked that membership to a certain tribe. Mutual support and protection was vital for survival. In the battle for food, territory or dominance, a tribe was only as strong as its members' commitment to it and to each other.

They needed each other to hunt for food becasue it was more effective and safer to hunt in packs. They needed to act as a group to protect each other against other tribes who were after their women, food or terriroty. This created a solid, essential bond between the members. The tattoos they wore to mark them as members of that tribe, a sign of the strong bond between its members, gave them strength. These markings were symbols of strength - strength tattoos.

Because they came together as a form of mutual protection, this did not mean they were protected from each other within the tribe. In fact, there was often fierce rivalry for positions of power and prestige. This was sometimes decided by force so that a man in the upper hierarchy of a tribe may have had to earn his position by defeating an opponent in combat or by proving himself the better man through brave deeds or tests of courage. Often, tattoos were used to mark these events so that all would know the wearer was a man of courage or status.

At times the tattoos themselves were marks of courage as they were done so crudely and inflicted such pain. These tattoos were a source of pride. They were also a source of strength, as other members of the tribe would respect him and enemies would fear him for his acts of courage so plainly displayed. These were his strength tattoos.

Tribal Cross tattoos can be powerful images of of strength. The cross is an enduring symbol of faith, hope and love. It can be used to remind you to have faith when things turn against you. It can be used to sustain you through tough times. It can be used to remember loved ones and to connect to them in spirit to give you strength.

The tribal style can be strong and dramatic, which leaves a lasting impression and makes a bold statement. Because of this visual impact your tattoo can be simple. On the other hand you may wish to embellish the image by adding artwork to the theme of the cross. There are many designs that do this very well. To make it even more interesting, you could have a Celtic cross done in the tribal style.

(Image: andrewminthcellcrack.blogspot.com)

Tribal Animal tattoos are popular because of the strong, dramatic lines of the drawings. Images of powerful animals make good strength tattoos: the lion, the tiger, the wolf, the eagle. Once again, these work well as single drawings or as a centerpiece of more elaborate drawings. The animal you choose may be one you love and want to remember - a favorite dog, cat or horse. This could be your strength tattoo.

The cross tattoo is a symbol of unconditional love. It can give strength to those who wear it and those who look upon it. It is a reminder that we have a spiritual dimension, a soul, and there is more to each person than what we see. It reminds us all to hope in the future, that difficult times will pass and better times are ahead. It can be both a statement of personal belief and a message of hope for others.

The story of the cross is a powerful one. A totally good person, with a message of peace and love, seems to be overcome by the forces of evil that kill him on a cross. That should have been an end to it. Instead, he and his teachings rise to spread and endure across the world and across the ages.

It is little wonder the cross is the most significant and powerful symbol used in Christianity. It is a sign the faithful recognize not only as marking their place of worship, but evoking feelings of hope, comfort, security and community. It is a symbol that reminds Christians of the beginning of their religion and connects them to Christ himself. It is one of the most powerful symbols in Western culture.

Everything about the image of the cross speaks of strength.

(Image: abouttattoo.net)

Our strength comes from a lot of different sources but one of the strongest is the memory of someone who loved us. There are usually one or two people in our lives who we can think of as loving us unreservedly. Maybe it is only one. This was the person we could talk to without feeling we were going to be criticised or made feel foolish if we spoke about our fears, our worries or our failings. We could just be ourselves with them and that is all they wanted us to be.

When we remember them we get a feeling of warmth and a surge of love. We suddenly feel we have the strength to face our problems or to work towards our goals when we are tempted to give up or when other people try to pull us down. We remember the faith that special person had in us.This gives us renewed confidence, which makes us stronger.

A cross memento tattoo is an ideal way to remember that special person. It can be a stand alone image or it can be accompanied by that person's favorite flower. If he or she was a religious person, it can have rosary beads or wings drawn with it. However it is drawn, the important thing is the image is one that helps you best recall that person. Your cross tattoo becomes your strength tattoo.

(Image: freecrosses.com)

The image of the Sacred Heart has conveyed a message of unconditional love to generations of the faithful. It has stood as a powerful reminder of the depth of love that one person has for another. In this case, the depth of love one person has for the whole of humanity - a love that impelled Christ to offer his suffering and death for us.

This love is depicted in the image of the Sacred Heart in the form of a flame burning with eternal love. But it is an unrequited love shown by a bleeding heart, entwined with a crown of thorns and surmounted by a cross - symbols of humanity's rejection of that love. In the end, it is a transforming love, as rays of divine light emanate from it.

The faithful came to see in the Sacred Heart all the love Christ, and through him God, had for us. In it they recognized the openness, the acceptance, the forgiveness they all craved - the very things they found so hard to give to one another. And yet, through him and through devotion to him, it was easier to follow his example and treat one another in the way he had shown them.

This is why the image has such strength, not because it has power of its own as some sort of good luck charm, but because it is a constant reminder we can be strong because of the strength of one person. In the end it is a constant reminder of God's eternal presence.

This is a powerful image to wear as a tattoo. It cannot be worn lightly because it marks the wearer as a believer. It makes a public commitment to belief in Christ and his message of compassion, understanding and forgiveness. It connects the wearer, and those believers who look on it, to Christ and thus to God.

(Image: tattoospit.com)

The image of the heart sends a universal message. Depending on the context, everyone knows what it means. It has always been used as a sign of love: lovers draw a heart and write their initials in it; Cupid spears a heart with an arrow; Valentine cards have hearts on them; people wear tattoos of the heart. It is the universal sign of love.

It is also a sign of commitment. The love it expresses is not a passing fancy, it is an everlasting love. It is a commitment to love a person forever. It speaks of endurance and strength. That's why lovers carve the heart symbol and their initials on a tree, so it will be there forever for all the world to see. In this context, tattoos of the heart are strength tattoos.

The image of the heart can be used to show this same sense of commitment and love for a belief or a cause. It says to the world that you have strong beliefs and you are proud of them. In some ways, it is almost a challenge to the world - this is what you believe and you are prepared to stand by that.

(Image: mel-gibson-handsome.blogspot.com)

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