Celtic Illyrios

The Celtic Illyrios, this is the one of my five tattoos that people seem the most perplexed by, so lets explain what this thing is and means.

The symbol is simple, basically it is a Pentacle: the five points of the star represent the five elements of life (Water, Fire, Earth, Air, and Spirit) as well as representing the human form (two legs, two arms and the head on top) the symbol is withheld in a circle which represents a line of protection... the good keep in, and the Ill keep out! The circle is the boundary, the clearly defined territory where this is to take place.

The Illyrios is different from that only in that the Circle is OPEN... the points of the symbol reach out beyond its borders (symbolizing a more bold sense of open-ness) and the five pointed star is also broken up into five seperate points which stand alone as individual pieces, yet are woven together with Celtic Knots... you will notice that it is an "ENDLESS" design, where the knot has no begining nor any end... all the points are drawn through one another by a single thread. Further, the symbol not only has one circle of protection but 2... for me symbolizing the extreme duality of my personality, the two pieces that each require guardianship.

This has a very personal meaning to me, as anyone who knows some of my personal history will tell you, and it is symbolic of how you can piece yourself back together after being rather decisvely apart. The knots whole idea of a Celtic Knot is that it is unbreakable, for it has no end or beginning.

The Symbol represents who I am, it honors my pagan spirituality and beliefs in "the OLD Ways", but it is still very stylized and an unexpected interpretation upon the base concept. Each point of the star is slightly asymetric, lending weight to the imbalance of elements as individuals, but maintaining balance when woven together. I got this inked into my flesh for a few reasons, but none so much as the fact it simply represents ME. Tattoos have been a very important part of my life's experience, and infact the whole of the cultures from which I am descended... having the symbol permanently affixed to my body is a way of connecting to that deeper knowledge of the history of my people. It also was a rite of passage, a tattoo was traditionally acquired to remind you always of an important event, a crossing point from one stage of life to another... so I got it inked on the day that I met my mother, just a few months after her unfortunate death. As a symbolic to remind myself to ALWAYS REMEMBER who I am, and the incredible woman who brought me into this world. It was espeically meaningful because it was done just as I was begining to learn how to make sense of a world that she was no longer a part of...

The whole idea of a tattoo is not only that the symbol is always a part of you, but the pain of getting it keeps you from forgetting what it means. Now, I laughed through the entire process of getting a tattoo (I've always had a tremendous pain tollerance, but I thought it was FUNNY) but of all my tattoos, this one was the only one where he actually hit a nerve bundle. While that did bite me a bit, it wasnt what I'd call "pain" by any stretch... all that happened was my body temp SPIKED way up for a couple seconds... but still, of all my ink, I DO remember that one the most just because it was very surreal feeling.