I have a tiny dots-and-lines piece on my inner wrist of the Pleiades, and I just got my hummingbirds recently. I saw a painting/sketch of two hummingbirds in National Geographic magazine last year, and knew that's what I wanted. I waited until I found the right artist whom I trusted to do the work right, and am sooo happy with the results! I will post pics when the second bird is totally healed. The Pleiades has always been my favorite constellation (longer story there, but sort of complicated--but no, I'm not a Pleiadian :) and the birds just spoke to me...as soon as I saw it I thought, THAT would make an amazing tattoo! One friend said that she thinks the hummingbirds chose me ;)

At some point I plan on having more work done, but I need time to sit with some ideas first. Once you start getting them, it's way easy to keep going...so I want to make sure I get work that I really love and not just because I want more ink NOW!

What I *wouldn't* do is get anything that "seems" tribal, unless you're really drawn to it.

Right now I only have 2 tattoos. The first is on my left shoulder and it's 2 fish, the symbol for pisces, my birth sign. I guess that's simple, I chose the tat to represent my birth sign. The 2nd is a tribal gecko lizard on my left ankle. When the weather starts warming up here in texas, at night the gecko lizards come out to feast on bugs. They are so cool. I got the oppurtunity to get a new tattoo and saw a tribal gecko in my friends book and that's what I got, he's very cool.

Next tat is the Kanji symbol for tiger with possibly a tribal looking tiger head on my right shoulder to represent the chinese calendar of the year I was born. I have another lizard, not very tribal but cool none the less to go on my right ankle. Last, a tribal dragon to go across my lower back area, cause I loooooooooove dragons, always have. I have the lizard and the dragon and the kanji symbol but I haven't found a tiger head or even a body that just feels right. The only reason I haven't started the other 2 tattoos is because of money. Sigh!

I thought long and hard about what kind of tattoos I wanted. I pulled away from the trends and thought about what felt comfortable to me, is it going to be something that when i'm in my 50-60-70's, going to look at and say "what the heck was I thinking?" So far, I don't see myself saying that, instead I'll look at them and have nice memories.

By the way, you may want to post this at the following tribe too, since it's geared toward it:

tribes.tribe.net/tattooedp...llydancers

Three out of my four tattoos are flowers— two roses (one on each peck) and some cherry blossoms on the inside of my left arm just below the elbow. My fourth tattoo is a She-Devil riding a rocket (there's a loooong story behind that one).

The funny thing is that I planned and waited and meditated and hemmed and hawed over the first three (roses and she-devil) and got the cherry blossoms on a whim and the cherry blossoms are by far my favorite. I trusted my artist so much at that point I let him do it free hand and they turned out fantastic.

The cherry blossoms are in honor of my Grandmother who passed away, since cherry blossom represent the impermanence of life and beauty.

I have the art for a 3/4 that has tons of meaning. I'd get it this second if I could afford it, which I can't right now. *pout*

I got all my present Ink long before I discovered Belly Dance, but now I have ideas for more tattoo work that is inspired by what the Dance has done to shape my body and my soul!

My tats are all Totemic in nature. The first one was a small horse on my forearm, when I was a horse trainer. Seemed pretty appropriate. Unfortunately, the work was not very well done and I eventually had a cover-up tattoo done over it.

While living in the Pacific Northwest, I became enamored with the Native Art, especially Tlingit, and after researching the Totemic symbolism of their designs, I got a totem pole with a Wolf (artist's totem), Orca eating a Salmon (analgous to the Yin/Yang), and a Hawk (far-seeing) on my upper left arm from shoulder to elbow. It's very bold and "unlady-like", but people are fascinated by it. On my upper right arm, I have another Salmon which is a fusion piece of PNW Native and Asian design.

The rest of my tats are Celtic in nature, reflecting my Welsh heritage. A green stag with knot-work legs adorns my right forearm and Greyhound from the Book of Kells is on my left forearm, honoring my retired racing Greyhounds. I also have a circular version of the Welsh World Tree (which most people mistake for the Tree of Life, sorry, that's Kaballah!) on my lower back.

Every tattoo has a story and a meaning. They all reflect some part of me, or some rite of passage in my Evolution. None are "classic" style of tattoo. They stand alone as markers to remind me of where I've been and where I'm going.

One tattoo has continued to elude me. It's a Sword I intend to have placed down my spine with the hilt across my shoulders. Several times, I've started the process toward finding an artist to put this monstrosity upon my flesh and each time, I've been stopped by an inner sense that it's not the right time, or right person. One day, I'll feel the "okay, go for it" and it will get done.

As for Dance inspired tats, I would like to get my hips and or stomach inked, but the designs are still embryonic and mutating. So those will have to wait, too.

The right tattoo will find you, if you stay patient and keep your eyes and heart open. It's going to be part of your body FOREVER, so treat it like a Lover you take for Life.

I've got four tattoos, a couple of which are dance-related. One's a henna design, the other is Kanji for "dance." Of course, the only one of mine that's visible when I dance is the emerald on the back of my neck.

Hopefully that will change soon when I get watercolor-esque tiger lilies tattooed on my upper arm... just 'cause they're pretty!

I have two. Pics of both on my profile.

The first one is a hammerhead shark which represents, in a convoluted way, my great-grandfather. I've always had a special affinity for him.

The second is a koala holding two baby koalas, which I got last year - I'm a mom of twins.

My latest one would be a *cough* dumb skulls tattoo *cough*
Jolly roger in the middle with 2 skull and crossbones on either side and is a cuff piece on my left wrist.
Pirate at heart and loved this one ... Arrrgh matey : P
Pic of it here people.tribe.net/ebed6aa9-...28b98e1939
Have a tribal celtic knot on my lower back that is done to look like it was carved out of stone just because I loved the artist's work doing these, wolf and feathers on my ankle ( coverup on exhusn\bands name o.O ), and a ankh with a scarab on my shoulder ( need to get this one touched up)
I consider my tat's a road map to life, you can look at them and remember that time, events they were done for and enjoy them all the more.

I've got ink, yep! All my pieces have a lot of personal meaning to me, and usually more than one layer of it. Pictures are in my profile...

- Passionflower on the left shoulder. The passionflower was sacred to the Mayans, Incans, Aztecs and other Mesoamerican cultures. The Incans believed that the souls of beloved relatives resided in the blossoms. When the conquistadors arrived, some of them saw Christian symbolism in the flower and took it as a sign from their God that they should conquer the land and convert the indigenous peoples. I will soon be adding a hummingbird to this piece. The Aztecs believed that if you were very good, perhaps your soul would live on as a hummingbird.

- A giant silkworm moth on my stomach. This moth reminds me a very dear person in my life. I also like my moth because moths are the butterflies of the night. The person who inspired this tattoo has their own reasons for loving moths, and I guess their explanation thereof just moved me really deeply.

- My current in-progress baby: people.tribe.net/5622cd9e-...2cf1d0c466

- A Buddhist eternity knot on my back. This is going to be enlarged into a much bigger version of itself that also incorporates some other images that symbolize my own personal quest for knowledge.

People get tattoos for all different reasons. I personally try to tattoo what I feel is already lurking inside me, waiting to be shown. I guess in a way they are totemic (as someone above mentioned). I feel like these are things I want to keep with me and make a part of me. And also they're very lovely! I started out with a few small, simple black tattoos, and the trouble was that when I stopped liking them as a symbol they weren't very artistic, so I couldn't find a way to appreciate them just as body art. My passionflower may change in meaning for me, but it will always be beautiful to look at and I hope I will at least always love it for that.

I have drawn all of my own tattoos. I'm Filipina, so tattooing is part of my heritage. My tattoos are symbols and designs that constitute the map of my life. I highly suggest doing a lot of research on the objects or ideas that you are interested in before you tattoo.
BEWARE of Kanji or any other symbol-language. Kanji is often poorly translated and the word you think is "joy" tattooed on your back may actually mean "stupid"! I'm not kidding. Beware of text in general.
Google "awful tattoos" and see what you get.
I have found that it helps to make a list of the things you are drawn to or ideas you cherish, then make another list of what those things could translate into tattoo.
Also, once I have settled on a design and where I want it to go, I wait and meditate on it for a while- at least a month and up to a year, in my case. I figure, my skin isn't going anywhere, but tattoos are forever.
Good luck!

I have a bunch of cherry blossoms that start on my lower back and curve around my waist on my right side. I think there are about 11 flowers total and about 13 or so petals interspersed. The grouping of three on my lower back is for my kids. The rest are about my journey in life, never stagnant. Sometimes chaotic and other times more measured.

My next piece is in the 'thinking' phase. I'm leaning toward a mendhi style peacock on my left shoulder/arm.

Hey there. I had the same issue about tattoos. Every idea I'd ever had for a tattoo never lasted and so I was really unsure about any idea i wanted. I finally got the three i have when they just fit. I had a reason for liking them and they held some kind of meaning for me. So if you're ever skeptica, I'd say wait awhile and see if you still like it later on. Be sure since its permanent. Also, try to find something that connects to you, something that just HAS to be :) ya know?

I have a vine up my left side, very natural and earthy and delicate. To me it's kind of a reminder to stay grounded and not let my head get too far into the clouds. Ya know, keep my feet on the ground type thing. Then I have a peace sign on my right foot and a heart on my left. They represent my "dirty hippie feet" :) I go barefoot quite often and my feet are rather gross. My boyfriend won't even give me foot rubs since he doesn't like to touch my feet (unless I really really need it). I've got some other hippie qualities (at least according to friends) and so those seemed perfect.

I hope you find the right tattoos for you and then you should definitely post it in the tattooed and peirced bellydancers tribe :) I'd love to see. Take care, be smart.

always,
ash

I have two tattoos (pics on my profile). I have five quite large stars which go down my spine, and three stars across my hips, under my bellybutton. I got them before I started belly dancing and already have more tattoos planned, all stars. I just like stars, I've always liked stars, and really like geometric shapes. The first one I got was the top star on my spine which was subsequently expanded with the other four. Then the three on the front. At the point when I got them, there didn't seem to be many tattoos like that around, although sadly (for me) they are more common now, I always like to try to be individual!

I'm really lucky in my choice of tattooist, my oldest friend's partner of many years is an excellent tattooist who has tattooed for years, and has tattooed most of our friends, so I was already very familiar with his work, which is of excellent quality and the hygiene standards in his studio (I'm OCD so I was very clear that this was important, things like it being a very sterile studio and bagging the tattoo gun and cable for every new tattoo). His partners in the Studio are a tattooist and her piercer husband so I now have more choice and have got myself some piercings!

Next up is a matched pair of ankle tattoos and a UV star tattoo in my cleavage!

We really are a bunch of tattoed ladies, huh? I love it! :)

I have an ankh tat on my back that I've had since I was 19. I've never been inspired by anything else until recently-
I always promised myself that I would get little wing tatoos by my ankles if I ever ran a marathon (that never happened!).
But lately, I've really wanted a cluster of runic symbols with some sort of tribal or celtic pattern-been through a lot of changes and it seems appropriate to have these.

Tattoos, how I love em! :D Haha.

I currently have four tattoos. My first two are checkered stars on my upper chest done by a friend, on both the right and left sides. Very simple, just black ink. I may actually need to go over them again because the ink isn't as clean as I would like 'em, but eh. Anyway, the reason for getting those stars are also very simple - I love stars, and I absolutely love the colors black and white. Since checkered items are black and white, that is why I love that too. :)
My second tattoo is my Japanese family crest on my middle back, which I got in the the middle of December of last year. I'm half Japanese and American, and I have lived in Japan for most of my life. So ever since I moved here last August, I was very homesick for a while...I missed my friends, my family, and my home. So my family crest is sort of a homage to my country (even though I was actually born in States, but I feel like I have a more of a connection to Japan then the States) to that part of my nationality and my family. That too is all done in black, and was the most painful considering it's right smack dab in the middle of my spine! But it's awesome and one of my favorite tattoos. :)
My third tattoo is my first color tattoo, actually. I got this at the Body Art Expo convention in SF this March, by Chencho from 45th St. Tattoos in IN. He's a very nice gentleman, and an awesome tattooist. This tattoo was kind of spontaneous, actually - I had this image that I had found online a couple years ago or so, which was a little zombie girl clutching an arm from the elbow down with the bone sticking out. Gruesome and cute, all rolled into one! ;) Anyway, since I heard about the Body Art Expo, I wanted to get a tattoo, and having since found that image, I knew right then and there that I wanted to get it done since I'm a big zombie movie fan. :) Finding an artist was hard, since I didn't know most of the artists that were attending, but after having done research on them online and looking at their portfolio, I had a small list that I brought with me to the Expo. After going directly to the 45th St. booth, I was comfortable with Chencho right a way, and immediately chose him to do my tattoo.In the end, I sooo happy I did because it's just so colorful and awesome and purdy! :D

My next tattoo(s) I'm definitely gonna get are Star Wars related, and will also be colorful. The placement and design have already been decided - an X-wing coming out of the rebel symbol on one arm and a TIE fighter coming out of the Imperial symbol on the other. Yeah, I'm a big nerd...hahaha. But that's the tattoo that I've wanted for a loooong time...but still can't because 1) I haven't drawn it out, and 2) don't have the money for it yet. :/
Other tattoos...well, I'm thinking of more stars, more Japanese designs/themes...at one point I was thinking of having a sorta gnarly cherry cherry tree starting from the lower back, wrapped around the waist to the tummy, but haven't really decided yet. But I'm definitely looking forward to getting more. :)