Religious and Spiritual Tattoos

[Avery Taylor]

Here are a couple I have. Im not christian or buddist, but I have a jesus and a rock of ages tattoo.

Great tattoos. Are they by Jason Brooks?

[Lochlan]

Avery, no idea as they were emailed to me without any info.

[Lochlan]

This Chris Garver praying hands finger was being passed around Twitter today, so badass! There are some other awesome finger and knuckle tattoos in the Knuckle Tattoos thread if you haven't seen them.

[hogg]

Ha! Ben Grillo did one like that 3 years ago:

He added the caption, "i'm not trying this again so don't ask."

[Lochlan]

haha, I can only imagine. They are sick though, wish I had some finger space left.

[Lochlan]

Found these religious tattoos during my weekly blog gaze of tattoo shops and tattooers. These tattoo pictures are of work by Jun Cha, Chad Koeplinger, and Ross Nagle. So sick, I can never get enough of religious tattoos!

[Shotsie Gorman]

It's courious to me that anyone would be suprised by spiritual and religious tattoos being part of the tattoo world. It is, it's place of origin. Tattooing did not start ouit as a political tool,nor a purely decorative one.

It is in it's essence a way of altering the body to represent the inner life's changes. or as in "Right of Passage Rituals" Passage from one age to the next from childhood to adulthood, from death of a loved one,to moving on passed the mourning stage. It has to do with totemic practices where there is a beilieved passage of the spirits of a Slain enemy or a loved ones energy to the bearer. Get a tattoo like UNcle Bill's? well that is totemism in a modern form without the concious idea that you are calling forth Uncle Bill's energy his "power"in you when you wear this mark.

All great religious forms have had rituals inwhich there is blood letting for instance the Roman Catholic Confirmation has a small slap on the face by the Bishop to confirm you into adulthood and commitment to the church-- IN the old practice this would have been a cut to your face producing blood. "killing of the old self to release the new born soul!" It is the death and resurection and so are all tattoos a kin to this idea. So on and so on Tattooing has always been the tool of the Shaman -- a tool in magical service to the "HEALING" process of the individual.

Early Christians Like the "Coptics" when persecuted by the Romans; and I mean sent to the Lions for sport. They had to have a small crucifix tattooed on the inside of their left wrists --this meant they could enter the secret meetings in hidden places -- and could not be Romans. This practice still exists today.

Most pilgrams to the holy lands of the world collect tattoos as proof they were there. In oour culture there are no clear cut rituals so tattooing reaches into the place of our deepest connection with the fears and desires of mankind to his spiritual self. Athiest or no this is a place where we all wonder the deppest thoughts of why we are here? what is purpose? what happens after death? What is love?

Although you may not be aware of its origin --I'd say most all images relate to this process! Prhaps Not specifically but in the act of Doing or collecting a tattoo you are doing and collecting a spiritual amulet a way of saying you are protected you are Human and you are Mortal.

Anyway that's my two cents!

Shotsie

[AbbyRoad]

i dont know if this is the right thread to post this in but here i go.

personally i dont think my tattoos need to have religious or spiritual imagery to be spiritual in nature. for me tattoos are a part of my spiritual and philosophical standpoint. they become part of the Self as well as adornments of the Self.

[MsRad]

Found these religious tattoos during my weekly blog gaze of tattoo shops and tattooers. These tattoo pictures are of work by Jun Cha, Chad Koeplinger, and Ross Nagle. So sick, I can never get enough of religious tattoos!

Ross! Come to the Bay Area asap!

[kylegrey]

Heres my favourite praying hands complete with brass knuckles from Chuey Quintanar

[conor blue eyes]

i gotta say hands down some of the coolest religious flash is from scott sylvia. ive got the "salvation" heart and anchor tattooed on the side of my neck! awesome stuff.

[SweetDaddyPatty]

I'm also an atheist who is intrigued by religious imagery. Here's my tattoo by Matt Wes of St. Denis, who according to legend was beheaded by pagans for preaching the gospel and then carried his disembodied head through town while it continued to speak the good word

and here's one much closer to my actual religious beliefs, Charles Darwin by Mario Desa

[conor blue eyes]

i looked up st denis after i read this. really interesting. cool tattoo to boot!

[Lochlan]

Here are some more religious/spiritual tattoo pictures I found recently:

Freddy Corbin (Temple Tattoo)- Jesus Head with crown of thorns

Derrick Snodgrass (Temple Tattoo)- Jesus with I think character from Pirates of The Caribbean head????

Freddy Corbin (Temple Tattoo)- Chest piece with praying hands, roses, script, banner

Freddy Corbin (Temple Tattoo)- Rosary, check out the cross....so amazing!

Heath Preheim (Temple Tattoo)- Cross with skull & crossbones, roses...something about this tattoo just sits with me really liking it and I can't pinpoint it.?????.

Mike Wilson (Inksmith and Rogers Tattoo)- Skull Guadelupe....the robe she is wearing is radicool. I always enjoy when tattooers put their own spin on the robe of this popular tattoo to make it their own.

Mike Wilson (Inksmith and Rogers Tattoo)- Sacred Heart

[Jake]

All rad tattoos Lochlan. I could be wrong but I think that Snodgrass tattoo is a Cthulhu.

That Mike Wilson piece reminds me of the one below by Scott.

[RoryQ]

Yep, could be a Cthulu-type design .... Guess that's a religious tattoo in a way, albeit a fictional one!

[luca]

All rad tattoos Lochlan. I could be wrong but I think that Snodgrass tattoo is a Cthulhu.

That Mike Wilson piece reminds me of the one below by Scott.

almost exact copy of one i got from scott sylvia as well some years ago @ milan tattoo convention.will post a pic asap

[luca]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2026027369787&set=a.1772530272518.106371.1217120623&type=1&theater

[hogg]

These are huge for Ben Grillo ;)

[Lochlan]

I got sent this jesus crown of thorns by Dusty Neal sent my way.

Plus....I think I may be late to the party but I just discovered Kore Flatmo and his tattoos so here are three recent jaw dropper tattoo designs that got me:

1) this backpiece is just a hurricane of tubularness

2) this mary rib with the roses

3) mary sleeve with roses

[dari]

OMG, that Kore Flatmo backpiece is mindblowing. Thanks for finding these.

[sleevetd]

Thanks for the links, getting tons of ideas for a new tattoo.

[Lochlan]

Looking around the LST tattoo gallery and saw these ones:

Dietzel Dagger and Jesus piece by Dan Santoro, Smith Street Tattoo Parlour in Hrubarb tattoo pictures gallery

Mary no half-shell by Mike Rubendall, Kings Avenue Tattoo in Hrubarb tattoo pictures gallery

Mary tattoo outline in progress in Draltattoos pictures.....do you have a finished picture?

[kylegrey]

No wonder they call Chuey Quintanar -Jesus

[Lochlan]

No wonder they call Chuey Quintanar -Jesus

I love seeing the daily tattoos he post via his twitter account, so impressive! One of my friends in helLA has been getting tattooed by Chuey a bunch lately. Next time I see him I'll try to get some photos of the tattoos Chuey has tattooed on him.