Koi fish, or Carp, are a fixture of Japanese tattooing and play important roles in both Chinese and Japanese myths, legends, fables and stories. In many of those stories, Koi are transformed through their efforts and perseverance, able to climb waterfalls or become dragons. The Koi as a symbol represents perseverance in the face of adversity and strength of character or purpose. The Carp can also represents wisdom, knowledge, longevity, and loyalty.

Koi come in hues of yellow, gold, orange, some even calico-colored. These ‘living jewels’ can live for generations, becoming tame enough to feed from the hands of their keepers. A koi’s age is determined by the rings of its scales. Although the average age for a koi is between 15 – 30 years, one female koi in Japan is reported to have died in 1977 at age 226. A koi’s longevity has come to symbolize perseverance, and its beauty of form and movement has inspired artists and delighted those who watch it respond to music by changing the way it swims.

In Japan and China the koi has long been a symbol of masculinity and strength. Legends tell of it leaping up the falls at Dragon Gate on the Yellow River in China. In the process it transformed into a dragon, proof of its successful struggle against the long odds. If caught, the koi is said to await the cutting knife without a quiver, in the manner of the Samurai warrior facing the sword. In Buddhism, the koi represents fearlessness and courage on its journey through the ocean, a reminder of human suffering through our own life’s journey. A popular fish like the koi has spawned many legends and myths over the centuries. The spread of koi across Asia is attributed to Genghis Khan during the 12th century when he used them as a food source for his troops by introducing them into the lakes along his routes.

The beauty and charm of the koi has made it a popular symbol for the family, especially in Japan where tubular flags designed as koi are raised on Children’s Day — black koi for father, flame red koi for mother, blue and white for boy, and pink and red for girl. On Boys’ Day Festival in Japan, each son in the family is honoured by a koi flag as an inspiration to the young that they might grow strong and resilient like this exceptional fish.

It’s no surprise that koi tattoos are popular where masculinity is valued. In Japan, the koi would appear on a young man’s fore-arm or leg. As he continued his life’s journey he might eventually earn a dragon for his final back piece, echoing the legend of the leaping koi transforming into a dragon at Dragon Gate. Coloring, whiskers, scaling and special marks represent a range of qualities a young man might wish for in his life. For personal greatness and national pride, a white koi with a single red spot on the head would be the chosen design. Freehand custom koi tattoo done in morbid tattoo parlor in cash and carry mall makati.

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the world’s most widely recognized sacred syllable – is the most important symbol in the Hindu Dharma, for it is nothing short of Absolute Reality (Brahman) and embodies the essence of the universe. At birth, a child born into a Hindu family has the OM sign written in honey on its tongue. It appears in every Hindu temple and in the most humble of family shrines. A revered symbol of spiritual perfection and piety, the OM was also incorporated into the Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist religions.

The OM symbol is made up of three Sanskrit syllables – ‘aa’, ‘au’, and ‘ma’. First came the sound and from it everything in creation. Believed to be the source of all manifest existence, the sound of OM is the sound of the infinite. Referred to as prana, or the breath of life, OM pervades all of existence. In meditation, the intonation of the sound creates a vibration in tune with the very oscillation of the cosmos. When intoned correctly, harmony and bliss resonate in the body, reaching the centre of one’s being – the atman or soul.

The sign itself is made up of three curves, one semi-circle and a dot. The three curves represent the states of ordinary human consciousness and all physical phenomena. The large lower curve signifies the ordinary waking self looking outwards – the upper curve signifies deep dreamless sleep – and the middle curve is the middle ground of looking inwards and being enthralled by inner dreams. Between the dot and the three curves lies the semi-circle signifying maya – illusion. The dot itself is the symbol of the highest state of consciousness, unaffected by maya, and in which all sense of separateness falls away.

OM is symbolic of many ‘triads’ including earth-atmosphere-heaven, past-present-future; also, birth-life-death, as well as the elements of fire, sun and wind. It is the symbol of the Hindu holy trinity, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva (Creation, Preservation, and Destruction.)

For the devout Hindu, OM is the sound uttered at the beginning of each day, the start of a journey, and going to work. It is placed at the beginning and end of most Hindu texts as a sacred exclamation to be uttered upon commencing and completing. Prayers and mantras are framed by the same intonation.

The Mandukya Upanishad (Hindu scripture) is entirely devoted to the explanation of the syllable. OM is characterized as the bow, the self as the arrow, while the target is the Absolute (Brahman). From the Mandukya Upanishad: “OM: this eternal word is all; what was, what is and what shall be.” OM is the essence of all mantras and sacred words. Little wonder then that it appears on letterheads, exam papers, on pendants worn around the neck, and as one of the most appropriate spiritual tattoos. done in morbid tattoo parlor in cash and carry mall makati manila.

The Western astrological sign of Sagittarius is part of the tropical zodiac (November 23 – December 21) and the sidereal zodiac (December 16 – January 14). It is associated with the constellation Sagittarius and the classical element Fire, making it a Fire sign. Sagittarius is also one of the Mutable signs (along with Gemini, Virgo and Pisces). Its symbol is the archer. It is ruled by the planet Jupiter. Mercury, however, is in its detriment in the sign.

As a Fire sign, Sagittarius is associated with action, passion, and energy. Those under its influence are said to be idealistic and adventurous, but often deficient in tact. As a Mutable sign, it is also associated with resourcefulness, holism and adaptability.

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