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The Mandala Tattoo - Meaning, Art and Origin

Mandalas - The fine art of symmetry

Tattoos are an expression of an attitude towards life. Definitely, yes! Because for most tattoo friends they are more than just a youthful sin, a thoughtless snapshot or a nice painting on the skin.

Because of their mostly deeper meaning alone, they have long been something special and ideally, their deadline holds until death separates bearer and motive.

Depending on the zeitgeist, there are always different trends in the depictions of popular body art. The variety is endless and is constantly enjoying new ideas. Tribals, portraits or, more recently, mandalas - the creative world of tattoos doesn't stop growing.

Origin

The illustration of mandalas is already several millennia old. Indians and Incas, for example, have already drawn the round patterns on rocks. The mandalas then achieved their fame in the Far Eastern countries, because with Buddhism and Hinduism they were also used as objects of meditation and especially for religious rituals. Their representation and use are still very widespread there. In the Christian religion, too, they were used for church painting, especially in the Middle Ages.

Importance

The word mandala comes from Sanskrit and stands for circle around which everything revolves. Seen figuratively, a mandala is a diagram consisting of different shapes, figures or beings. Everything is concentrated around the center. Starting from this center, an overall picture is built up. The best known is probably the motif of the "flower of life". A total of 19 circles create a complete flower mandala. Because mandalas mostly have a religious meaning, one also speaks of "sacred geometry".

A mandala is mostly round or square. Abstract beings, ornaments, animals or religious and esoteric symbols are then integrated into this respective geometric form, so that in the end a psychological meaning is also created. At first glance, everything is not always immediately recognizable for the astonished observer.

Some components can be found again and again in mandalas and are still widely used now. For example, the circle often stands for the soul or the universe. An incorporated triangle often stands for the union of positive and negative elements. The square usually stands for the four cardinal points and symbolizes strength. Numbers can also be found in mandalas and have a deeper meaning. The number one can stand for God or the human individual, the number eight for balance and harmony, the number five stands for love and the inner center.

Each mandala is filled differently. The use of the eye is very often used and in Buddhism means "god's eye" or "inner self". The wheel, in turn, is a symbol of motivation and vigor, the flower symbolizes grace. However, there are also some flower and blossom tattoos that have other meanings.

For tattoos, flower-like mandalas are often preferred. They impress with their detailed patterns and the beauty of their regularity. Popular parts of the body are the back and spine, on the large area of which the mandala can be cut out very accurately and the evenness of the pattern is particularly evident. Most tattoo lovers get the harmonious images in traditional or neo-traditional style. Only black ink is used for this; coarse black contours and many shades are characteristic of it.

Why a mandala tattoo?

Mandalas are in great demand because they are profound and timeless. If you decide on a mandala tattoo, the spiritual aspect is probably also important. In the meantime, mandalas have long been a popular motif for non-believers and non-religious people. Many tattoo artists have now specialized in stinging mandalas. They are often engraved in dotwork, which means that there is no line drawing, instead one stitches point by point. This type of tattooing requires a high level of concentration, because the symmetry of the mandala does not forgive mistakes. The motif should still be recognizable and legible decades later and in old age, so very good contrasts between the non-tattooed areas of skin and the black lines are absolutely necessary. Experts therefore advise not to work too finely. The blackwork style is often chosen for engraving mandalas. Only black ink is used directly under the skin color and no grayscale is used at all. With demanding parts of the body such as the shoulders and the crook of the arm, you have to work very precisely so as not to get distortions.