The “Taijitu” or more familiar “Yin Yang” symbol is a highly recognizable Chinese image from the I Ching or “The Book of Changes. ” It has been used for centuries to reflect the perpetual state of movement and universal balance between the light and the dark.
Tattoo enthusiasts use the symbol to express a personal experience with this tenuous balance or to explore the circle of life in a more individualized way. With the gentle S curves and smaller inner circles to symbolize the interconnectivity of the elements, the Yin Yang symbol gives creative tattooist thousands of ways to express your vision.
A fish motif works beautifully in the Yin Yang mandala form. Curving and colorful Koi fish can create the traditional adjoined S shapes and can be created in opposite colors. The eye area of the fish can serve as the inner circle and be decorated in the opposite fishes color. A colorful rendition such as this would look beautiful at the small of a back or just below the back of the neck.
As the Yin Yang symbol represents duality and interconnectedness, it is a perfect format for an expression of natural or organic elements. For example a moon and sun motif can be designed in the traditional circle to illustrate the passage of time or a fire and water design may be used to reflect a powerful relationship.
Animal images can illustrate the circle of life or duality of nature. For example, a rabbit on one side and a lion on the other could represent the gentle and brave character of the wearer.
A bare tree could represent winter on one side while summer may be represented with the segment filled with a green leaf pattern. The winter/ summer theme may represent the passage of time or an aspect of the struggle between life and death.
A Yin Yang pattern is the perfect space to explore good versus evil imagery. Ask your tattoo artist to draw up a design that incorporates elements like fire and horns on one side in reds and white feathers and a halo on the other. The small circle in the original Yin Yang design should use the opposite sides colors and textural details to make a statement about how there may be a little evil and a little good in all of us.
The ever-moving curves of the Yin Yang symbol can serve as a very interesting reflection of the circle of life. Perfect for someone to memorialize a loved one’s death and a new birth, the Yin Yang format can provide a tattoo artist a unique forum for birth and death symbols.
Consider the use of realistic hands on each side, one young and the other aged, or the shape of a fetus versus a skeleton for a more dramatic tattoo.
Many people choose to use the traditional Yin Yang symbol in its original black and white form for a tattoo but personalize it by “wrapping” the circle with an additional element. For example, a Yin Yang may be surrounded by colorful waves of water, flames or even flower petals. An animal totem can also be added and draped over the top of the Yin Yang as well to reflect the inner spirit of the client. For example, a lion draped over the Yin Yang may represent the strength and bravery of the individual while a snake may portray a more menacing nature.
Source: ehow.com
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