#fedicoven — Public Fediverse posts

So I'm thinking about tattoo ideas on account of my 40th birthday coming up. I really really want my first tattoo for my 40th birthday.

I almost definitely want the tattoo related to my spirituality, my witchcraft and my Slavic heritage.

So obviously I looked for symbols representing Mara/Marzanna/Morena, the goddess I feel the most kinship towards.

And it came up with this cross symbol.

But, obviously there are Pagan religious symbols, including Eastern European ones, that have been coopted by fascists. The most famous is obviously the swastika, but there are very much others.

And I am not putting a symbol on my skin that is even loosely associated with people who claim to be "rodzimowiercy" (Polish for neopagans borrowing from Slavic mythology, basically) but who are just fascists.

So I kept looking. And wouldn't you know it. The cross is part of the symbol of the Latvian fascists, because of course it is.

Latvians aren't even Slavs!

Are there any symbols left that aren't dragged through shit by fascists? Sigh.

#neopagan #fedicoven

Setting aside my depression and self loathing for a second to try and think of less self destructive things.

I am so drawn to the imagery of birches and magpies.

Why does it matter?

My 40th birthday is coming up and I still hope to somehow be able to get a tattoo. I've even finally settled on a tattoo artist I like, which took me a while.

And I want the tattoo to reflect my spirituality and path I'm taking into witchcraft. I want it to be intensely personal, meaningfully symbolic and like... real.

Incidentally, I've heard a lot of people say they were like that with their first tattoo and then they've mellowed out and just started putting pretty pictures that they like on their skin.

But I don't feel it's gonna be me. And I low key resent the frequent implication that this desire to have a meaningful tattoo is kind of a phase. I don't think I want tattoos for the sake of having tattoos. Or ever will.

But, I digress.

I want my first tattoo to be very "me", to reflect what kind of woman and what kind of witch I aspire to be (honestly, those two things are so intertwined they might as well be the same thing). And I definitely have *some* ideas, like getting tattoos of three supernatural women that I find meaningful, that being the goddesses Marzanna and Dziewanna and the mermaid of Warsaw.

But those are not first tattoo ideas, I don't think.

So I keep looking for things that feel right, that reflect me and my magic. Especially plant motifs, because my magic is very closely connected to forests and plants. Plus, I want to honour a former headmate of mine who basically thought of itself as a plant spirit. It's a whole thing.

So I looked up many trees and herbs and what-have-you and their significance in Slavic mythology and religion and magical practice and folklore and medicine. Same with animals, to a lesser extent.

But my mind keeps going to magpies and birches. They feel right.

But the symbolism isn't there. The only meaning that somewhat fits me is magpies' affinity to shiny and beautiful things (I've actually described myself as a magpie in this context, many many times), and the general connotations of femininity for birches.

But it seems so tenuous? It's not strong symbolically.

I know I could just say I like the imagery of magpies and birches for aesthetic reasons. Which I do. They're pretty!

But I have this desire for meaning. A tattoo feels like a big deal. And I've wanted my prospective tattoos to be spiritually important for years. Really.

On the other hand... maybe this draw IS an indication that there's a spiritual pull I'm feeling. Maybe birches ARE my plants and magpies ARE my birds, spiritually.

I just don't know.

Yes, I'm a massive overthinker, sue me xD

Thoughts and comments and Boosts welcome. Maybe I need an outside perspective.

#fedicoven #plantstodon #tattoo #neopagan #witchcraft

My prayers have been listened to. It's hard to tell because they're a tangled mess and who knows which branch belongs to which root, but by my count six out of seven birches planted on my balcony are now sprouting living leaves.

Praise Marzanna, who listened to my plea to let them be. Praise Mokosz who graced them with fresh growth.

And gods aside, I'm happy my own work has paid off as well. As well as my wife's work when I was away.

I am thinking how to properly honour the Goddesses for their gift.

#gardening #plantstodon #neopagan #fedicoven