I have wanted to get a tattoo using some of my sister's ashes, for quiet a while now. That way I get to carry her with me, I know that I do in other ways as well, but this is something I really wanted to do. I researched a little and discovered that ashes were used traditionally for tattoo's and that one way to do so, is to mix the ashes with vodka and blend for one hour.
I really liked this idea, but I do not have enough energy or a strong enough blender to do it this way. So in the end I mixed some of her ashes with non toxic, vegan ink, that a really good friend of mine had. A friend that I wanted to do the tattoo for me, she is like family to me and I knew that I wanted it to happened in my home, and to be done by someone who I trusted.
Yesterday she came round to visit me and we spoke about designs, I wanted to do one of the Ogham, the Duir or Oak symbol, as this is my sister's birth tree.
The Ogham is an ancient Irish alphabet, whose letters/ symbols represent a tree or plant as well. Each tree and plant, also have so many wonderful properties and characteristics. All which you can tune into by working with this ancient alphabet.
After I spoke with my friend I decided to also include my Ogham, Alder and my younger Sister's Holly in the tattoo. And so it was that just after 10p.m last night,I found myself opening my sisters ashes and pouring some out. I was surprised how gritty they were and became a little emotional when I had to break them down into smoother pieces, so that they could be mixed in, with my friends ink.
Then I had to choose the needle she would use, a needle she used by hand. I chose one that had 4 points on it, after deciding that I wanted the tattoo on the side of my right thumb. I really wanted it to be somewhere that I could see it.
Even though this is something I knew I wanted to do, it was still quite an unusual feeling, to watch her ashes being stirred in and then watching them be inked upon my skin. But it also felt right!
From the bottom up is oak for Sinead, Alder for me and on the top is Holly for my younger sister.
It was painful though at times, with so many nerve endings on our fingers, it did make me a little vocal. But in between that, I spoke about my sisters, our relationship and how it changed down through the years.
In all, it took just over an hour, as my friend went over the tattoo 3 times. It is quite black at the moment and my daughters reckon it just looks like marker, but it is not.
As anyone who has gotten a tattoo knows, it will fade in a few days, along with the ink that has stained my hand a little. For now I just keep it moisturized with coconut oil, which is also antibacterial.
I found myself rubbing the tattoo a lot today and it brought me a lot of comfort. I really wanted to honour my sister, to keep honouring her by talking about her and celebrating her and this is just another way that I have done that.
I feel blessed that my friend could just come and do it for me at home and that my girls were there to see it happen. It's so important to me that they see the importance of celebrating life, even when that person has left their physical body.
