From personal visualizations of subjective realities to warding off evil spirits, tattooing has long held Magical associations throughout a range of cultures across the globe. In the latest encyclopedia entry a short insight into the artworks use for these functions is introduced with Thailand and Sak Yant body/art being perhaps the most well known modern day enactment
 
| ‘Tattooing has long been associated with the magical practices of a number of people. In many traditions, the use of magic words or Magical Symbols is said to have the power to command spirits or to enact change. These symbols can magically take on a physical quality of the phenomenon or object that they represent. Thus by tattooing magical symbols or words onto the body, practitioners hoped to be able to make something occur in life.
 
The practice of tattooing (or writing) magical symbols and words was common in Medieval Europe among occult practioners and lasted through the seventeenth century, when the tattooing of astrological symbols was common. This type of magic was seen as particularly useful because when it’s difficult to get the rare ingredients needed for some magical spells, one can use the symbol of the ingredient or the symbol of the corresponding planet, and mark it on the body. At the same time, European pilgrims were traveling to the Holy Land to pick up Christian tattoos, themselves seen as both souvenirs and magical forms of protection. European sailors, too, practiced magical tattooing, wearing certain tattoos for protection. For instance, a pig on one foot and a rooster on the other acted as a charm that would keep a man from drowning at sea and the words “hold” and “fast” could be tattooed onto the knuckles of the hand to help the seaman to better hold the ship’s riggings. Propellers on the buttocks would also “propel” the wearer to shore. British sailors also hoped that wearing a scene of the crucifixion of Jesus on their backs would either elicit sympathy during a whipping, or perhaps may protect them from undue pain. Coptic Christians often tattooed a cross on their foreheads, as both a sign of devotion and also to protect themselves from evil spirits.
 
Other cultures use tattooing for magical purposes as well. Burmese tattooists create love charms in the form of tattoos made with magical ink, and tattoo parrots on the shoulder for good luck. Tibetans use tattooing for magical and medicinal purposes, tattooing mantras to achieve inner harmony and tattooing acupuncture points with herbal dyes, and Hindus tattoo certain gods onto the body to relieve pain. Perhaps the culture with the best-known tradition of magical tattooing is Thailand…. | full article
 

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