I was on a plane recently, waiting in line to use the restroom, when one of the flight attendants saw my tattoos and asked “What do those mean?” Before I could answer, the older flight attendant who was sitting around the corner said “he is protecting himself.” I think she is right. Honestly, I get confused a lot about what I believe. These marks on my skin are reminders I use to remember what I stand for. I call them the Alphabet of Everything.
If you would like to know what they mean to me I have explained below. The whole series of symbols began with this one:
I drew this symbol from the shape of a machine I built to make sound visible; the study of cymatics. That is really another story but the essence of what the symbol has become to mean to me is “a quest for the unknown and the desire to make those findings tangible”. Simply said, it is a symbol for an epiphany that can be shared.
From there I created the others starting with a right side up base to the bottom triangle that I am using to symbolize “body”.
The upside down version of that is “mind”.
When they are stacked on top of each other they form a new shape that is “soul”.
The space around the soul shape connected is called “spirit”.
The square stands for “creation”.
And lastly, the circle to me is a symbol that means “everything” on the inside and “nothing” on the outside. I also like the idea that the circle stands for “love.”
When the symbols are on my hands, I feel they are also given new meaning. I see the left hand with the triangle pointed in as a receiver of the outside world and the right hand with the triangle pointed out as a giver. This creates a circuit of give and take.
From there every symbol mixes with every other. Continuing with the secondary, tertiary, and infinite other compound combinations to create more complicated ideas.
I have started to sort out how combinations of ideas form other ideas in this symbol language and see it as a work in progress. A game of thought.
It is real fun for me when people express other meanings that these basic symbols have to them. Whether it makes them think of the Norse Runes, or alchemical symbols, or something personal. Please, let me know what they make you think of and let’s chat about the meanings between the lines.
Much Love,
Chris Dock