Mehendi is the most ancient technique of temporary tattoos applying with the help of henna. It came to us from the East and nowadays it became very popular. It can be used for a wide range of patterns on the body, both purely decorative as well as having deep meaning. More often Mehendi Dreamcatcher is chosen by creative people, extraordinary people who believe in magic and mysticism, in the existence of good and evil spirits. Applying such an image on the body, a person gains confidence and receives protection from negative energy.
How did the dream catcher tattoo appear?
It is unknown when, where and who first made a tattoo depicting a dream catcher. However, there is information about how the symbol itself came to be. The dreamcatcher belongs to Native American culture.
The literal translation of its name means an inanimate form of the word "spider". There are several legends about the origin of the trappers, but in all the main character is a spider or spiderwoman. They teach people to weave the amulet.
According to one legend, an elder of the Lakota people climbed a mountain. There he had a vision in which an ancient sage appeared to him in the form of a spider. While they were talking, the preceptor took a willow branch, bent it in a ring and began to weave a web.
Sage explained that this amulet symbolizes human life: it is cyclical and can go different ways. The spider handed the amulet to the elder with the words that the web will hold bad thoughts and not let the man to go off the right road.
Another legend tells the story of the Spider-Grandmother. She took care of all her children, the Ojibwe clans. They all lived together on Turtle Island. The spiderwoman weaved catchers that protected the babies from nightmares.
Bad dreams would become entangled in the web, and good ones would reach the baby through the hole in the middle. Later, the Ojibwe clans left Turtle Island and dispersed to all sides of the world. It became difficult for the spiderwoman to travel, so she taught all the women to weave their own magic nets.
What the body art tells us
Thanks to our ancestors and historians, nowadays we can hear about numerous amazing legends. Among them found a place for the story of the catcher who guards our sleep. There are many interpretations about the appearance of this talisman, but almost all of them have the same ending. In one of them, it is told about the period when the civilization just began to appear on our beautiful planet. One respected elder had a vision - the spirit of a great shaman, reincarnated as a spider, revealed the secret of prosperity. In his dream, the elder saw that he was carrying a hoop made of willow, with feathers tied on the ends. Brought to the spider, which covered the middle of the circle with cobwebs. After the shaman told that his weaving is the cycles of human life, everyone has his own destiny, but we all face different forces - evil and good. Therefore, it is very important to be able to distinguish where one side is and where the other is. Thanks to the talisman, evil and troubles will leave through the holes, and the power of good, good thoughts and good luck will accompany until the end of life's journey.
Meaning of the tattoo
To understand what a tattoo means, first you need to get to know its owner closer. The image is always endowed with mystical meaning, but its character is laid by the owner of the tattoo.
For general purposes, the catcher is used for:
- Improving the quality of sleep. The amulet delays bad dreams, so a person does not wake up in the middle of the night from nightmares.
- Self-development. The talisman drives away negative attitudes and thoughts, relieves a person from temptations.
- Gaining additional energy. It is believed that the amulet is able to carry cosmic vibrations from the universe and transmit them to their owner. From them, the owner of the tattoo draws strength.
- Prevent the development of diseases. Thanks to protection from negative energy, a person rarely suffers from pathologies.
For guys
Guys see the trapper as a talisman. He protects against negative thoughts and bad dreams. The meaning is not much different from the one put in the amulet by the Indians.
Thanks to the catcher, a man can sleep peacefully and soundly. For men, details have an additional meaning. Feathers are most often performed in black and white or other calm colors, the sketch is supplemented with images of animals. For example, the wolf in the drawing can symbolize the love of solitude, loyalty, fearlessness, determination, etc.
Obereg-tattoo for the stronger half.
For girls.
For girls, the catcher has the same meaning. It acts as a protector from negativity. The amulet protects the mistress from dark forces and ill-wishers.
It helps to take the path of self-development, accelerates the recovery of internal forces, and prevents exhaustion. In sketches for women feathers are often bright.
They are associated with breath and air - something without which life is impossible. Girls often supplement their tattoos with plants, flowers, birds, etc. Such elements can give additional meaning to the drawing.
Gentle tattoos for girls.
Are there specific meanings
A person who put a tattoo in the form of a catcher on the skin, may be fond of spiritual or esoteric practices, study ancient cultures, actively engage in self-development. Among subcultures and in places of imprisonment, the drawing does not have any special meaning, so you can put it on without fear.
A suitable place for a tattoo and who is it suitable for?
If the main purpose is to improve sleep and protection from negativity, the dream catcher is better placed near the head: on the forearm, shoulder blade, chest, on the hand closer to the wrist. Tattoos on the leg - shin, foot or thigh are less effective, but such an arrangement is acceptable. When choosing a place should be guided by personal feelings and intuition.
The symbol is suitable for everyone, regardless of religion and character. Dreamcatcher means exclusively positive impact on a person and does not give any side effects. But first it is recommended to apply the image with henna, to make sure that the sign will not bring any harm. If after mehendi there is weakness, malaise or other negative symptoms, then the drawing is not suitable.
Location of the dream catcher tattoo: photo
Possible locations of the tattoo with a dream catcher are shown in the photo below.
On the hands and arms
Images of the catcher most often nabbed on the hand. The classic variant involves fixing the feathers on the main part of the mascot. Because of this, the tattoo becomes oblong.
There is enough space on the hands to place all parts of the image. Closer to the forearm, large detailed pictures are placed. On the wrist leave simplified images.
Dreamcatcher on the arm.
On the back or belly
On the back or abdomen do large tattoos with additional details. Most often the image of the catcher in these cases is combined with other images: with a dragon, wolf, owl, tiger, etc. There is enough space to apply and feathers, and the main part of the amulet, and the animal.
The Dreamcatcher tattoo with feathers is depicted on the back.
On the hips and ankles
Tattoos on the hips and ankles are most often done by girls. The image on the leg is easy to hide or, conversely, to show everyone if desired, so it is a convenient place.
Voluminous amulets look good on the sides. The skillful craftsman will be able to hide the flaws of the figure and skin with the help of the figure. There is also enough room for addition in the form of feathers.
Black and white and colored images on the hip.
On the neck
The neck is among the most painful places for tattooing, so it is rarely chosen. This is especially true of the throat area. The image of a trapper looks good on the back.
Feathers can fall down on the area between the shoulder blades. The picture will not be difficult to hide under long hair, which is important for people whose profession requires compliance with the dress code.
The dream catcher tattoo on the neck looks spectacular.
On the ribs
On the ribs are applied large paintings. This is a good place for those who want to hide the tattoo from others. There is enough space to place additional details, feathers, etc. However, due to the close location of the bones, the pigment insertion procedure will be painful.
On the ribs there is a lot of space for the image of a three-dimensional picture.
Materials for mehendi
If there is a desire to learn how to draw mehendi itself, nothing is impossible. There are some subtleties and nuances in this case.
You can make a mehendi tattoo yourself
You will need the following materials:
1. Mehendi Paint. 2. Lemon juice as a solvent. 3. Essential oil (eucalyptus oil, lavender oil, etc.). 4. Glass or plastic utensils. 5. Several glass or plastic spoons. 6. Paint tool (cone, brush, syringe, etc.). 7. A special stencil or a water marker.
Materials for mehendi are very accessible
Lemon juice can be pure or diluted. For mehendi, you need a special henna, which you can buy in online stores. You can also find it in the Oriental or cosmetics departments. Henna for hair is not suitable.
Preparing the skin
Drawing should be applied only on the prepared skin. To do this, you should follow a few rules: 1. The day before the tattoo should refuse prolonged exposure to sunlight and tanning in a tanning bed. 2. You should check whether you are allergic to the paint. To do this, you need to apply a small amount of henna on the thin skin near the elbow and wait to see if there will be a reaction. 3. The area where the tattoo is located should be cleaned with a scrub. After that, rinse the area thoroughly with soap and water. Another option: wipe with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol. Then the pattern will turn out neat. 4. You can cover the same area of the body with henna no more than once every two months. 5. For beginners it is better to choose a stencil or a simplified drawing. Further it is possible to complicate the tattoos. If it is decided to make your own pattern, first it should be sketched on paper, then drawn on the body with a soft pencil. Once the paint dries, this draft can be erased.
Tattooing step by step
Below is a step by step description of the procedure for applying mehendi to the body. It will help you better understand exactly how to draw such patterns.
Once you've learned how to draw simple patterns, you can move on to more complicated ones.
1. The tattoo area should be cleaned and rubbed with prepared essential oil. This is done so that the henna penetrated into the skin as deeply as possible, which will make the color of the ornament as saturated as possible. 2. Using a brush, cone or other similar tool, it is necessary to apply the pattern to the chosen place. Unsuccessful lines should be immediately erased with a cotton swab. Press out the paint at least two to three millimeters thick. When using a stencil, it should be well attached to the skin, and then all its holes should be filled with paint. When the ornament dries, the film is removed. 3. Having finished mehendi, it is necessary to wait for its full drying (from one to twelve hours). The longer the henna is on the body, the clearer the picture will be. To prevent the ornament from rubbing off, it can be covered with a film. But it will be better if you put it under the sun and periodically spray a special composition on it. To prepare it, dissolve one tablespoon of sugar in two tablespoons of lemon juice. 4. After the complete drying of the pattern, you need to take a knife and with its blunt side remove the remains of the henna from the skin. After that, the place of the pattern is wiped with lemon juice, and cosmetic oil is applied over it. Rinse the place of the pattern only after four hours.
Creating mehendi is not as complicated as it may seem at first. A stencil will be a great help in learning.
To make it easier to apply the tattoo, it is worth drawing a sketch
Popular combinations with the dream catcher
Most often the image of the dream catcher is complemented by details in the form of animals. This gives additional meaning to the tattoo. Polar owls, wolves, foxes, lions, etc. are popular. Feathers are present in most sketches, they are removed only when there is a severe lack of space. For example, when applying a trapper to the finger of the hand.
With the polar owl.
The owl represents the ability to clairvoyance and wisdom. The owner of this tattoo will often come true dreams, his intuition will be exacerbated.
It becomes easier to see the hidden in people and events. The person will less often become a victim of fraud.
Owl bestows the wearer moderate optimism and teaches to separate the important from the fleeting. An owl with an owl symbolizes protection against evil spirits. The owl enhances the effect of the amulet.
Tattoo with an owl and a dream catcher for protection against evil spirits.
With the wolf
The wolf is associated with pride and solitude, but at the same time it is a pack animal. Similarly, the tattoo characterizes its owner: such tattoos are applied to the skin of introverted people, who hardly allow themselves to others, but are ready to do much for the sake of loved ones.
Depending on the pose and details of the image, the animal may indicate aggression of the wearer. When combined with a trapper, the beast begins to protect the wearer from any negativity from the outside, primarily - coming from other people.
Tattoo with a wolf for brave people.
With a red or black fox
The fox symbolizes a sharp mind and cunning. Most often such tattoos do women. This indicates their ambiguous character. Together with a fox trapper, the fox takes on the meaning of a talisman. In the first place, it protects the owner from evil otherworldly spirits, magical influence and energy vampires.
A cunning fox for the fortunate.
With a lion
The lion is a noble and strong animal. It symbolizes pride, determination, fearlessness, and steadfastness. It is often applied to the skin of overbearing people or those who occupy a high position in society. Sometimes the trapper is complemented by a lioness of women. In their case, the animal symbolizes love for family and willingness to protect loved ones.
The lion tattoo is for ambitious individuals.
With bird feathers
Bird feathers are a classic tattoo element. They symbolize the airiness, ephemerality. Women most often choose bright colored details, can combine the image with peacock eyes. In this case, the element will enhance the esoteric meaning of the tattoo, surrounding the owner with an aura of mystery.
Men prefer the eagle feathers. They emphasize the strength of the wearer, the desire for freedom.
Sketches and photos of ready-made tattoos
With the desired sketch it is better to determine before the hike in the tattoo salon. In this case you will not have to waste time on the spot, the master will not have to hurry. In image libraries there are more options than in catalogs. You can see examples of tattoos below.
Sketches for future tattoos.
Different execution of tattoos.
Examples of dream catcher tattoos.
