Tattoo symbols / Forget me not (Myosotis)

Updated: Oct 13, 2018

In Greek they are called "μη με λησμόνει", the same in English. Their scientific name "myosotis", derives from Greek, meaning the ear of the mouse, probably because of their petals shape.

They are small and wild and hide a beautiful history and symbolism behind them...

Most famous story has it that a young couple was taking a walk by a river, when the boy tried to reach those small beautiful wild flowers for his girlfriend... he missed his step and fell in the river. While he was drifted away by the current he yelled "forget me not!" to his girl who watched him by the river bank. That is a sad story...

Another German religious story narrates that when God was creating the earth and giving a name to every living thing, He almost forgot this small wild flower. So when He realised it was the last flower He almost forgot to mention, He named it "forget me not" so it shall never be forgotten. Others say it was the flower from Eden that cried while Adam and Eve were leaving...

In Medieval times it was considered a protection from witches and a symbol of good luck.

It's essential oil has very strong spiritual and emotional qualities. It is connected with the sixth and crown chakras and assists in connection, understanding and awareness. It is when we are in an emotional turmoil or going through a loss, or a transition of some sort, that we may feel scared, disconnected, unbalanced. This flower, so small yet so strong, has the power to give us clarity and awareness that nothing is never lost, that we are all connected in so different realms and our mourning is nothing but the disconnection from our deeper and truer selves. This understanding can assist us in grounding the fear and terror we face when a big change finds us powerless.

Forget me not flowers in TATTOOS

Now that you have read about it, you can realise that choosing this flower for your tattoo is never a random choice. You might thing it is, but it is not!

Forget me nots speak of true and unconditional love, about soul mates and remembrance of the deeper truth that people are connected through their hearts, and that can never be lost. Forget me nots remind us to dig deeper and relax in trust that everything has a reason for happening and we are part of something bigger and more significant than us. They are a gift of nature to seekers of the inner truth.

As a design it is not as simple as it looks. It's difficulty is on grasping this simplicity and harmony of the flower. It looks wonderful for a realistic or a watercolour tattoo. In my opinion, it needs a good design that unfolds the beauty of it while keeping it simple and elegant, especially if it is not combined with other flowers in a bouquet.

It is usually positioned on the arms or feet due to it's size. Choosing your left hand will increase your receptivity and understanding, while choosing your right arm will help you share your balance and tranquillity.

Combine it with other wild flowers in order to multiply and conflate many qualities.

My observation is that people love blue tattoos. For me this is a sign of someone who is seeking the truth even if he is not aware of it. Blue always is about the unattainable, the difficult to grasp, the thing that you cannot reach, it is about freedom and vastness. Think about the sky, the ocean, the blue rose, the blue lotus... all these symbols are referring to something sacred and spiritual.

To be honest another true reason is that blue ink looks gorgeous on the skin! It matches with the skin colour giving a very elegant tattoo result.

Many people choose to combine it with monograms or other symbols of true love. Don't forget that this flower symbolizes our connection to someone we love and remember forever. It is about commitment and purity of the heart.