Tattoo Symbols / Wave
Updated: Oct 23, 2022
When we articulate the word "wave" I think we're automatically connected to the water element. Generally speaking, the wave as a concept is related to energy transfer of all forms.
The word’s origin in greek language (“cyma”=wave) comes from the ancient verb "cyo" which means inflating... not at all by chance the word "pregnancy" in Greek comes from the same root!
In Arts the symbol has an immediate correlation with Japanese art and specifically with the famous “Great Wave” or «The Great Wave off Kanagawa» of my favourite Katsushika Hokusai.
The ukiyo-e woodblock print, symbolizes among other things, disaster, change, power and our fragility against Mother Nature! The power of this wave is so strong that we almost fail to see the Mount Fuji in the back, confusing it to a small wave passing by...
When the wave comes, it cleans the landscape, it carries away whatever blocks it’s way… in a sense it is a symbol of catharsis from anything we no longer need. It is about transition, trust to the flow, and let go.
Water is always related to change and emotion. Often the reference to the sea or the ocean (in poetry, literature, art, mythology) symbolizes life itself, the unpredictable but inevitable part of change and continuity in the journey. For this reason, it is also directly related to the feeling of fear. Something as big, natural and uncontrollable as the sea hides the unknown but also dangers, hides the greatness of magic and death