Taken while still healing. Done at Sacred Harp Tattoo in Salem, MA.
This is the Tolkien elvish word “mela”, meaning “passion”.
It has dual meaning to me. I grew up and love Tolkien’s books. My father and I saw every movie together. And I fell in love with the elves.
The second meaning is from my love of Unseelie fairies (irish lore). They have a code that they follow, one of the lines being “Passion before duty.” The tattoo is to remind me to do the things I love first and put my passions first in life.
“Passion before duty: Passion is the truest state of the fae spirit. Follow your instincts and act on your impulses. Live life to the fullest without regard to the consequences, they will come about regardless of what you do. Youth passes quickly, so have fun while you can. Death can come at any time, so live without regret.”
(Source: fuckyeahtattoos)
