Symbolism behind the Ankh Tattoo
Meanings behind the Ankh symbol: Authority, Protection, Power, Unification, Vision, Magic, Mystery, Hidden wisdom, Sacred, Life, Provision, Truth, Growth, Covenant, Divine, Combination , Afterlife, Immortality
At their most basic, ankh tattoos represent life and the abundance available to mankind in living life.
The ankh symbol illustrates the combination of elements to create life.
The loop at the top is symbolic of the sun as it joins the earth's horizon. This union between sun and earth as conveyed in the ankh symbol was profound for the ancient Egyptians where this symbol originated. The sun provided vital growth and abundance. With the combination of the sun and the earth along with her waters all life was promised to prosper.
The ankh is also symbolic of a combination of male and female powers as well as the connection between sun and earth. These associations are sacred as we see the ankh as a symbol of the union between Osiris and Isis, prime deities of the ancient Egyptians.
The ankh symbol is also seen as a key that unlocks the gateways into the realms of mystery and the realms of the dead. The the loop on the top is seen as a portal with the other side of the opening leading to an altered state of being. Many ankhs have been discovered in Egyptian funerary art.
The ankh symbol can also symbolize immortality as Egyptian writing indicates the ankh represents the afterlife. Also the ankh can express the belief that there is no death.
