Swimming upstream much of its life and taking on currents that for all intents and purposes appear stronger than itself, the salmon is a powerful symbol of strength, endurance, and divine feasting.
Born in fresh water but braving the ocean until ready to return and breed, the salmon represents the journey we all must embark upon before realizing our place in the world.
Many may look upon your salmon tattoo, lick their lips with a “yum!” and go about their business, assuming you have no deeper connection to the animal or emblem. Ah, but how wrong they are. Like the salmon, you’ve no doubt risked innumerable perils to get to where you are today, and have likely taken the long way home. In danger of over-farming now, the mighty salmon is a one-of-a-kind entity threatened with extinction thanks to demand and forced repopulation, and perhaps this too carries a poignant double meaning in your life.
Do you feel like you’re being pulled in many different directions, by individuals with conflicting needs and values? Is it time to break free and pursue your own route, unburdened at last of the overwhelming influence of others? Whether your salmon fandom is borne or spiritual or culinary interest, your tattoo tells a story that can’t be so easily summed up.
In black and white or multi-layered color, realistically rendered or highly stylized, these salmon tattoo ideas are more than just an ink homage, but companions and reminders to stay the course–more precisely, the one of your choosing. No matter how threatening the waters, you know what it takes to venture afar and brave whatever fate has planned.
And oh, how sweet it is to return to those waters of your origin when the perils have been overcome.
