Tattoos..period, should be thoroughly researched. I often see white people getting shit for having tattoos of other religious figures, religious figures that are not a part of the faith in which the white people were raised. 

Like many things, I certainly believe that a tattoo is more than a picture. It is a pictorial reflection of ones feelings, thoughts, emotions, beliefs, loves, passions, etc.. permanently etched onto ones skin.

Despite my general distaste for white people. I am a Caucasian woman of mixed ethnic heritage. 

I have two tattoos depicting religious symbols and verses. These symbols and verses are not of the religion in which I was raised.

Theyre symbols and verses from the religion and spirituality that lit a fire within me years ago and that fire still burns. 

I am a Caucasian Shaivite. A Hindu. I have a tattoo in Sanskrit of the ‘Asato Ma’ mantra, and an AUM. I am sure there will be more to come. 

Religion, while many times connected to a culture or an integral part of a particular culture..is still religion. A set of beliefs about our supernatural world. These set of beliefs can belong to anyone. People a part of the culture the religion is connected to..or people completely outside of that culture. 

With that said…religious beliefs should be thoroughly researched before anyone decides upon settling with any religion or spiritual practice. There are people who get fleeting tattoos of an AUM symbol, or a pretty lotus, or a God…without it having any meaning and its not MY place to condemn that practice but it IS my place to speak up and say one thing..

I am a Hindu. I was not born in India. I am not Indian. My familial ancestry may go back thousands of years to India due to my Rromani heritage..but that is irrelevant.

I am not appropriating anyones culture with my tattoos. I am putting on my skin an outer reflection of my inner spirituality. One I have had since I was 14 years old. One I will always have. By locking my hair, I am not appropriating anyones culture. I am showing my devotion to Shiva by locking my hair as he did.

By having AUM tattooed on my body, I am reminded of the all encompassing first sound. The first creation. I am reminded of God. I am reminded that I, and all, are manifestations of God.

By having the ‘Asato Ma’ mantra tattooed on my body, I am permanently crying out to God for help to transcend. These things are not reflective of my appropriating another culture…

Theyre reflective of my inner spirituality and my faith. A faith I have put time and tears into. I do not have murti’s of someone elses God….I have murti’s of MY God. My ishta deva. 

So, when we see a person with a particular tattoo, or necklace, or…anything..that may not belong to the religion in which he or she was raised..think twice before chastising. Religion and culture, while often tied to one another…are not inseparable. More often than not theyve each borrowed from one another over vast time periods. But, religion is still the set of beliefs about our supernatural world, creation, Gods, etc. Belief in God is not limited to any particular people. Worship isnt either. No type of worship and no set of beliefs. 

lookatthisfuckinggadje:

golden-zephyr:

caprile:

So the other day we went to the store and bought a sick meal with wine and dessert and a main and a side, all for the delicious price of 10 pounds, and came home and cooked it and watched My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding (I’m freakishly…

I promise you that I am on scary Gypsy youd NEVER want to come face to face with. And its not because I smell either. 

ihavethisblog:

As white-passing people of color, we have our own set of struggles.

We have to hear all the horrible, racist things that our white friends (and sometimes even our not-white friends) say about people of color that they wouldn’t dare say if we were visible poc. And because we …

Yes, yes, yes! It bothers me when white passing PoC do not want to admit their privilege. To society, we are white, and we are treated as a white person which is…a hurt all in itself. But, its true. We have privilege that our non passing PoC brothers and sisters do NOT and its time to start admitting it and doing what we can to open others eyes about the racial hierarchy in this world.

stfuracists:

ontheraggedyedge:

If a white person makes a joke about another race everybody goes fucking crazy and the word racist gets thrown around.

But if any other race makes a joke about white people we don’t give a fuck.

That’s because comedians who are people of color aren’t reinforcing a…

^^^This. Fuck yes.