Martyr's Heart

Y

The Martyr's Heart is a Heart that Never Forgets

Another fascinating tattoo, this image shows the crucifix coming through the heart as a stake! The thorns of the heart are suspended as a kind of "halo" around the puncture wound. Here, our hard lessons of pain become our crowning glory, the things that shape and define us if we so choose. Yes, then it is possible to become a bleeding heart in life... For we must otherwise make the commitment to let the past die.

The type of soul who would be attracted to this design has had many lifetimes of being martyred, perhaps even innate memories of being suspended next to Jesus, or being with Jesus during His hours on the cross at Calvary. Perhaps this person's consciousness is blocked, missing the true redemption of Christ's Resurrection.



This personality must be careful not to inflict his or her victim attitude into the environment, for it becomes an endless circle (the thorns) of futility.

Y

I'll Never Let You Forget

Perhaps
if you loved me a little more
we wouldn't be
in this predicament.
After all I have sacrificed -
all I have done
for you.
And what good is it?
When you are a repeat offender
coming back time and again
only to use
and take advantage of
my kindness?
My back aches
and my wrists don't work,
my feet are locked and won't move...
But I will try
to help you, anyway.
I'll never let you forget
me.

I should learn to say no,
but you would go
out of your way
to haunt me,
pester me with your pleading
'til I am nothing more
than a bleeding
mess.
Even still?
I'll take you back.

It feels good
to reduce to you a beggar.

It feels good
to make myself feel better
by keeping you dependent...

Coaxing, prompting
enticing you to be anything
but brave.

I'll never let you forget me...

For I Am the Master here!
And you, my naive one,
(so naive)!
Are my slave.

Y

All-Consuming Heart

Y

Here is another interesting tattoo I found on the web... As I began to photoshop the image, I found myself contemplating the spiritual meaning behind the idea of an All-Consuming Heart. I think of this as an All-Consuming Heart, because it is simply taking too much energy into itself. So at a very basic level, it is burning itself out, from the inside out.


Here in the first sample, the heart is showing some health and vibrancy in it's color, however it is evident the heart is trying as best as it can to manage various levels of stress.

Again, in some alternative forms of healing, we look at what is going on with the "chi", or the energetic of the heart. As you can see, it is a little blocked at the top where the flames of power are barely able to keep the blood-flow going; it's wings are spread, but barely uplifted or moving.

Y

Now, with a little change in colorization (which looks more like the original tattoo design) you can witness the degenerate aspects of a heart under a lot of stress. For one thing, the thorns around the heart become more prominent, making the design look tighter, more squeezed. The blood-flow, the chi, are becoming blocked to where there is not enough blood circulating through the heart, and it's wings have become heavy. (Of course, this is all symbolism.) It is an interesting metaphor for what we can do to our hearts with different levels of stress.

Heart-stress can come, for example, by just trying to manage stress. Some people will use caffeine as a quick-resort to making a shift in the energy there. Caffeine actually has the effect of tightening the chi-flow even more. This not only begins to create a shut-down in the heart, it also affects the integrity of the muscles around the heart... To the extent that a person begins to pressure down on their own bodies, physically, with their arms and shoulders, to try and get some feeling of control. This is dangerous. It can result in things like a locked-up neck and jaw, and also paralysis, if not tended to.

Y

Y

The best thing for a heart in this condition is... Surround yourself with positive people. Begin the process of clearing the negative junk out of your environment... Including bad relationships; people and situations that seem to hold you back; old clutter, things that keep you locked to the past.

Check out your environment for any possible thing that might be causing allergies. If it's your cat, find your cat a new home. Maybe it's time quit that job? If your boss is a big old bitch, go work at MacDonald's. Find another major in college. Change to a better adviser. See if you can get help at home with the children. Say "no" to your adult children who are just using you for money. Insist they move out.

Start asking God about how to release your guilt. Seek professional help around how to get free of your guilt.

Think about a total change of lifestyle. Start cutting back on the over-load by getting lots of sleep, lots of rest, and lots of fresh air. This heart is screaming for some real attention!

Choose to stop participating in things you don't enjoy.

Choose to let people know you refuse to participate in any conversations that invade your privacy or process.

Get clear.

Y

God, help me to become more aware of when I am over-tasking myself.
Give me the courage to let go, and let You take over!
I trust You to help me be a good steward of my own heart, Jesus. Amen.


Y

Lady's Heart

The Lady's Heart loves to get all-up in your business. (That's what the birds are for.) That's why she's a little hardened, and maybe, if she's learned some lessons she will also know when to knock-it off, back-off and relax.

We ladies love to embellish ourselves with all sorts of decorations to make ourselves look softer, more approachable and touchable... But deep inside, there's a lot of pain there! Many of us take it right to our graves.

Y



Dear Lord, help the women of the world to let go
of the things that steal our energy,
are a waste of time, and feel like dead-ends.
Help us women in the world feel more confident
about stepping out of traditional roles
like being mothers, grandmothers...
Nurses, secretaries and baby-sitters.
Sure, these roles are important,
but so are we, individually.


Y


We have a lot more to give,
starting with giving to ourselves.
Help us to drop our expectations of others
so we can see them for who they truly are.
Help us to follow our true interests,
educations and passions,
so we can be more effective on the planet,
and in the lives of other beings.

Help us to clearly know we have choices, God.


Y


Help us to understand
we don't have to be reacting,
help us to find our timing
so we are better
at responding.
Help us to keep our egos
from getting all-up-into-it, God!
Help us to keep ourselves
from jerking people around.
Our hearts need more resilience, Jesus,
by being good stewards of our energy,
our value-judgments
and attitudes towards others.
We like to say we are patient, even good to others,
but our egos and our money
are all-up-into-it, God.

Help this heart, our real hearts;
it's about what's going on
inside,
not outside, of who
we are that matters.


Y


Dear Jesus, protect us from those who would blame
and accuse us, undermine and not communicate with us or defend us.
Help us to forgive Those
Who Screw Us Over,
that we don't end up walking around poisoned.
Teach us, Jesus,
Show them to us, let us know who they are so
we can turn the other way.
Help us to stop enabling, and excusing the ignorance in this home,
on this planet;
keep us from feeling personally responsible, God,
for those who misuse and abuse;
they have choices, too.
Let me simply be a light in their lives.
Lord God,
that's all I ask.



Y