Juliet Loranger’s Kali tattoo was done by Dave Peavy of Federal Hill Tattoo, Providence RI. Both Juliet and Dave have turned out to be “frequent flyers” on this website, which is one year old now. When this project was just an idea I was trying to bring into reality, I know the earliest models and their tattoo artists had no idea where I was going with this. Still and all, they trusted me somehow and I am so very grateful for that. Juliet, owner of Yoga on Union in New Bedford, MA, expands her school in the summer for classes and events at the Stone Barn Farm in Allen’s Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in Westport, MA. Juliet explains the significance of her Kali tattoo below.

She begins:

This tattoo, like most of my tattoos, is not connected directly to a well thought-out reason of why I should have something on my body to represent something that’s meaningful. But it’s more of a piece of art where I give full trust to the artist to go forward with their work. And develop a relationship with the ink on my body as time passes. Over-planning a tattoo design, placement and meaningfulness has never been my approach or joy in the process.

This piece Maureen has photographed is my most recent, it’s still just an outline. I totally had the image of Kali when I decided, but I wanted to feel what it meant to me once I was in the chair and the burn of the tattoo machine was wedging ink into the layers of my skin. As this was happening, I started to recognize the process as fierce—tattoos hurt like a fucker. I know Kali, fierce as can be, is the divine mother of the universe in the Hindu goddess myths and traditions. But more so, I know of my own mother, her fierce and benevolent ways and inspired tracking through the world as a voice for herself as well as her daughters. I think of my sister, sharp and devoted and wisely funny, ready to ready to fight and willing to cry. I am more than over the moon grateful for their friendships and trusting natures This tattoo goes out to them.