June de Castro's Tattoos

These are the tattoos that my character June de Castro from SWORD has. Each is a Tagalog word with special significance to June, written in baybayin, the ancient Filipino writing system. The method of spelling that I have used, however, is not completely accurate to the traditional style, and instead conforms to modifications made during the early years of Spanish colonization. They are also tattooed on specific parts of her body:

Tiwala and Hiwaga = Wrists, the former on the right, the latter on the left
Reason for location: Essentially, these two ought to go together, hand-in-hand, especially for a priestess like June. She must have faith in the mysteries and enigmas that surround her practice, because it is only through faith that she will accomplish what needs to be done.

Babaylan and Lakambini = Shoulderblades, the former on her left, the latter on her right
Reason for location: These are titles, and all titles are burdens that must be borne by those who possess them. Each title carries with it its own expectations: expectations that June must learn to bear and carry with her throughout her life. She bears the title "Princess" because, somewhere in her mother's family tree, she is descended of royalty.

Kamalayan and Karunungan = Upper arms, the former on her right, the latter on her left
Reason for location: These are tied in to the tattoos on her wrists, as well as to each other. One cannot have faith unless one possesses awareness of oneself and of one's surroundings. Knowledge and wisdom, in their turn, are the paths to understanding the mysteries of the world. Awareness is knowledge, and is also wisdom. These four virtues, as it were, are essential to being a babaylan.

Awa = Just above her left breast
Reason for location: For someone who has the talents that June has, it's easy to go astray. Hence, she must remind herself, always, that no matter how powerful she might be, she must always carry mercy in her heart. It acts as a counterbalance to the tattoo on her back, which stands for the power she has.

Kapangyarihan = Vertically down her spine
Reason for location: Power is strengthening, but it isn't simply in one's arm, or in one's brain. It is something that must be a part of every particle of one's being, strengthening oneself for any inevitability. A stiff spine must also temper the vagaries of the heart, hence this tattoo acts as the counterbalance to the tattoo on her chest.



Credits to Nordenx for creating the Baybayin Modern font that I used here.