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My tattoo was done in three parts - the main apple, which was alone for a couple of years, a flower ring which was uncolored for a few months, and the coloring. It is the golden apple of Eris.

Eris is the goddess of chaos in ancient Greek mythology. The story goes something like this: the gods had a party and didn't invite her, she got pissed, and she crashed it -- bearing a golden apple with the inscription kallisti: to the fairest one (literally: beautiful). The goddesses of the greek Pantheon being who they are, they started fighting over the apple, all believing themselves to be the fairest. Eventually, they selected a young mortal, Paris, and asked him to choose who the apple went to, and beguiled him with bribes. Hera offered him power. Athena offered him military might. And Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful woman in the world...

...Boys being boys, Paris chose Aphrodite's bribe. and she presented him with a fair lass name of Helen, hailing from Troy. Sound familiar? this started that whole ruckus known as the Trojan War.

I chose to get this tattooed on for a number of reasons. First, I am a Discordian. I bleed chaos. I see chaos everywhere, and chaos happens when I'm around. It's a mysterious force, and when one'd least like it, Eris rears her beautiful head. I also have a high admiration for the philosophical significance of this myth. I believe that whatever your religious belief, chaos is a dominant force in anyone's life and the only way to live peacefully with chaos is to accept it as a force in your life, recognizing that change requires upheaval and disorder, and that it's necessary. Can't fight it? Join it. And thirdly, I love how modern society has transformed the myth to reflect itself. I could go on for hours deconstructing this whole business but it's really quite cool how the myth has undergone an utter transformation in these postmodern times, going from an olden Greek myth warning of the folly of chaos, vanity, and general stupidity, to an all-inclusive pastiche religious movement. Eris never dies...she just evolves. ;)

Now I just need to get reason tattooed on my other arm...I'm thinking of getting hemlock, to symbolize philosophical conflict. (Hemlock is what Athens poisoned Socrates with). It's kind of a homely plant though. :( I'm a sucker for symmetry so you guys can expect to see another shoot of another tattoo someday...just as soon as i come up with a design. :)

Plus, my tattoo artist is a hot feminist babe and i'll take any opportunity to be under her needle again. heheheheh. She also told me not to be shy about getting all sexy with her next time ...ooooh...!