Many celebrities proudly display designs on their skin and Angelina Jolie is no exception. The actress’ passion for tattoos is nothing new. It began when she was a teenager and now she has more than 15 inked on her body. Each of them has a special meaning for her, and each of them marks a special moment in her life.
© GettyImagesIn February 2017, the celebrity caused an uproar with the Guerlainbeauty campaign, in which she showed off her tattoos and demonstrated that they are important for her. Since then, the tattoos on Angelina’s skin have been a focus of attention from both the media and her fans.
She has the Arabic word for "determination" on her right forearm. On her left forearm, close to her wrist, she has a rune with the letter H in homage to her brother, James Haven. Closer to her elbow, she has the Roman numerals XIII V MCMX, with two different meanings. The number 13 indicates that the actress is not superstitious, and the full set of numbers refers to May 13, 1950, the date when then Prime Minister of England, Winston Churchill famously said: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”
The tattoo on her left arm is one of the most significant because it represents the coordinates of the places of birth of her six children. Many say that the seventh set of coordinates seems to be the place where her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, was born.
Human Rights activist
The Oscar-winning actress is strongly committed to defending human rights. In order to emphasize this mission, she got a tattoo under the back of her neck with the phrase “Know your rights,” which is also the title of a song by her favorite band The Clash.
© GettyImagesUnder her left shoulder blade, she has a Buddhist Pali incantation, which, in her own words is there to protect her and gives good luck and health. The five lines written in Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, were done by the famous tattoo master and former Buddhist monk, Ajarn Noo, with a technique that uses steel rods and surgical needles.
The image of a Buddhist temple at the center of her back it´s a reminder to be compassionate with oneself and others. On the right side of it, she has ancient Buddhist mantras, and just below, four grids representing the four continents and four elements of the earth.
© GettyImagesThe actress’ largest tattoo takes up almost her entire lower back. It was done in 2004 to celebrate her acquisition of Cambodian citizenship. It is a Bengal tiger that took two hours to be inked.
