A Medusa tattoo is often seen as a symbol of strength, power, and female empowerment. For some people, it can also represent survival and resilience after experiencing sexual violence, showing their journey toward empowerment.
Content warning: This topic discusses sexual assault.
Medusa is a well-known figure from Greek mythology. In some versions of her story, she is raped by the god Poseidon in a temple of the goddess Athena. Instead of helping Medusa, Athena punishes her by turning her hair into snakes and cursing her so that anyone she looks at turns to stone. Medusa is often shown in art and culture with snakes for hair, sometimes as a terrifying monster and other times as a beautiful woman. These images are also popular in tattoo designs.
For those who choose a Medusa tattoo to symbolize surviving sexual violence, she is often seen as a positive figure of strength and empowerment. However, not everyone with a Medusa tattoo is a survivor, and the meaning of a tattoo is deeply personal to each person.
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