Meet Bear – Ritual Bear Tattoos

He is the latest talented tattoo artist to join the Manifacto Amsterdam Team in our studio in Amsterdam Noord.

He learnt and developed his own hand poke tattooing into a practice of a sacred tattoo ritual. Handpoke tattoos are made without the use of a tattoo machine. Also known as stick and poke where the ink is applied to the skin manually without the use of a machine. Hand poke tattoos are generally less painful. 

Process 
Each Tattoo session is individually tailored to each person’s energy and needs. Bear creates unique tattoos on skin that are powerful talismans for empowerment and growth.

Read more about Bear and sacred handpoke tattooing below.

Check out his tattoo work on Instagram, and if you would like to book a session or for more information about the process, please send Bear an email: ritualbeartattoos@gmail.com to book your tattoo session or send us an email with your idea.

About handpoking and the spiritual process;

Tattooing has a long history and deep spiritual meaning in many cultures. In these cultures, tattoos are not simply a form of body art, but a sacred ritual that symbolizes important values and beliefs. The act of handpoking tattoos by hand, using traditional tools like bamboo sticks or bone needles, is considered especially spiritual because it requires a high level of skill and focus, and the process is often accompanied by prayers, chants, or other sacred practices.

The spiritual significance of handpoke tattooing lies in its connection to the individual’s inner self and the natural world. The handpoking process is slow and deliberate, which allows the artist to create intricate and meaningful designs that are tailored to the client’s spiritual beliefs and experiences. These designs often incorporate images of animals, plants, or spiritual symbols that represent the client’s connection to nature or the divine.

In contrast, machine tattoos are often seen as a more commercial and less spiritual process. While machine tattoos can certainly be beautiful and meaningful.

Machine tattoos cannot be considered a spiritual process because they lack the meaningful and intentional components that are typically associated with spiritual practices. The act of tattooing has been used by various cultures throughout history as a way to commemorate important events, honor ancestors, or express spirituality. These tattoos often hold significant cultural or spiritual significance and are thought to have a deeper level of meaning beyond just the physical image on the skin.

When tattoos are done by machines, they often lack this deeper significance and become more of a fashion statement or personal preference. While the process of getting a tattoo can still be meaningful to the individual receiving it, the use of a machine removes the personal touch and intention that can make it a spiritual practice.

Furthermore, the use of machines can remove the human connection from the process. Traditional tattooing methods involved a skilled artist who would carefully handcraft each design, often imbuing the tattoo with personal energy and intention. With machines, a design can be quickly produced without the same level of care or attention.

Biography 

For nearly his whole life, Bear has been intrigued by witchcraft and the rituals that embody the practice. There are two facets to Bear’s exploration of witchcraft: the internal and the external.

Like all of us, it began with his ancestors who Bear believes reside within his own physical and metaphysical DNA. Bear has always felt deeply connected to them and this has always rendered him open to the supernatural. This internal awareness of other dimensions where his forebears wonder, made Bear more conscious of the external influences that taught him about supernatural ritualistic practices before he sought to actively educated himself about them.

Bear is fortunate to have a mother who taught him and his siblings about the spirits and ghosts that roam among us and they were always encouraged to communicate with them. She taught about the mythical mysteries of the history of the world.

With this upbringing, Bear came to realize that the connection he felt with the ancestors this awareness of the interconnectedness of the living and the dead – the feeling that spirits were passing through him, is not uncommon. It is rare but not unique.

Thus, he began to explore the writings and teachings of individuals who channeled their awareness through ritual. He read books on witchcraft, began experimenting with meditation, started investigating how to hone the energy of the spirits that surround us. Bear taught himself how to translate languages he had never spoken before and how to communicate without words.

All this before he was was really able to truly understand the significance of what he  was doing.

Where Bear finally understood the power of ritual was through the study of the Kabbalah and the Freemasons; the teachings of the powerful nature of ritualistic practice.

This lifelong journey has led Bear to the point he is today, where ritual is as easy as breathing or a simple walk in the forest. He has become sensitive to forms, shapes, and objects. Reading them like one would a book. But also feeling them like the emotion you feel when reading poetry. Everything speaks to him. A subtle shift in the air that moves you without your own conscious thought. This has culminated in his own practice where he channels the internal and external forces into creating powerful talismans on the human form that he believes is a vehicle that can be enhanced.