The Significance of Angelina Jolie's Tattoos

Angelina Jolie has at least fourteen tattoos. Angelina's lower back showcases a Thai Bengal tiger tattoo obtained using the traditional manual needle method. In Asian countries, a tiger can symbolize strength and courage. One of Angelina's forearms displays an Arabic script tattoo that translates as "strength of will" or "determination." A black cross covers a regretted dragon tattoo in her pelvic region. It contains the Latin "quod me nutrit me destruit" or "what nourishes me also destroys me." Across Angelina's back, the words "know your rights" are tattooed. This is believed to be a reference to a lyric by one of her favorite bands, The Clash. Angelina has a quote from author Tennessee Williams tattooed on her other forearm. It reads, "A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages." The Roman numeral for thirteen is tattooed on the side of her forearm to show she isn't superstitious. She later added V MCMXL, making it 13 may 1940, the date of Winston Churchill's famous speech in which he said, "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."

Many of Jolie's tattoos are believed to reference her loved ones. On her shoulder blade, she has a Pali incantation written in Khmer, the native language of Cambodia. She believes this tattoo will protect her and her son, Maddox, from bad luck. It was completed in 2003 by Sompong Kanphai in Thailand. Translated it reads:

May your enemies run far away from you.
If you acquire riches, may they remain yours always.
Your beauty will be that of Apsara. (Celestial dancer from Khmer mythology.)
Wherever you may go, many will attend, serve and protect you, surrounding you on all sides.

Thought to be a tribute to her brother, James Haven, Angelina has a lower case "h" tattooed on her wrist. She also has an upper case "M" for her late mother, Marcheline. Brad Pitt is also showcased in Angelina's ink. She has the phrase "Whiskey Bravo" tattooed on her thigh. This stands for Pitt's given name, William Bradley, in aviation alphabet. Jolie and Pitt are both licensed pilots. Angelina Jolie's most famous tattoos are the list of geographical coordinates tattooed on her arm. These coordinates mark the birthplaces of her children in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Namibia, Vietnam, and France. On April 6, 2011, tabloids speculated that Jolie and Pitt are looking to add another child to their family as another coordinate was spotted on her arm.