How important is the simple leaf to life on earth? Consider this -- without it, evolution would have taken a radically different course. Light is processed through the cells of a leaf to create energy. The process is called photosynthesis, during which oxygen is released into the atmosphere. Leaves, from the smallest plants hugging the earth to the mightiest trees that tower far above us, are a food source for just about all living creatures, from the insect to the elephant, not to mention human beings. In ancient cultures, certain leaves were food for the gods, and why not? They constituted much of folk medicine, and now form the basis of modern pharmaceuticals. Many leaves are used in many cultures all around the world for the unique properties of the oils they contain, as spices -- think of the bay leaf, basil and oregano in your tomato sauce, not to mention the rosemary on your lamb -- and for their fragrant scent in perfumes and body oils, such as lavender.
A single leaf or a multitude of leaves are also potent symbols of regeneration and resurrection as they cycle through the seasons. In the temperate zones of the world, the changing seasons are most dependably marked by the transformation of the leaves of deciduous trees. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter are potent reminders of the circle of life, from birth to death. From the plump buds of spring, to the edible green leaves of summer, to their dramatic autumnal death in a blazing show of color, leaves are vivid reminders to us all of the life-and-death cycle of all living things. Nothing so thrills us with the sense of fresh hope and new beginnings as when leaves are budding in springtime. Everything is there waiting to burst out and begin a new life. Then follows full-leaf summer, when a broad canopy of leaves is a shady escape from the heat. The glories of a colorful autumn are the leaves last gasp before the dormancy of winter. A tree losing the last of its leaves in the cold winds of autumn, to be stripped bare for the onset of winter has a poignancy that has long stirred the souls of poets, philosophers and men alike. The parallels of our own human lifetime are all too obvious. We could do worse than to meditate upon a rotting leaf on a damp forest path, often just a ghost of its former self. "This too will pass," said the Buddha.
Below you will find a gallery of inspirational images that will help you in your quest of creating the perfect Vine or Leave tattoo.
Also Check out: Trees, Flowers, Fruit, Shamrock, Four leaf clover, Ivy, Bamboo and Flower & Plant Tattoo Index.
