ANCESTOR TATTOO

Ta Moko — The Skin Remembers

 

Ta Moko is not merely tattoo or art.

It is ceremony.

It is remembrance.

A living language written into the flesh — a bridge between worlds,

connecting you to your Whakapapa, your genealogy,

and the breath of your Tipuna who walk beside you.

 

Each line becomes a current through time,

marking the unfolding of your story — past, present, and still to come.

The ink becomes voice,

the body becomes parchment,

and the spirit begins to speak.

 

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The Birth of the Design

 

Your Ta Moko begins long before the needle touches skin.

It begins with your intention — the story you carry,

the prayers that rise from within you,

the visions, symbols, and feelings that call to be remembered.

 

Together, we listen.

We translate your journey into form —

bringing to the surface the shapes and patterns that have waited beneath your skin,

waiting to be revealed.

 

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The Flow of Energy

 

When the time comes,

the design unfolds not as decoration, but as revelation.

The lines move with the rhythm of your body,

following the natural curves,

anchoring the unseen into the seen.

 

As the lines are laid, the energy moves.

This is not art imposed — it is art remembered.

A return to the ancient dialogue between body and spirit.

 

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The Sacred Space

 

Before the first mark is made,

the space is consecrated —

cleansed with the smoke of sage, piñon pine resin, juniper, or cedar.

Karakia and blessings are spoken,

calling in the ancestors,

clearing the air between worlds,

and opening the doorway through which your story will be carried.

 

This is sacred work.

Every breath, every sound, every movement

is part of the prayer.

 

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Lineage and Transmission

 

Shane’s journey with Ta Moko began under the guidance of two Master Carvers — Tom Bishop and Rawiri —

elders who passed down not only the patterns,

but the living stories within them.

Through years of learning, listening, and walking alongside Ta Moko artists across Aotearoa,

this understanding continues to deepen —

an ever-unfolding lineage of tradition, ancestry, and art.

 

The work is never finished.

It lives in every mark,

in every breath of the one who wears it.

 

The Calling

 

If you feel the stirring — that quiet knowing within —

it may be that your ancestors are calling you home through the skin.

Ta Moko is not chosen by the mind,

but remembered by the soul.

 

When the time is right,

the design will reveal itself,

and the story will rise to be marked upon you.

 

If this speaks to something deep within you,

you are welcome to reach out.

Together, we will listen for the design that wishes to emerge,

and honour it in the way of ceremony —

with presence, reverence, and truth.

 

 

Ko Whakamārama tōku Waka

Ko Tararua tōku Maunga 

Ko Manawatu tōku Awa

Ko Rangitane tōku Iwi

Ko Ngati Rangitēpaia tōku Hapu

Ko Te Rangimārie tōku Marae

Ko Shane Gallagher Coley tōku ingoa 

Ko Rangiotu ko Te Papaioea ahau 

Kei Tai Koura tōku kainga.