Oil and Butterflies…

It has often been said that oil and butterflies don’t mix.  Ok, so I doubt anybody has ever expressed such a notion. However, if they were to do so, they would be lamentably wrong, for I am happy to report my butterflies are thriving with a liberal application of Tropic oil.  Before anyone begins to wonder if there is a Royal Society for the Protection of Insects, and if so whether they should immediately contact them, I am referring to my collection of butterfly tattoos.  I now have three.  Tattoos, like gremlins, come with a set of rules. I’m not sure about feeding them after midnight, but bright light certainly isn’t a good idea, neither is letting them dry out – cue the tropic oil.  I am currently studying for an ITEC massage qualification. Whilst the course is fantastic, I am beginning to suspect the oil used for practice is Mazola, so I have been sneaking in my own personal supplies of Tropic.  Please nobody inform my bank manager, but I have been using the Facial Elixir for all over body massage!  I figured that if I were to use the Luxury Body Oils the uplifting notes of Frangipani or Bergamot would rather give the game away!  My tattoos have never been in such resplendent condition and it is a good opportunity to pass on the Tropic word to other members of my class.  Today, I have taken another leap of faith and signed up as a Tropic Ambassador; I suffer from a chronic lack of confidence at times, but I happened to hear a quote on the radio that helped me make up my mind:

“The only calibration that counts is how much heart people invest, how much they ignore their fears of being hurt or caught out or humiliated. And the only thing people regret is that they didn't live boldly enough, that they didn't invest enough heart, didn't love enough. Nothing else really counts at all.”  - Ted Hughes

It is funny how in life you don’t often find the path, it finds you.  Whilst I had originally intended to leave the tattoo parlour like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; the helpful tattooist informed me that the design and size I had carefully selected would look more like something doodled during a particularly tedious meeting than an impressive mythical creature (think funky sultana with legs).   I might not know much, but disagreeing with the person holding the tattoo gun is never a cunning plan. The butterfly, a symbol of transformation, love and joy, seemed perfect for me:

“When I was a girl I would look out my bedroom window at the caterpillars; I envied them so much. No matter what they were before, no matter what happened to them, they could just hide away and turn into these beautiful creatures that could fly away completely untouched.”
― Patch Adams

I recently hatched out some Painted Lady caterpillars.  Well actually, that sounds like I did something more than gaze on in wonder as the magic unfurled before my eyes.  I was on hand with my camera to capture their full glory though:
I am hoping to combine my love of photography and butterflies by creating a 2014 calendar, hopefully something I can incorporate with my Tropic Ambassador work – oil and butterflies definitely do mix well.