To the Celts, trees were highly spiritual entities that bridged between heavens and our earthly world. The tree of life itself was believed to support life. Its roots were set in the underworld, its branches stretched high into heaven, and its trunk existed in the earthly plane. The Celts believed the tree was a conjunction point between the worlds and that the gods used it to communicate with the humans below.
As far as it’s known, this design was not used among the Celts until the coming of Christianity. It appears in the Book of Kells and is also found on carved stones in southeast Scotland and Northumberland (northern England).
In a larger scale of sense, the tree of life can be concerned as a metaphor for spiritual development. It also stands for the way all life is interconnected. Lots of people who relate to this design think of it as a way to express their personal growth and strength.
The Celtic tree of life tattoos have three basic elements. First, every design must have strong roots that symbolically reach deep into the ground. Second, the design needs a solid trunk. Third, dozens of branches reach towards the sky and heaven. Usually, the top branches combine with the roots bellow, making a round, fluent, earth-like image.
Knots are very popular in Celtic designs, and also in the tree of life designs. In many tattoos, the branches and the roots entwine and interlock around each other to form an unbroken ring of knots that frames the entire image. In other designs, the roots and branches form separate bundles of knots connected only by a twisted trunk.
As for colors, it’s often best to stick with a single color in light and dark values so you don’t lose the essence of the knots. Most people choose black or dark green.
Since the tree of life tattoo is very detailed, it’s usually bigger than the average tattoo. As a large tattoo it fits perfectly on the back or chest. However, it is possible to create a smaller design that will fit on the shoulder, arm or ankle.
The four-leaf clover is a rare abnormality of the common, three-leaved clover. According to the Celtic tradition, a person who finds a four-leaf clover will be blessed with good luck and fortune. The Irish legend says that each leaflet represents something else: the first is for faith, the second is for hope, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck.
Many four leaf 
The Claddagh is a traditional Celtic ring given as a token of friendship and love or worn as a wedding ring. The original design is associated with the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, located just outside the city of Galway. The ring was first made in the 17th century during the reign of Queen Mary II, but the elements of the design are much older.
The Claddagh’s unique design features two hands holding a crowned heart. The elements of this symbol are often said to correspond to the qualities of love (the heart), friendship (the hands), and loyalty (the crown).
A must see interview with Belfast Andi on CTV My Montreal with Debra Arbec. March 2009. A personal look at the West Belfast born folk singer at home with his family. Andriu MacGabhann is arguably Montreal’s most authentic Irish musician on the “Celtic” music scene. Enjoy!
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