While many people today generally decide to get a piercing based on looks alone, there are historically more reasons than just aesthetics for getting body piercings or body modifications. For example, ancient Polynesians were known to receive tattoos as marks of strength and family ties.
As for septum piercings, there is a long history of receiving the piercing both for aesthetics and for a deeper meaning, just like those tattoos in Polynesian culture. Sexually speaking, these piercings also have historically different meanings for men and women, and you may find that one of these meanings may resonate with you today too.
What Does a Septum Piercing Mean Sexually?
What does a septum piercing mean sexually? Septum piercings signify an adventurous attitude towards sex and may be interpreted as a submissive trait due to their resemblance to bull rings. They are often wrongly linked to homosexuality, but they are not exclusive to any sexual orientation.
1. Wild Side or Interest in the Forbidden
Ear lobe, cartilage, and traditional nose piercings are very common. So a septum piercing can imply you have an edge. It can mean you’re interested in trying sexual activities that others may shy away from and that you’re known for being wild in the bedroom.
2. Submissive Nature
Septum rings mimic bull rings that are used to guide and pull bulls around. As a result, some people identify a septum piercing as a sign of submission. Someone with this piercing can be seen as a submissive, willing to let someone else take the lead when they engage in sexual activities.
3. Attraction to the Same Sex
Many people feel that septum piercings mean you’re gay and attracted to the same sex. This has been a common assumption for men with septum piercings. While some gay men may sport fashionable septum rings, some men and women truly get this piercing because they like the placement and the look.
Spiritual Meaning of Septum Piercing
What does a septum piercing mean spiritually? Septum piercings were generally thought to connect wearers with the gods and entities of the spiritual world. They were also commonly used as symbols of spiritual growth or as a means of protection against evil spirits.
1. In Hinduism: Spiritual Development, Intuition and Connection to a Higher Purpose
Historically, septum piercings were worn by followers of Hinduism in India as a symbol of their focus on their religion. This connection may come from depictions of the religion’s Lord Krishna and his consort Radharani, who also happened to frequently wear such a piercing.
Those with septum piercings show they don’t care as much about material goods and are instead focused on their spiritual development with a strong sense of intuition and connection to a higher purpose.
The connection may also come from the religion’s belief in the chakras of the body, which are points of energy in the body. The third eye chakra specifically is associated with septum piercings since they are both located on the head, and this area is known in Hinduism as being the area of deep intuition.
2. In Native American Culture: Communication With the Spiritual Realm, Bravery and Protection
In Native American culture, septum rings are a common accessory for spiritual leaders like Tecumseh. The piercing is thought to support their communication with the spiritual realm, also allowing them to reach a higher state of consciousness. Native Americans also see this piercing as a sign of bravery and protection.
3. In Ancient Africa: Connection to the Spiritual World, Good Luck and Good Fortune
Many African tribes also used septum piercings in connection with their own unique religions. For example, the Maasai tribe would bestow these piercings onto those who were ready to enter adulthood and connect on a deeper level to the spiritual realm around them. Many tribes also believed that the piercings were symbols of good luck and would offer good fortune in the afterlife.
4. In Ancient Central America: Connections With the Gods
For the ancient people of Aztec and Mayan cultures, septum piercings were often worn by religious leaders as a symbol of their connections with the gods. These groups were particularly interested in religious festivities, and these leaders were important figures in leading the groups through ceremonies, so these piercings may also have helped signify their leadership skills as well.
5. In Ancient Greece
While many people associate septum piercings with ancient cultures of the Americas, Asia, and Africa, it should be noted that some ancient European cultures, like Greece, also wore these piercings. In Greece, the piercing of the septum was thought to give wearers good luck in romantic relationships. This is likely because the piercing was associated with the Greacen god Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
What Does a Septum Piercing Mean on a Man?
Historically, many ancient and even modern cultures view septum piercings as a rite of passage for men. In some instances, these piercings are used as a physical marking, such as in some Native American cultures where boys as young as nine are given septum piercings as a symbol of readiness to join hunting expeditions in the woods.
In other instances, these piercings are given to boys in groups during rituals to mark a great transition into manhood.
What Does a Septum Piercing Mean on a Woman?
Some cultures have also historically given women septum piercings as a symbol of entering womanhood, but they are more often used as a symbol of beauty.
The Fulani community of Africa also uses septum piercings to enhance a woman’s beauty, specifically when she is ready to pursue marital suitors. In Indian culture as well as in Bangladesh and Nepal communities, many women choose to receive septum piercings to symbolize not only their beauty but also their sense of spirituality.
What Does a Septum Piercing Say About You?
While there are many people of cultures that choose to get septum piercings for reasons associated with their own culture, many people today are able to get these piercings for more personal reasons. Some men and women may choose to get such a piercing as a sign of spirituality, as many ancient cultures once did, while others may choose to get a piercing just because they enjoy the look of it.
There are also a number of people with family roots in some of the ancient cultures listed above that choose to get a septum piercing as a way to reconnect with the culture of their ancestors.
Final Thoughts on Septum Piercing Meaning
What does a septum piercing mean sexually? If you are thinking about getting a septum piercing, you may be curious about the historical symbolism behind this piercing.
However, you should also remember that there are countless meanings behind septum piercings, and you do not necessarily need to associate your own piercing with any of those meanings. In the end, you are free to pierce your body as you wish for whatever reason you wish.
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