White herons are revered birds in Maori tradition, and this kirituhi heron tattoo designed for Diana represents divine wisdom and guidance.
The human figure inside the body of the heron receives energy from
the all-seeing eye (a higher power) and the ipu (femininity, a link to
mother earth).
The spearheads symbolize strength, tenacity and courage, and the bird
above symbolizes watching the world from a higher perspective, reached
after taking the path of Kamehameha (a challenging path), which led to
new achievements and lessons (the stepping stones).
The left wing represents family bonds, with two big korus for Diana´s children, braid, ritorito and flax leaves for family union, and shark teeth for adaptability and protection.
The right wing is related to her job, and it includes te ara poutama, the path to knowledge, the rauponga whakarare pattern for hidden meaning, mountains, dog teeth for protection on land and taniwha teeth for protection in water.
A sun made of mountains symbolizes positivity and joy; the koru made of shark teeth is a new start, and the row of birds represents a voyage that follows further on.
The colored image below helps identifying the individual elements
within the tattoo: