Yin Yang tattoo design by Greg James.

The ancient Chinese symbol of the representation of cosmic duality is an immensely popular one. Originally “yin” (the black side) and “yang” (the white) represented two sides of a valley, one in shadow and the other in sun. Over time, it has come to encompass all such contrasts while uniting to express completeness within the CIRCLE–dark and light, male and female, positive and negative, active and passive, heaven and earth. The small dots of opposite color in each field symbolize mutual dependence, such that light and shadow are not in conflict but rather depend on one another for completion. The yin and yang is a distillation of one of the deepest philosophies of China, whose abstract conceptions of time and space, cause and harmony, have resonated with people of all backgrounds.