The sun is, in any culture, one of the highest regarded symbols of humanity. In any mythology, you will find that the sun is depicted as one of the highest in a pantheon of gods. The sun gives light, heat and life. Ancient civilizations revered it as a symbol of fertility, vitality, and every other quality that gives way to life. The sun symbol can be seen everywhere nowadays. Knowingly or unknowingly, people have incorporated the revered sun-design on many common objects we see today. Look at the design of an electric fan; that looks a lot like a sun design, right? Look at the overhead view of the Vatican, a common birthday cake, a coin, a pancake: the round sun symbol can be seen everywhere.
Sun tattoos are sought after because they take the round sun symbols and use it to depict so much more. There are a whole lot of varieties of sun tattoos: rayed, plain circle, paired with a moon, gothic, tribal, Celtic, and the list just goes on and on… As said before, each culture has its own depiction of the sun and hey, there are a lot of cultures (including the ancient ones) that exist.
The sun tattoo is preferred by many because it has a number of symbolic meanings that can be adapted by every person. Some may choose a sun tattoo because of the symbolism of light and knowledge. Often, the sun tattoo can be interpreted as the light of knowledge that shines on the darkness of ignorance. This interpretation is, naturally, preferred by intellectuals.
For others, the sun represents the cycle of life. These people get sun tattoos to remind them to live everyday as if the sunset is fast approaching. They live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment possible.
After all, every second counts, right?
Some interpret sun tattoos as a symbol of fertility. The sun gives life to plants and, indeed, everything else on earth. Sun tattoos are often chosen to depict a person’s ability to “energize” other people. Much deeper, and yet, more popular, is the interpretation of the sun tattoo as a symbol of sexual fertility. This goes back to ancient Canaan where the sun-god Baal was also worshiped as a fertility deity.
If paired with a moon tattoo, the sun tattoo even goes deeper into its sexual interpretation. A pairing of a moon and a sun tattoo depicts the union between male and female, both sexually and spiritually. Sun tattoos are often used to depict divine power and authority. The image of the sun was used, and is still used, by religious leaders.
The sun tattoo also symbolizes immortality or reincarnation. Just as the sun rises and sets each day, people believe in the idea that you may die and then rise again.
This takes root from ancient times when people believed that the sun died at the sunset and was resurrected the next day. Sometimes, sun tattoos look more like flowers. The depiction of the sun as such pays homage to the sun’s life-giving abilities and natural beauty.
Sun tattoos are considered to be among the best kind of tattoos you can get. Artistically, people may have taken the drawing of the sun to a very high level. After all, we all learn how to draw the sun at a very young age.
Symbolizes belonging. The Tribal tattoo design were by far the most popular, coming in with approximately one third of requests. In the past, tribal body art identified different tribes and were very important to the identity of the tribe and the individual. Today, tribal body art is an appealing fashion statement, that allow people to show off their individuality combined with a bit of mystery. These tats use aggressive dark lines in jagged symmetrical shapes and are most common in black and skin tones but can also be infused with color to brighten the overall look.
There are several reasons and meanings behind Star Tattoos. You could look at them in terms of hopes to being a star or your goals and determination to reach for the stars and be all you can be. Otherwise, for the most part the meaning behind a star will depend on the type of star. They can be as simple as the choice to study in astronomy, or as complicated as to signify the birth a child.
Angel Tattoos are spiritual beings that are believed to be much more powerful than humans. They have been thought of as creations of a separate order from human beings and sometimes as the spirits of highly evolved humans. The majority of Angel Tattoos appear on female’s bodies. There’s something inherently sexy about the angel. Perhaps it’s the possibility of sin; after all, Satan was nothing more than a fallen angel. Angels, therefore, represent the possibilities of straying to the dark side.
Strong religious symbolism. Popular as a symbol of faith, belief and hope. Cross Tattoos are popular because they can be effectively combined with other designs. There are many different cross tattoo designs you can choose from such as, a traditional Christian cross, a Celtic cross, a tribal cross, a latin cross tattoo with a rosary, or even a gothic cross, (“goth” isn’t necessarily a bad thing if viewed as a historical period in time.
Flower Tattoos are very common among women, and occasionally men. The most common floral tattoo would include the rose and lotus flowers. In many cases, you will see flowers surrounded by other objects, sometimes butterflies or hummingbirds and other times stars ans swirls.
