Angel Tattoos
Angel tattoos are one of the most popular tattoos both for men and women. The placement of an angel tattoo on the body of those who want it there may be varied. It can be placed almost anywhere in the body and still shines.
Basically, an angel tattoo has a religious origin. It usually symbolizes the wearer’s religious inclination and devotion. Although angels can be found in various religions, Christianity is the most popular source of angels that translated into tattoo designs. One of the most popular and sought after is the angel St. Michael the Archangel, who according to the story is the angel that fought and defeated Satan.
For others, having an angel tattoo is a commemoration or serves as a memory of someone they loved that died. Having an angel as a remembrance of someone who passed away is much appreciated rather than a tombstone or an R.I.P. sign as tattoo. It looks more graceful, gentle and positive. That is why a lot of women are attracted in the angel design for their tattoos.
Besides religion as a reason for angel tattoos, there are those who have it in their skin as an art form. Fallen angels are among those popular artistic renditions of angels on the other side of the fence. Artists who render fallen angels are up for the edge of rendering the most imaginative look such as variations in the wings, the pose, the body as well as the accessories related with the subject.
Tattoos are very personal symbol to those who wears it. A single red rose may look mundane to you but for the wearer it holds something significant that only he knows. It’s the same with angel tattoos. It is not just religious in nature but it signifies something like the expression of the triumph of good and evil related to his past that he always wants to remember as a reminder. There is always a deep if not a good story behind every tattoo.
For curiosity’s satisfaction, you can ask a tattoo wearer why he/she has an angel tattoo and what is the story behind it is. It can lead to an interesting conversation because a lot of people love to tell the story behind the symbol and its significance in his/her life.
The Angel-Devil Tattoo
Over the years, angels have been regarded primarily as messenger of God, the guardian of human, the symbol of fortification and the keepers of dreams. However, angels appear a lot more than what the bible story have told us. This is mainly because artists, in their own rendition have incorporated a pictographic version of the angels. Sometimes it can be as simple as two wings spreading along or as intricate as Michael Angelo’s paintings, while other artists would render it in tribal manner or as dark as Rob Zombie or Wes Craven’s.
Lucifer was once a trusted angel of God. In his vanity and his desire to be mightier than the creator, God cast him away from the heavens and he became the devil. Lucifer became the most feared contradictory of good and the father of lies. Thus the devil became synonymous with wrong doings and bad things. However in the world of tattoo designs, the devil doesn’t necessarily possess its traditional meanings—not exactly.
In the tattoo world, the devil simply means desire or a representation of intense sexual being. People who feel sexy or want to project a sexy image are the ones who are drawn to have angel devil tattoo on their skin. They simply want to have a powerful persona via the tattoo. Having this kind of tattoo is simply telling the world their inner desires and they want everybody to know this. The wings of the angel on their tattoos simply signify the protection and comfort of the angels can give in a suggestive manner.
The angel devil tattoo for men serves another purpose. It automatically gives off strength and a “bad boy” image to them, which in turn can be attractive to women who admire tough and protective men. However, for women, the angel devil tattoo can make them feel and look sexier and desirable but protected at the same time. Different cultures have different interpretation of tattoos since time being. In the contemporary set up such as ours, it is important to have a balance of it in our society to be acceptable. And as of now, the angel devil tattoos have come a long way. It balanced-out for both gender and everyone seems happy with the variation of designs that emanates from the idea of the angel devil tattoo.
The Angel’s Wings
The wings of an angel are the single most dominant symbol in its image. It reflects beauty, divinity and innocence in expressive iconic spirituality. However, in tattoo, the angels and angel’s wings doesn’t always have to suggest spirituality. Most often than not it bears personal meaning than the universal connotation we always associate angels with. Angel’s wings could also mean freedom, flight and free roaming high above the clouds that could easily be associated with a free-spirited personality of the tattoo wearer. It could also mean a child-like personality or innocence with a feeling of calmness and harmony. The angels and angel’s wings could signify comfort, protection, guardian, spirituality and emotion. Back in ancient Egypt, the angels signify majesty, mysticism and mighty power.
If you decide to have an angel’s wings on your skin as tattoo, you can have it paired with complimenting images such as heart, animals, halos, fonts or with cross. Variations of angels such as cherubim or seraphim could also be used depending on your liking. You can also attach the angel’s wings on any images you like and the most popular ones are those names with angel’s wings on it. People choose this kind of image because they want to attach something memorial on a name. It can be the name of their dearly departed ones that are now in the company of heavenly angels.
One of the most popular and awesome variation of angel’s wings tattoo design is the placement of the tattoo on the shoulder blades of the tattoo wearer. It simply simulates the exact location of the angel’s wings. Nicole Richie and Kelly Osbourne are among the celebrities that wear an angel’s wings on their shoulder blades.
The color of the angel’s wings also connotes another meaning. Although it is quite unusual to see a colorful angel’s wings as a tattoo, everyone should be careful of choosing the right color for their tattoo if they decide to have it. Black angel’s wings of course signify a “bad” image or suffice to say a fallen angel image. It is the most common tattoo image among the Gothic community. White angel’s wing tattoos are synonymous with heavenly being, purity and is the most common tattoo color of all.