Star Tattoos

Shooting star tattoos seem to be a popular form of tattoo. There are many different variations of shooting star tattoos. They can be incorporated into different tattoo styles and are usually tattooed on the arms, shoulders, ankles or abdomen. Here is a short description on the meanings of shooting star tattoos.
Shooting star tattoos are a popular form of tattoo according to many tattooists. A lot of people seem to be getting them because they express their inner desire to be a star and they generally look cool especially on females! Perhaps its because pop culture feeds into this desire to be a star. What better way to reach for the stars than by getting a shooting star tattoo.
Shooting star tattoos can also symbolize a brief fleeting moment in ones life just like the brief wonder of seeing a shooting star race across the night sky. They can also be a symbol of reaching ones ultimate destiny and are popular among stars of the Hollywood variety. Nowadays every washed up musician and Hollywood actor can be spotted sporting their tattoos on the covers of glossy magazines or flashing across our TV's.
Shooting stars, asteroids, and the movement of the heavenly bodies in the night sky have always fascinated to humans. Some cultures have always had strong beliefs and superstitions in the meaning of shooting stars. Traditionally shooting stars also meant a new birth and changes in ones life and also a wish for a better life.

Tattoo Designs

 Most Popular Tattoo Designs

Tattoos have never been as popular as they currently are. From a historical perspective it is interesting to see how tattoos have developed over the last 25 years and how certain trends have come and gone. Even more interesting is that most people are actually doing quite a bit of research before they get inked instead of just wandering into a studio off the street pointing to the wall and saying "I'll have that one".Google has also had a massive impact in (re)introducing tribal cultures and ancient forms of tattoo art and practices such as Japanese tebori, Maorita moko and Polynesian ta tau to an increasing wired and emerging global consciousness. As a result there has been unprecedented interest in ancient forms of tattoo art.

A huge number of people seem to be looking for tattoos that are symbolic or have a very personal meaning to them. This is reflected in large amount of people asking for a specific word translated into Japanese kanji, Hindu or Arabic scripts. The outcome is that a whole new world of art is opening up and those people are being exposed to 'new' tattoo styles that have really been around for thousands of years.

Top 10 Most Popular Tattoos

1. Star Tattoos - Shooting star tattoos and nautical stars are the most popular form of tattoo design based the high number of searches to this website and according to many tattooists.

2. Angel tattoos - Angel tattoos are also highly popular tattoos for females alongside angel tattoo wings which are another popular form of tattoo being searched for.

3. Tribal Tattoos - Tribal tattoos have been been practiced in one form or another for millenia and their current popularity show no sign of slowing down. Included in this category of tribal tattoos are Maori tattoos, Polynesian and Haida style of tattoos.

4. Flower Tattoos - Flower tattoo designs can represent a timeless symbol of beauty and again are a popular choice of tattoo design particularly amongst females.

5. Celtic Tattoos - In the past few years Celtic tattoos have experienced a massive revival with the history of the Celtic people going back thousands of years.

6. Swallow Tattoos - Swallow tattoos used to be the preserve of sailors but have come full circle and are the ultimate in old school hip.

7. Lower Back Tattoos - Although not a tattoo style or symbol as such it still has been a hugely popular style of tattoo. Even been tagged with derogatory names such as 'tramp stamp' it shows no sign of going away just yet!

8. Butterfly Tattoos - Their beauty and appeal have ensured that not only are butterflies a hugely requested especially by females but they have become a mainstay for the past number of years.

9. Kanji Tattoos - A massive number of people are asking for certain words and names to be translated into Chinese or Japanese scripts. Even with highly publicized errors going around online with kanji script tattoos there is an increasing amount of people getting them done.

10. Black and Gray Tattoos - Black and gray tattoos are generally believed to have started in prisons in the United States but haveevolved into a popular style of tattoo. Certain tattoo artists specialize in this style and have become well known for this style.

While this list of tattoos only indicates the point of entry from certain search results which are highly ranked in the search engines. Although it is still an interesting snap shot of the most popular tattoo designs and an indicator of current trends.

Obviously there are hundreds of other tattoo designs not listed and certain tattoo designs and even musical artists tattoos which see spikes because the celebrity of the day is seen sporting a certain tattoo.

Other Popular Tattoo Designs

Anchor Tattoos, Biker Tattoos, Bio Mechanical Tattoos, Cherry Tattoos,
Heart Tattoos, Old School Tattoos, Rose Tattoos, Spiritual Tattoos,
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Butterfly Tattoos

Butterfly tattoos have been one of the most popular tattoo designs requested by females for the past few years. They have always held a fascination with humans and are often the subject of artistic expression from painting to music. Most people would agree that their uniqueness and striking colors are undeniably beautiful.
Finding the right tattoo design can take some time because of the sheer number of different varieties of this beautiful creature. There are so many ways of rendering them in ink as there are varieties of this beautiful insect. From big bold butterflies, tribal style butterflies to small delicate butterfly tattoo designs and everything in between.

Catharine spotted at Mac's Bar, Hiroshima, Japan © Tao of Tattoos

If you are determined to get a butterfly tattoo it is a good idea to actually have a look at photos of real-life butterflies and not just other pictures of butterfly tattoos. It is also a good idea to know the name both the scientific as well as the common name to deepen your knowledge and impress your friends with your vast knowledge while playing Trivial Pursuit!

While you are at it why not find out some of the more esoteric meanings behind butterflies and also the meaning of butterfly dreams. Below I have given a short description of the meaning of butterflies and also their symbolism in dreams and impress your friends even more!

Why Get a Butterfly Tattoo?

• Butterflies are unique
• They are so colorful and make beautiful tattoos
• They represent the fragility of life
• They are feminine

Facts about Butterflies

• There are about 28,000 known butterfly species.
• Buterflies only fly during the day unlike moths.
• You cannot kill a butterfly by touching its wings
  
  
  
  
  

Esoteric meaning of butterflies
Some cultures believe that butterflies are the souls of the dead while others believe that the appearance of butterflies can signify the arrival of a baby
To see a butterfly among flowers in a dream can signify prosperity and a need to settle down. It mean news from absent friends if they are flying around.

Placement of Butterfly Tattoos

Butterfly tattoos are mostly requested by females. The most common areas where they are done are on the shoulder, lower back, ankle and also in hidden areas such as the pubic region and abdomen.

Kayla's Butterfly tattoo © Kayla, Rineyville, KY, USA

Angel Tattoos

Angel tattoos are popular tattoos for females and usually take on the appearance of the stereotypical CHERUBS sitting on a cloud or as an avenging angel.

Angels 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 actual word angel is possibly derived from a Greek word 'angeloi' or 'messenger'. Throughout biblical times it was generally believed that the will of God or 'God's Work' was carried out by angels.

Check out more Angel Tattoos HERE>>
Angels are the guardians of souls and are divine beings but have been shown to be fallible and prone to sin, particularly pride. One of the best known examples of a 'fallen angel' is Satan.
The meaning of angels and their appearance have varied throughout history. Artists have depicted angels as winged creatures, usually beautiful figures suffused in light, wearing white robes, floating on a cloud, sometimes in human form or as an angelic 'symphony from the heavens'.

n Catholicism guardian angels are believed to be intelligent spiritual creatures assigned to care for and protect every person on earth. Each person has a guardian angel assigned to them. These angels are to assist the person in attaining his eternal salvation.
Also, these angels protect groups of persons and nations. Others refer to these guardian angels as guiding spirits who control or guide and particularly help in personal safety.

Japanese Kanji Tattoos

Japanese inspired kanji tattoos are one of the most popular styles of tattoos according to a recent tattoo survey. Most people who think about getting a kanji tattoo are under the mistaken belief that you can translate Japanese symbols directly from English into kanji. This lack of awareness hasn't stopped an increasing number of people from getting Japanese characters tattooed onto their bodies and sometimes regretting it after they discover that their kanji doesn't mean what they thought it did.

Kanji tattoo meaning Tao or 'The Way'. Find your kanji meaning here

Most Japanese tattoos found on tattoo shop walls - and on most people's skin - are printed in a bland, everyday variety of type. The written Japanese and Chinese languages are composed not of individual letters but of ideographs or pictographs, which represent an idea or thing. Some characters consist of more than 30 strokes.

The two languages share some of the same pictographs, for instance those meaning beauty, love, woman, strength and happiness. Such concepts are the most commonly requested. Things borrowed from other cultures can come to have a deeper, more personal meaning. The visual force of the Chinese and Japanese characters is quite dramatic and has a beauty of its own.
In business since 1949, tattoo artist Lyle Tuttle counts Janis Joplin, Peter Fonda, Joan Baez and "all the members of the Allman Brothers" among his customers. He owned the San Francisco Tattoo Museum until the 1989 earthquake destroyed his building.
Famous tattoo artist Lyle Tuttle speaking about traditional Japanese kanji tattoos, which he says are elaborate, multi-coloured pictures that tell a story and can cover a person's body turns away requests to write specific things in kanji. Tuttle instead suggests customers talk to native speakers before getting a kanji done.
The popularity of kanjis in the West hasn't impressed many of those who speak or read Japanese or Chinese fluently. Kanjis may look cool to non Japanese or Chinese speakers but don't always make sense to native speakers. A true Japanese tattoo has meaning.
Kanjis are NOT really a traditional Japanese tattoo BUT more a style of tattoo. If you are getting a kanji be sure that what you are getting done is something that means a lot to you and is translated correctly.
Don't make the embarrassing mistake thousands of others have!

Before you get a kanji tattoo you might want to read this

Popular Japanese Kanji Tattoo

Kanji tattoo designs come from a Japanese script, originating within Chinese characters. Kanji tattoos in essence, are ideograms depicting abstract ideas such as spirit, belief, love, loyalty, trust or the conveyance of any individual significance. In the ongoing spirit of competition, some tattoo bearers and artists alike, envelope their characters with various pictures to round out the tattoo.

Whether looking to write a special name or to revere particular scenery, Kanji tattoos have one intention - to make a statement even if shrouded in mystery. The objective is to gain attention and ask questions, perhaps an icebreaker in conversation with strangers.

The script of Kanji has given rise to prominence to both Japanese and Chinese linguistics among admirers of tattoo art. However, those who engrave their bodies with the script, at times lack real reverence for such complex language and culture. It is worth understanding a thing or two about the script and the culture before inking your body with characters that mean something far different from what you intended.

Kanji tattoo designs rely on the characters being correctly oriented to convey specific meaning, and it is worth noting that Kanji is not a proper interpretation of script for writing foreign names. Translating an English name to Kanji may yield a translation, but the translation will be superficial, rather than accurate.

You should also keep in mind that in Japan, the culture is such that the typical Japanese do not share the same fondness for tattoos. Tattoos are usually associated with a shadowy group of characters known as the Yakuza, or Japanese mafia. If you ever visit Japan, you will notice that most bath houses forbid entrance by those showing tattoos. This is the polite, non-confrontational way of conveying that the Yakuza are not welcome on the premises.