Angel Tattoos Ideas and Meanings

Angel tattoo designs, in most cases, have very special, deep personal meanings to the people who wear them. They can have purely spiritual and religious meaning to people or have many other meanings when combined with other designs, names and symbols.

Origins and meanings

The word Angel has a Latin origin, meaning messenger of God. There are three Choirs, or Spheres, each of a different rank and each Choir has three types of angels, each with a different duty. Their main role is to be messengers of God and to watch over us. Other roles involve being guards over the realm between heaven and earth, providing wisdom and good fortune and most notably, protection. They have universal appeal as they are depicted in the Christian, Islamic and Jewish religions, cutting across religious borders. The main types used for tattoos include guardian angels and fallen angels. I will look at the meaning of each.

Guardian Angels

It is said that your Guardian Angel is with you when you enter into this world, with you when you leave, and guides you through life in between. They are believed to be sent by God to protect mortal individuals during their time on this earth. They are in the form of humans with large wings, depicted as loving and protecting figures. Quite often they are shown in glowing or shining form, floating, looking down, as if watching over someone or something, in a protective manner. Some people wear this body art design to signify the connection with their Guardian angel, or a connection with a higher being.

Fallen Angels

Another take on this design is the fallen angel tattoo. The fallen angel has been thrown out of heaven as punishment. It is said that a group of rebellious angels came to earth to mix with mortals. As punishment, they were banished from heaven and roam the earth until judgment day. They are usually depicted as looking upwards with their face covered, sometimes with a broken wing. Some people have a fallen angel tattoo to depict their bad streak, or show off their rebellious side.

Combined Meanings

Taking the angel design and combining it with other designs is a great way to personalize your body art. For example using wings alone as your design represents freedom and rising above problems, feeling elevated and alive. The designs are also popular as a memorial. Combining the angel design with a name, or having the face of the person as the angel's face allows people to make a permanent tribute to someone close. You can't get anymore personal than that.

Designs

Angel tattoos are so popular because they can have such a personal meaning to the wearer and they look so appealing. Combine that with beautiful wings and striking colors and you have a tat to be proud of. The design can take many forms and it is common to combine hearts, flowers, crosses and many other symbols. The style can also cut across tattoo genres, such as a tribal angel tattoo, giving a unique appearance and meaning.

I hope this information on angel tattoo designs and meanings has given you some ideas for your dream angel tattoo.

Black and Grey Vs Color Tattoos

There are many things to consider when getting a tattoo. One major decision you will have to make is whether you want a full color or black and grey tattoo. There are pros and cons to each. The most important thing to remember is to listen to your own gut instinct. But if you really can't figure out which style to go with, here's a guide to help you decide.

Black and grey tattoos go back centuries. They are the oldest forms of tattooing and were considered as luxuries back in they day. Only the richest people could afford tattoos. The standard for tattoos has fallen, obviously, since then. A way to decide if a black and grey tattoo design is right for you is to ask yourself what you are looking for in a tattoo. Some designs simply look better in black and grey.

A pro for black and grey tattoos is that they hold up better than color tats over time. Sunlight is a killer for tattoos. It can damage the integrity of the overall tat and breaks down the pigments. Since less ink is used with black and grey tats, sunlight has less of an effect on the overall design. Also, it takes much longer for dark inks to fade. This is not the case for color tats.

If you do decide to get a black and grey tattoo, there are a few things you should expect from your artist and the overall experience. Since black and grey only use one to two colors of ink, picking the right artist is very important. Color tattoos can hide imperfections and don't need to be as detailed. The inks used with black and grey tattoos are black and sometimes white. The white is used when highlighting a specific part of the tattoo as well as for dramatic effect. For example, in portraits white ink is used to highlight the white of the eyes and the teeth.

Now, on to color tattoos. These tattoos are bigger attention grabbers, so keep that in mind. A con for color tats is the fact that some people have allergies to the ingredients in the inks. However, this is pretty rare and the allergy commonly only applies to one color. The reason why people have these allergies is because of the ingredients that go into making the ink. Finding exact ingredients for each ink is nearly impossible as companies that make ink guard the recipes fiercely. Think of the "secret family recipes" your grandmother has stashed away.

The idea of having a bad reaction to the ink can be kind of scary, but don't let it frighten you away. Color tattoos are overall the most visually appealing! However, if you want your tattoos to stay as lustrous as the day you got them, you need to take proper care of them. Yes, I'm going to talk about sunlight again. That's because it only takes one bad sunburn can permanently damage your tattoos. However, using sunscreen whenever you spend an extended period outside can prevent sun damage!

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Tattoos of Strength and Honor or Military Service

Many people believe that tattoos signify an out of the box thinker who is not so interested in mainstream society and all the silly rules and game playing? And for the most part they would be right. Most folks with tattoos really are not into wearing ties to work nor are they interesting in putting some sort of mask or fake persona to impress you.

Yet this does not mean they are not true-blooded Americans, in fact expressing their individualism and customizing their bodies to fit their selves, actually they are exercising their rights to be free, more than the others who perhaps do not have tattoos. And back to the point of true blooded Americans it should be obvious from the number of United States Military Veterans with logos of their military service that they too have something to say about strength and honor, what they are about and what they believe in you see?

Tattoos of Strength and Honor or Military Service are extremely common in American society and although you do not always see them in public those who wear them are pretty proud Americans and we too should be proud of them. For those who do not understand what tattoos are all about and wish to prejudge those who choose to partake, chances are you have not thought thru your perception correctly and need to re-think you skewed view of the world inside you little box. Consider this in 2006.