Angel tattoos are one of the most popular designs for both men and women. Part of the reason is the wide range of styles and designs that can be used to represent these spiritual characters.
Symbolism also plays an important part, as these designs can represent many important values, such as peace, beauty, spirituality, good verus evil etc.
When women get an angel tattoo it's often an indication that she is calm, patient and places more emphasis on the health of her soul. She believes that confidence is a more attractive form of beuaty than any outward physical appearance. The angel tattoo is also a sign that she is a loyal friend who goes where needed to protects others.
On the other hand, men who get an angel tattoo often want to represent a different set of values and beliefs. Self styled bad boys often use sexy angel designs to show their masculinity and their sexuality. In fact many men claim that their angel tattoos have helped them to attract women. Alternatively, angel tattoos are used by men to pay tribute to a woman who has played a major part in their life or a woman they have strong feelings for.
However, angel tattoos can be designed to represent many different aspects of life and death. Some of the most common angel tattoo themes include;
Religious/Spiritual
Angels are seen as the link between Heaven and Earth. The word angel comes from the Greek word for messenger or "one who is sent" and as such are often shown as God's messengers who are sent to protect mankind from evil.
The fact that the three biggest branches of religion (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) all make reference to angels is perhaps part of the reason for the popularity of these designs. Tattoos often depict angels as delicate, winged sprites hovering over something to provide protection. These guardian angels which many people believe are send to protect humanity are often shown watching over children.
Love
Angel tattoos often show angelic cherubs who are the messenger of love. The most well known example of this is Cupid who uses his bow to shoot through the hearts of people, making them fall in love with each other. These tattoos generally consist of a decorative heart with an arrow through it, often with the name of a loved one in the center and Cupid the cherub floating above the heart holding his bow.
The Struggle Between Good And Evil
Angels designs are often used to show the constant fight between good and evil. These are depicted in a number of different ways.
1) The Archangels: These seven angels are the closest to God, the devine messengers that form the link between Heaven and Earth, humans and God.
The design of Michael (one of the most well known archangels) is shown wearing body armor and holding a sword with his wings open ready to lead the Archangels against Lucifer (also an archangel who has gone over to the dark side).
2) Fallen Angels: These represent the battle between God and Lucifer. These designs often show angels with torn wings or horns or both. Alternatively, they depict a brooding looking angel with a broken or bloddy sword in their hand. The feeling of darkness is often achieved by the use of darker colors and heavier inks.
3) Angel/Devil: Designs that incorporate both an angel and the devil are one of the clearest representations of the fight between light and dark. This contrast between good and evil gives the tattoo artist a wide scope for creativity. They can have the tone of the design leaning towards the dark side, the light side or equally balanced between them.
If your tattoo artist is good enough, it may be possible to achieve a design that can resemble both good and bad depending upon your own personal interpretation or mood at any particular time.
Ultimately, only the owner of an angel tattoo truly knows what it represents to him or her, so make sure that you take time to choose a design that you're happy with.
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