Angel tattoos

Angel Tattoos - What Does Yours Mean to You?
( By Emma Ritchey )

Angel tattoos or some other kind of ink? That's what you've been thinking about; probably keeping your eyes open for months for the perfect, unique image. Maybe you think if you see another tribal or dragon tat, your eyeballs will fall out. That isn't what you want! You want something that will have lasting meaning to you personally, as well as being a beautiful work of art that you can wear with pride every day. An angel tattoo is a clear symbol of one's belief in higher powers, and the choice to align yourself with the positive energy of creation. Another way of interpreting the angel tattoo seems to be to take just the wings and put them with something else that has meaning to you, for example a heart or other symbol.

Angel tattoos rely on a belief that goes far back in history. For those intellectual types interested in words, our word for these creatures actually came from the ancient Greeks. Their word for it was similar to the name of that famous southern California city. Know which one I mean? But the Greeks obviously coined it first, and the word's meaning is "messenger." It is interesting to see what "angel tattoo" would look like in Greek. δερματοστιξία αγγέλου. See? But that is modern Greek, as there was no word for tattoo in the ancient Greek. By the way, the Hebrew word for such a being, which is mal'akh, means messenger, just like Greek.

Your angel tattoo is going to be on you forever, so it's probably not a bad idea to look into any possible hidden meaning. Look for deeper or alternative meanings that may not come immediately to mind.

The first thing I think of when I consider these messengers is the idea that they are pure, celestial beings created to help people, and of course carry messages from God to humans. There are an unbelievable number of cherubim and seraphim in art, and they're always portrayed as very beautiful beings of light. Tattoos are an ancient and modern art form, and your angel tattoo is a very personal extension of the long tradition of heavenly messengers in art.

The thing about seraphs is that while they're mostly pure and good, there are plenty of bad ones too. There are both messengers of light and messengers of darkness. An example of a good and popular messenger of light is Gabriel. He's the one who is most mentioned in the Bible, and he visited a lot of different people to deliver messages to them. An example of a fallen seraph is Lucifer, who was banished for pride. So if you're going for an angel tattoo of a specific seraphic personage, it is good to know who you are representing.

Want an angel tattoo of a guardian seraph? There were lots of them - seraphs whose job it was to protect people. Some people believe that every single person on Earth has his or her own guardian seraph who watches over you as long as you are alive. Michael and Gabriel are thought to be two famous ones. The idea of having a guardian seraph is very reassuring, and it is nice to have a guardian where you can see it all the time, such as in a guardian angel tattoo.

Some people get angel tattoos as memorials for loved ones who have passed on. This is because of the belief that these messenger seraphs meet people at the gate of heaven when they die. These memorial tattoos form an entire genre unto itself. The angel tattoos in this genre are often smaller tattoos, and the wings are sometimes used in combination with an image or symbol that stands for the loved one.

After considering the idea of angel tattoos for a little bit longer, you may be thinking that it seems the reasons for getting one are as varied and diverse as people and their personal faiths are. You're right! There are thousands of heavenly beings, and they have many various jobs. They mean many different things to different people.

Angel tattoos may symbolize purity, guardianship, guidance, or the passage from one life to the next for you. They may symbolize something else for you, too. Whatever your personal attachment, perhaps now you have a few ideas to help you choose that perfect tat to be with you for the rest of your life.