If you seek to express your spirituality, regardless of your religious background, a cross tattoo may be the way to do it. In addition to Celtic, Tribal, and Gothic crosses, there are many Christian inspired and non-Christian inspired  to choose from.

Christian Inspired Crosses

The most common Christian inspired crosses include the Latin cross, Crucifix, Celtic cross, Anchor cross, and Resurrection cross. The Latin cross is a simple cross with a long vertical line and a smaller horizontal line that intersects about 1/3 of the way down. A wooden appearance is often incorporated into a Latin cross tattoo. The cross of the crucifix, a popular symbol in the Catholic faith, is typically wooden and similar to the traditional Latin cross, but additionally proclaiming the image of Christ’s crucifixion and death. The Celtic cross was popular among early Christians, and in its simplest form is like a Latin cross with a small circle surrounding the intersection of the arms. Many tattoo artists and galleries have intricate Celtic cross tattoos available, which incorporate this popular simple Celtic design. Popular among sailors, the Anchor cross originated in Egypt, and early Christians also adopted this sign as their own. The Resurrection cross, based on the structure of the Latin cross and of wooden construction, also has a purple robe draped over the horizontal arm, a crown of thorns perched across the top, and a wooden rectangle bearing the inscription “I.N.R.I”.

Non-Christian Inspired Crosses

Popular non-Christian inspired crosses include the Greek cross, Native American cross, Chinese cross, Gothic crosses, and Aztec cross. Known as the equilateral cross, the Greek cross has been associated with sun-worship throughout history. The Native American cross was prevalent across North and South American tribes and had religious significance with many of their gods. In China, the cross symbol is linked to the Chinese ideogram for the word “earth”. The Gothic cross has many variations, usually dark Germanic in style and typically formed of wrought iron. The Aztec cross is similar to a four-petal flower, and has been associated with astronomy.

Express Your Individual Spirituality

Whether you’re interested in a Christian or non-Christian tattoo design, a cross tattoo is a spiritual symbol that works well on several body locations. Cross tattoos can even be tattooed as armbands, and work well on the lower back, shoulders, and upper back area. It is both a timeless and historical symbol that can express your individual spirituality.

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When it comes to star tattoo, there are so many possibilities, both in terms of location and artwork. While the star tattoo is a favorite for the lower back, a shooting star works well on a hip or shoulder. Star tattoos can be incorporated into a multitude of variations and combinations, and the artwork itself may dictate the best location on your body.

Star Variations

At a very basic level, you will need to decide on the number of points you prefer in your star design, particularly if your star tattoo design only includes one star. Consider the implied meaning associated with the number of points. The Pentacle, for example, is a five pointed star symbolizes witchcraft represents feminine energy, and the secrets of life. Reversed Pentacle or pentagram, however, has a satanic or dark meaning behind it so you may want to consider the orientation of the star in the design.

The six pointed star is known as the Star of David; but the hexagram also used as a magical symbol Bronze period. The seven pointed star symbolizes the perfected man, and was placed inside of a square, it represents the finite. The septagram is also known as the fairy star, a symbol of magic. The eight-pointed star has religious meaning and is known as the Star of Redemption or Regeneration and represents baptism. Whatever your design, you may want to consider the number of points at the core of each star.

Star Tattoo Combinations

While the star itself is a fascinating subject for tattoo designs, and can be stunning just by itself, it can also be combined with other symbols such as the sun and/or the moon. This type of star tattoo can have a slightly fairy tale look, especially when multiple stars are used. A shooting star tattoo can incorporate a trail of smaller stars, or your main star design can be surrounded with magical star dust. When using multiple stars it can often be very appealing to use various sizes regardless of the context. A star tattoo can also be nicely incorporated into an armband or ankle band tattoo.

Sometimes called “diamonds in the sky”, stars are truly a fascinating part of the night sky; drawing our attention, and causing us to reflect on our dreams. Stars are truly magical, and can allow you to express yourself in a very powerful and sensual manner, with a little bit of mystery and magic.

Popular Flower Tattoos And Meanings

Flower tattoos are popular among women, simply because they make beautiful tattoos and can be the perfect form of expressing one’s femininity. There are many different types of flower tattoos and certain flowers symbolize different things. If you would like to have a tattoo that does more than look good and reminds you of something in your life or marks a new chapter in your life then having symbolic flower tattoos is a good way to do this. There is plenty of artistic freedom when it comes to designing a flower tattoo, in terms of style and color.

Roses

Roses are the most popular of the flower tattoos. You will notice that many old school tattoos incorporate roses into the design. If you would like to retain the old school style in your flower tattoos then you can have roses on their own in this style. It is a very attractive tattoo, traditional rose flower tattoos are usually red though you can choose your own color.

You can choose to have roses in full bloom or rose buds to symbolize youth and beauty. The color you choose for rose flower tattoos also influences the meaning that the tattoo had. Pink means grace and admiration, red stands for love and passion, and white means eternal love and innocence. 

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms are very popular flower tattoos and are usually seen in an Asian style. This is the perfect tattoo to flatter and complement a woman’s curve. The shape of a woman’s body, especially the back, are the perfect canvas for these delicate flowers.

In China they symbolize love and female beauty, in Japan they symbolize the short and sweet nature of life. The pink of the cherry blossom is another reason that this tattoo is so popular amongst women.

Lotus Flowers

The lotus flower is also another very popular tattoo and it symbolizes purity. The lotus has deep meaning in Buddhism and Eastern culture because a lotus flower contains the seeds, roots, and petals at the same time. It is a beautiful design that looks perfect in color or in black and white.

Lily

The lily is not as common as other flower tattoos but is a flower rich in meaning. It can mean innocence, purity, happiness, and prosperity depending on the type of lily and its color. Research the kind of flower you want to have tattooed on you and its meaning carefully before having it inked on your skin forever.

The Best Methods For Helping Foot Tattoos Heal

Many people disregard the fact that when they get a tattoo, they are injuring the skin of the tattooed area. This is especially important when it comes to foot tattoos because the skin on the foot is constantly moving as the person walks or does pretty much anything involving movement at the lower half of the body. These people think that no precautionary measures need to be taken with the healing process because the tattoo will heal on its own, never thinking that the entire area of the tattoo has skin has been broken to insert a foreign substance beneath. 

With foot tattoos, this is a great opportunity for harmful bacteria and viral agents to enter the body and cause an infection. This can damage the health of the individual and can be difficult to cure. Taking proper care of the foot tattoos after they have been applied is the best way to avoid the health problems that can occur down the road. 

How To Care For Foot Tattoos

For every type of tattoo, there are specific instructions that should be followed for caring for the tattoo, including foot tattoos. These instructions have been written by medical professionals to help a person care for their tattoo in the weeks following the application of the tattoo. Following these instructions greatly reduces your chance of contracting an infection, messing up the foot tattoos, or causing the tattoo to take a long time to heal. The instructions are not hard to follow and will only take a few minutes of time each day.

Many of the products recommended for the aftercare of foot tattoos have been used by the tattoo artists before and the recommendations are based on their personal experience with the product. All tattoo artists have tattoos somewhere on their body and most have used the recommended products to heal their own tattoos. These tattoo artists also receive feedback from their customers about how the products work.  Because of this, the products that are recommended for caring for foot tattoos can vary from location to location.

Making sure that you are not allergic to the products used to care for foot tattoos prior to using them is also very important. In many cases, the products recommended are the similar to the items used on babies to cure diaper rash and are safe to use by anyone. After the foot tattoos have been completed by the tattoo artist, the new tattoo is covered with protective ointment and a bandage to make sure that no infectious agents are introduced until the skin has had a chance to heal over. The studio will give the customer a printed sheet of paper detailing how to care for the foot tattoos over the next several weeks, which includes washing the area, applying protective ointment, and how to keep the tattoo from fading.

In recent years, women have begun to get tattoos placed on their lower backs. Lower back body art is viewed as a source of empowerment and controversy as the media reports on the meaning of these designs and any urban myths associated with the designs. Even with all of the negative publicity, lower back tattoos have remained popular with individuals around the world.

There is something sensual about a tattoo on the lower back because the placement of the design draws the eye to any womanly curves. Some women get the tattoos because being able to see the design above the rim of the pants creates arousal in some of the people that view them. The designs are also considered to be naughty because the lower back is not seen very often while the person is fully dressed. It is possible to know a person for years and never know that there is a tattoo hidden beneath their shirt.

Lower back tattoos are designed to have sinuous lines and feminine designs that look good when decorating the curves of the back. Tribal designs are often used for the main image because of the bold lines in the design. Flowers and hearts surrounded by ribbons are popular lower back designs as the lines can be lengthened to accentuate the curves of the back and hips.

What Is Said About The Tattoos?

Much of the controversy surrounding these types of tattoos is because of the sensual appearance of the designs. Instead of viewing it as a symbol of empowerment, some people said that the tattoos were a symbol of a loose woman and began to call them “tramp stamps”. This caused many women to decide against the tattoos because they did not want their morals questioned.

Some people believe that the ink in the tattoos alters the effectiveness of medical procedures, such as epidurals during pregnancy and spinal taps. The common belief was that if the needle passed through the ink of the tattoo, it could transfer the ink to the spinal column which would result in health issues. It has been found to be so unlikely that there was virtually no possibility of it happening during a medical procedure.

Although there have been a lot of negative comments associated with lower back tattoos, many still view them as beautiful body art and choose to obtain the attractive designs. Skilled tattoo artists generally have many different designs to choose from and they can be completed in a short period of time. The cost of the tattoos depend on how detailed the design is and how large the tattoos will be.