Star Tattoo Ideas
From LoveToKnow Tattoos
There is something to be said about simplistic refinement in a tattoo, but even star tattoo ideas can become very detailed and unique.
Why a Star Tattoo
There are many tattoos that are popular today. From Celtic and tribal to Disney characters, we still come back to star tattoos, which make star tattoo ideas one of the most popular. The star has been the focal point of many tattoos for all sorts of reasons. For some, it’s a way to remain focused on home or to remind them to reach for their dreams. Others want get them for religious or spiritual reasons. Whatever your idea may be, it's one of the many reasons star tattoos remain popular.
Star Tattoo Ideas
There are many tattoo designs and styles that come into favor as a trend, like the so-called “tramp stamp”, that gradually lose their favor over time. Star tattoos seem to be one of the few exceptions due to their diversity, simplicity, inherent beauty and the ability to make them very stylized.
Sailing and Sub-Culture
The nautical star gets its origin from sailors over hundreds of years ago and was based on their method of navigation. It represents the North Star which always points toward home and thusly served as a reminder that home was never too far away. The nautical star can be seen in several styles, some more recognizable than others, but the meaning remains the same.
The nautical star is a diverse tattoo despite its simplistic looking design. Feel free to style it up a bit as well by adding a ring or create something else to rest in the center. Home can now point to something specific like a name, initials or something else.
Religion and Beliefs
Ancient civilizations (and more modern ones) have long viewed the skies as a mystical presence and there are some religions where stars and constellations play a role in their beliefs. Wiccans, Pagans and Druids all have a belief in the heavens, Mother Earth and the like, in which the stars and constellations play a large part in those beliefs. The pentagram, for instance, is one of the most famous symbols in the world and usually for all of the wrong reasons. These 5-pointed stars can be opened or closed, inverted or not which each presentation having a different meaning. The closed pentagram for instance is for protection while the inverted pentagram means to confront the negative and to learn from it.
 Pentagram – Closed Style |  Pentagram – Inverted |
The pentagram, like the nautical star, can include symbolism like the forms of the Goddess or the Horned God in the center of the design. Choosing which pentagram style to use, coupled with the God or Goddess, can say a lot about you and your individual beliefs.
 Pentagram with the Goddess |  Pentagram with the Horned God |
The pentagram is open to much interpretation to those not familiar with the beliefs surrounding it. The inverted pentagram and Horned God combination has long been associated with devil cults. In Wicca, the Horned God represents strength, masculinity and virility. The closed pentagram represents protection and the inverted pentagram is welcoming the bad in order to learn and deal with it. The idea here is that the tattoo itself is protection against poor influences and the strength to overcome them.
Dreams and Wishes
The heavens above have long been the center of many great stories and fairy tales. The constellations themselves are filled with wonderfully colorful myths and legends as the Romans, Druids, American Indians and the Norse (among other cultures) all have stories and beliefs that include the stars. These designs can be styled with stardust, tracks or clouds as well as stay a single color or a rainbow of colors.
 Taurus |
As children, we are told to wish on a shooting star though unbeknownst to us the “star” was just a bit of space debris. When we are adults we tell our kids the same thing without demystifying it for them. We call celebrities “stars” because they are larger than life; at a pinnacle where many of us won’t reach. Like the stars in the sky they are outside of our reach but we can still “shoot for the stars” in our dreams.
 Make a Wish |  Flight of Fantasy |
Placement
The size of a star tattoo is as varied as the designs themselves. They can be incredibly small or very large depending on your final design ideas. Some of the most common places to get these tattoos seem to be on the top of the foot, ankle and calf. In the case of the nautical star they are typically found on the inner arm on either the wrist or the forearm. Religious stars tend to be placed on the shoulder blade, outer bicep or on the chest. Plain stars have been seen going on the neck; behind the ear. Locations will vary depending on the size of the tattoo so the small of the back is an option as is the side, stomach or the back as a whole.
Learn More
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