There is an old saying: “Think Before You Ink.” This should be the motto of anyone considering getting a tattoo.
Most people are familiar with the poor girl who got a tattoo on an impulse. Maybe this person is the bride-to-be who tattoos her fiancée’s name on her ring finger and then leaves her standing at the alter. There is that guy too, just like on the commercial, who gets drunk in Vegas and ends up with a stranger’s name on his back.
The worst times to get a tattoo is when you are drunk, high, in love or vacation. You almost always regret it later. Sometimes a lover is not forever and sometimes people on vacation make terrible decisions when inebriated.
A tattoo should not be too trendy. It should be a part of your self-expression. They can be works of art that display your unique individuality to the world. For instance if you are an art lover a tattoo of Andy Warhol or the Mona Lisa might be appropriate.
Tribal identity is also established by getting a tattoo. For instance a cross can indicate a Christian, the Serenity an AA member and an anchor the member of the Navy. Tattoos can also symbolize an epiphany or leap of faith. An example is the lung cancer sufferer who gets a tattoo of the wind blowing after successful chemotherapy.
Many tattoos are about spiritual protection. Many taxi drivers have a tattoo of St. Christopher, the patron saint of travel, tattooed on their body. In the Middle East the tattoo of an evil eye is quite common. Tattoos are also sometimes meant to enhance luck. Pairs of dice, four leaf clovers and images of Greek Goddesses denote luck.
Guardian angels, ascended masters and totem animals and symbols are also good choices of tattoos. Fairies, hummingbirds and butterflies are also common images. The bluebird of happiness is a very common tattoo for women.
Tattoos are also memorials. Sometimes they are commissioned to commemorate a celebrity, pet or relative. Common celebrity portraits that are seen as tattoos for women are Betty Boop, Marilyn Monroe and Bette Page.
One of the most popular tattoos for young women is the one that is splayed across the lower back. This became very popular after Angelina Jolie got one. The theory behind this is that the image helps open up the base chakra (at the bottom of the spine) and helps you exude sexual energy.