Angel tattoos and their meaning
Angel tattoo is one of the most popular and widespread. It obviously has religious meaning and regarded as a symbol of devotion, closeness to the spiritual world, faith in God. Also angels always symbolized divinity, airiness, immaculacy, purity and light. All of this, probably, explains the desire of many people to depict an angel on their body.
There are several types of angels: seraphim, cherubim, angels and fallen angels as well. Seraphim and angels are depicted as women and cherubim – as children or men.
But all of them have such common characteristics as wings and nimbuses overt their heads. With a help of wings angels convey words that were addressed to God.
The actual word angel is derived from a Greek and translated as 'messenger'. It is generally believed that angels are God’s entourage, His envoys and intermediary between material and spiritual world, life and death, man and God. They play role both of person’s advocate and chastiser of guilty one.
According to angelic hierarchy the highest and closest to God are six-winged seraph (red) and cherub (blue), then go dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, thrones and archangels.
Each person has his own guardian angel who cares for him and protects his soul.
According to Church doctrine angels and cherubim are defined as invisible spiritual creatures who are immortal from the moment of their creation. They symbolize all good things in human life (birth of children, beauty of nature, love to God).
Angels are mainly depicted as young beautiful fellows, girls or children with shiny wings and nimbus, wearing white robes and soaring in the sky. Angels are present at all religions, but are the most widespread in Christianity.
The most common attributes of angels are trumpets, harps, swords, staffs, censers, scepters or warders.
With a help of angel tattoo people try to express different feelings, such as remembrance of lost beloved (depicted as crucified angel) or declaration of new love (Cupid), desire to start a new life, to find protection from various troubles and failures in life (guardian angel) but also longing for punishment and vengeance (avenging angel), adherence to evil’s forces (Lucifer – the fallen angel).
Angel tattoos are more popular among girls and women, but men also often apply these tats.
The most common places to get angel tattoos are forearms, breast, abdomen, back (especially for wings of angels). Rarely you can see angel tattoos on the inner wrist, ankle or feet. Sometimes the whole families get angel tattoos for the purpose of protection their relatives.