What Do Owl Tattoos Represent?

What Do Owl Tattoos Represent? For those who have them, tattoos are not just decorations, but rather they are works of art that are filled with meaning, symbolism, style and attitude. Indeed, the decision to get a tattoo is one of the most personal and permanent ones that someone is likely to ever make during the course of their life. Because of this, it’s important to carefully choose the images that you want to put on your body, because tattoos last a lifetime. Out of all the possible designs, symbols, and images out there, animal tattoos make for some of the most meaningful tattoos. In fact, the histories, mythologies, and folklore of many groups of people in the world show that animals had a huge impact in shaping their cultural and spiritual beliefs. Because of this, animal tattoos remain one of the most popular tattoos.

What Does an Owl Tattoo Mean?

Owl tattoo meaning is rich in symbolism. In fact, it is one of the most popular choices among all of the animal tattoos out there today. People get owl tattoos in all kinds of shapes and sizes. True, there is something about owls that causes fascination and awe among their observers. Throughout history, owls have been admired, venerated, feared, and considered both wise and foolish. They have also been associated with witchcraft, the weather, birth, death, and medicine

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Darkness and Wisdom

Many people choose to get owl tattoo designs because they understand and love the owl’s dual symbolism of darkness and wisdom. Even though most associate owls with intellectual wisdom, they are truly connected with the wisdom of the soul. Their ability to see in the darkness symbolizes the idea of seeing past illusions and deceptions. Since the owl can see what others are not able to, it is the heart of true wisdom.

Mysterious

Since owls are nocturnal birds, they are often times seen as being mysterious. This is bolstered by the fact that many people see the night as a time that is full of mystery. Therefore, owls live in the darkness, magic, mystery and ancient knowledge of the night. Owls are also connected closely with the moon. The owl’s close relation to the moon and the night is a huge reason why they are regarded as a bird of intuition. Owls stand for purity of the soul, and are considered guardians of the sacred.

Life Transitions and Maturity

Many cultures see owls as a symbol of great life transitions, meaning important things are on the verge of happening. Many also believe owls are associated with magic, clairvoyance, and astral projection. Those with owl tattoo designs believe that owls symbolize a light that shines through the darkest of times because they are the epitome of vision and hope. Owl tattoos are meaningful and are both attractive and unique. This is most likely why these tattoos are growing in popularity among men and women of all ages.

What Goes With Owl Tattoos?

Make Room for Background & Associated Imagery

Whether you are getting a large owl chest tattoo, or small owl tattoos, it can be difficult to figure out what exactly will go well with it. If you are going with an owl chest tattoo, then the best way to showcase the owl’s power would be to show the owl in flight, and what better place to do that than in large areas like the chest and back. The most logical option would be to have the owl placed among tree branches, stars, and the moon. Most tattoo artists, however, will tell you that owls are usually portrayed with other symbols such as a flower, a key, a clock, or anything else that feels intuitively natural to the person getting the tattoo.

Creative Freedom to Explore Designs

Sometimes, tattoo artists take liberties with the general owl design and create owls with jewels for eyes, or owls that are gripping lanterns within their talons. Since owls are associated with time, many owl tattoos show owls alongside clocks or hourglasses. In addition, many parents will choose to get multiple baby owl tattoos as a symbolic representation of their children. Speaking of children, some people even choose to tattoo their owl alongside of a pussycat, just like in the children’s nursery rhyme, “The Owl and The Pussycat.” Even though black and grey is stunning and can showcase amazing detail, don’t be afraid to infuse some colour into your owl tattoo. Nothing says vibrancy and life like an owl that is radiant with colour.

Other Options

If you want to communicate mystery, then you might want to get a barn owl tattoo since they can rarely be seen when people try to look for them. If it’s class or elegance you’re looking for, then why not get a snow owl that’s depicted in flight among the treetops and mountains. Conversely, if you want to convey evil, darkness, or death, then a simple black and grey owl tattoo will do the trick.