Symbolic Butterfly Tattoos

Butterfly tattoos are popular because the short life of the butterfly is symbolic of the different stages of life that a human being goes through. It also symbolizes the change to a heavenly body from an earthly one. Butterflies are pretty insects and many people associate them with childhood summers and gardens filled with flowers – small wonder that the butterfly is becoming an increasingly popular form of tattoo. There are more than twenty five thousand different types of butterflies in existence so there are plenty of designs to choose from – certainly enough of them to express your own individual style.

Most butterflies have the most beautiful and colorful wings around and as such they are an ideal medium for the tattoo artist, as well as for the individual hoping to express something about themselves. Many ancient people believed that the stages in which the butterfly emerged – from egg to caterpillar, to cocoon and then butterfly was symbolic of the journey of the soul from its earthly body to a heavenly one. Because a butterfly does not live for long once it has finally emerged it has come to represent the fragility of the nature of human life.

Most tattoo artists will have a sketch book showing the different designs they have undertaken and people can choose from these and add to or subtract from the original design as the mood suits them. This is best done in close consultation with the tattoo artist. Alternatively if you don’t see anything you like in the designs that you are shown and you want something that is uniquely yours then you need to lay it out for the tattoo artist. The butterfly is also the stuff of legend. Its rapid change from ugly caterpillar to gloriously beautiful butterfly is represented in Greek myth about Psych who was reputed to have the wings of a butterfly.

When and if you decide to have a tattoo then finding one that is unique to you and expresses what you want to say about yourself can be a somewhat daunting business – there are so many different designs to consider. If you decide to have a butterfly tattoo then before you speak with the tattoo artist it might be good to have at least some idea of the size tattoo you want and the colors you would prefer – remember the aim is to make sure that it is right for you personally. Try searching the internet, but be careful it is all too easy to end up with information overload. However you might stand more chance of seeing something that you might want to wear on your body as a tattoo. It is quite fashionable nowadays for some women to have these tattoos on their ankles. Butterflies can be quite small and are thus the perfect choice for the woman who wants a tattoo but doesn’t want to scream it from the rooftops.