20 Beautiful Spiritual Tattoos to Express your Soulfulness

Even though the general and widely accepted conception of the tattoos still remains that they represent a certain set of behaviors that represent rebellious behavior however with time, people have become more accepting of the concept.  

Tattoos can be more than just personal rebellion, in some traditions it holds deeper and spiritual meanings. Ancient Egyptians had a belief system in their tribes that tattoos protected the bearers from illnesses and bad luck.  

Some of these ancient stories talk about tribes that believed tattoos were a way to connect the person to the afterlife since that was the only thing that a person could take with them to the life after death. None of the riches or the wealth could accompany a person if they were buried in a grave, however, the state of their body went with them.  

People could be attracted to and intrigued by body tattoos for a lot of reasons, despite how painful it can be physically. Some people get tattoos because they simply find them interesting and appealing. However, others may find something that carries immense meaning in their life and is relatable enough to get their bodies imprinted with those words or symbols forever. 

People also get tattoos because of their cultures, as is evident through the ancient Egyptian example given before, there are certain cultures in the world that hold spiritual value in getting tattoos on your body. It's the core sign of some cultures, and it's necessary to keep the tradition going in order to keep the culture alive across generations. 

Some people just like how a tattoo looks on people, and appreciate the art. While others do it to express their individuality; opting for symbols or words that hold some meaning for them, instead of just randomly deciding to get a cliché butterfly. It becomes a permanent part of your existence and therefore it's understandable to want something so evident and thoughtful that stands apart.    

Are you into Greek mythology? There is a Greek God to represent the spirit and strength that you would like to draw from. This sleeve tattoo is one of the many spiritual tattoos out there that illustrates Hercules, where the tattoo symbolizes strength in yourself and determination. The horse signifies a lot of things amongst which endurance, patience, speed, nobility, and compassion are just a notable few. 

This tattoo has illustrations of the Virgin Mary and the angels. If you look closely the illustration of Mary is seen praying, which shows and depicts the true strength of prayer and one's belief in it, and how even the greatest humans of our history have found their way through prayers and persistent worship.

The following tattoo has a very strong and elaborate illustration of an angel, and a man, along with a clock. The tattoo signifies three of the creations of God that hold significance: the angel, God’s faithful servants that do not deviate from his orders; the mankind, beings with the power of making choices; and time that plays a very significant role in the way the world works.  

This is a rather colorful and beautifully illustrated tattoo of a Hindu Goddess. The Hindu culture has many Gods and Goddesses, but each of them holds a significant place in the way a Hindu community works. The Goddess in the tattoo is responsible for nature, she is Mother Nature, who controls how nature works around the world.

The above-mentioned tattoo is an extract from the Holy Scriptures of the Bible where they talk about the time when Jesus Christ was crucified and it talks about how he continues to live in the world, despite everyone’s efforts of banishing him. The tattoo also has an illustration of Jesus on the cross.   

This particular tattoo is called the Celtic cross tattoo, this is an ideal option for those that want to emphasize the elements that Christianity mainly portrays. The celtic cross has a circle right around the middle of the plus, which according to some people represents the halo of Jesus Christ. This illustration holds great significance as it represents the most peaceful incarnation, passing on the message of tranquility and love.  

This is a spiritual tattoo that signifies the importance of the ups and downs in life that must be endured to reach the final destination. The life is much like a ship at sea, which goes unsteady at times because of unsteady waters, but if it survives through the storms, it can get to places that it was determined to reach in the first place.  

This tattoo is an original of Aaron Bell. His sketches are a range of things from origins such as Koi, Namakubi, Kirin, Dragons, Oni, Samurai, tigers, hawks, and much more. This one in particular, is a tattoo of the Buddha, signifying an enlightened body, speech, and mind. 

This is the Hamsa tattoo, it symbolizes the hand of God, which protects the bearer from the evils of the world. It is thought to bring the bearer happiness, good luck, and a huge fortune. It is also a symbol of protection in many tribal beliefs, it is said to protect the wearer from 'evil eye'. 

This is a Hindu symbol, which signifies the sound of the universe. It is a sacred syllable in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism, where the symbol is often used as a tattoo to protect anyone from the evils of this world, it is the symbol that aims to unify everything in this universe.  

Dragons, being the mighty mystical creature is often used as a symbol of power, wisdom and strength. This tattoo is a large illustration of a dragon twirled around a Katana sword, signifying the strength of the dragon and sharpness of the Katana sword to protect the ones you love.

This is a tattoo of the eye of Horus, this is an ancient Egyptian symbol which is often used as protection. You would see the eye of Horus as a tattoo on a lot of people that belong to Egyptian areas and tribes; they perceive it as a symbol for protection from the evil eye of the world. 

This tattoo is called the Vegvisir. It illustrates the weapons of Vikings; which tells us that this tattoo hails from the Viking tribes, and they use it for protection. It is often believed that the bearer of this tattoo is blessed with the strength to fight off anything harmful that may come his/her way. In some tribal cultures it is also associated with guidance and direction. 

Made popular by the "Supernatural" TV series, this symbol is said to be very effective against supernatural evils. It keeps the wearer protected from the powers of supernatural creatures, and those around him/her as well.  

This tattoo is called the tree of life tattoo. This signifies the overall circle of life. The tree of life symbolizes the different aspects of life. The roots symbolize that you come from the ground, and grow upwards to become a part of the working universe, all these stages once completed turn you into a complete upstanding tree.  

Have you ever wondered if there was a tattoo that could explain the journey of life, with as little imagery as possible? This is a very common tattoo amongst the present generation, even though it stems from the Buddhist origin of thoughts; it is a symbol that encompasses the process of getting to the phase of enlightenment. The part where the symbol is spiraling shows the struggle of life, and the straight line depicts the path to success once you’ve crossed your hurdles.

This is a tattoo of a saying that talks about how difficult someone’s life is, and how much they go through is a show of how strong they are like people in life. The word storm is used as a symbol for the difficulties that life throws our way, and the word anchor is a symbol for a person’s strength in the times of trial.  

This is a 6500-year-old symbol, that highlights the quests and deep understanding of life and it is based mostly on the number 3 - the trinity. It encapsulates three areas at once, in comparison, it could be talking about the life-death-rebirth cycle, or the past-present-future cycle, or the mind-body-soul.  

This symbol is often seen being used as a tattoo design because it symbolizes life before and after death. The area below the horizontal line signifies the life after death which is perceivably longer, permanent, and more fruitful than the life we're living here. It reminds people that the tests right now are temporary, and will sooner or later crumble with time. It shows that the hardships you face here will be rewarded. It is believed that it stems from the Egyptian culture, and represents the inevitable truth of death. 

The skull tattoo has always been a symbol for the thin line between life and death. However this tattoo is often called the sugar skull tattoo, where it represents the beauty of both life and death, it signifies that there is a life after death and people will receive a worthy prize for their good deeds in the world, and for refraining from the evil ones.

The article discusses various types of tattoos that a person can get for spiritual purposes, for protection and just to depict the real meaning of life.  Each of these tattoos holds specific meanings and therefore have their own individual significance in the bigger picture.

Perhaps some spiritual concepts hold more meaning to you than others, and that's perfectly normal. Our lives are formed as a combination of entirely unique events, which could result in making some spiritual ideas more appealing to you than others. Feel free to discover what you truly relate to, and make your decision freely, after all, it'll stick with you forever!