When it comes to choosing a tattoo, thinking about what represents you as a person and your personal characteristics can be a good place to start.
Your birthdate and zodiac sign can serve as amazing inspiration for a tattoo.
Plus, while your relationship status or your favorite book or movie might change, one thing that isn’t going to change about you is your birth date, so you won’t have to worry about your tattoo becoming irrelevant.
What Is Astrology?
Throughout time, humans have looked towards the heavens and been fascinated by the stars and planets.
We have spent countless hours studying the movements of celestial bodies, letting our imaginations run wild with countless possibilities about why they move and function the way they do, and even sent machines and people to get a better understanding of what space actually is.
From the study of the heavens, humanity has developed astrology, the belief system that states that the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets at the time of a person’s birth have a direct influence on that person’s character.
Astrology isn’t a science, so it’s best not to approach it as such. According to Café Astrology,
“It is a good idea to approach Astrology as an imperfect language. Even if it were perfect, we are not, so our interpretations can never be considered anywhere close to perfect.”
Sun Sign Vs Moon Sign
Most people think that they know their star sign – it’s just based on the day that you were born, so it’s easy enough to figure out. However, there is a lot more to star signs than that.
When people tell you their star sign, they are usually referring to their sun sign. If you are interested in diving deeper into your natal chart, you just need the time and place of your birth to gain a fuller picture of your personality and what drives you.
While your sun sign represents what you show the outside world, your moon sign represents your inner being.
“…your moon sign reveals the ever-changing ways you’re impacted by experiences. Just as the moon reflects the sun, your moon sign reveals your innate reactions to life’s experiences. It’s your internal monologue, the key to understanding your emotional profile,”
Allure
Maybe you are a Virgo who hates responsibility, or a Leo that struggles with self-confidence, so you’ve never found much relevance in your star sign – taking a deeper dive into the world of astrology and discovering your moon sign could be revealing.
Besides sun and moon signs, your birth chart also includes your rising sign, inner and outer planets, as well as your ruling planets – there is a lot to unpack, and a lot to be inspired by when it comes to choosing a tattoo.
Different Representations
If you find profound meaning and connection with your sun or moon sign, or maybe your ruling planet, there are a variety of ways to depict this with a tattoo.
Each sign has their own specific symbol or glyph, some have animals, and all have a particular constellation. Most of the stories behind the names of the zodiac signs have origins in Greek mythology, so there is definitely an amazing tale behind your sign.
Capricorn: The Sea Goat
Practical and patient, the sign of Capricorn is represented by the sea goat, a mythological creature with the body of a goat and tail of a fish.
Pricus, the last sea goat, kept losing his children to the land – no matter what he did, they continued to leave the sea and become regular goats. Saddened by this, he asked Chronos to let him die.
“Chronos instead allows him to live out his immortality in the sky, as the constellation Capricorn. Now he can see his children even on the highest mountain tops from the stars,”
Gods and Monsters
An inking of a sea goat can be quite striking. Due to the animal’s most prominent feature (besides the tail), horns are also a way to represent this sign – horns on mermaids or half goat people can definitely make for unique designs.
Gemini: The Twins
Gentle, affectionate, and curious, yet also prone to nervousness and inconsistency according to Astrology Zodiac Signs, Gemini is represented by twins.
The constellation is named after the twins Castor and Pollux in Greek mythology.
“When Castor was killed in battle, Pollux pleaded with Zeus to bring him back. Zeus agreed to immortalize both Castor and Pollux, if they spend half of their time on the Earth and the other half amongst the stars in the heavens,”
Globe at Night
There are many different routes you can take with twins: from angel and demon symbolism, to two faces on the same body. Due to the Greek origin, twin goddesses or gods is an amazing way to represent this sign.
Sagittarius: The Archer
A centaur carrying a bow and arrow – there’s a lot to work with here.
Optimists, adventure-lovers, and commitment-phobes, this sign was inspired by Chiron who was accidentally shot with a poisoned arrow by Hercules.
“Being immortal, Chiron could not die but was pained by the poisoned arrow. In order to die, Chiron offered to replace Prometheus who was punished by the gods for giving fire to man. As Chiron gave up his immortality to release Prometheus from his chains, Zeus king of the gods saw the kindness of Chiron and immortalized him in the stars,”
Globe at Night
A bow and arrow is one of the most popular ways to represent this zodiac sign. Other components to include are fire, as this is the natural element associated with this sign, and Jupitar, its ruling planet.
Aquarius: The Water Bearer
Rebels as heart, this constellation gets its cupbearer imagery from the story of Zeus sending his eagle, Aquila, to kidnap the boy, Ganymede, who became the cupbearer to the gods.
While the element of Aquarius is air, the glyph representing this sign looks like waves, as it represents water. So, both the sign for air and waves would work well as a tattoo for an Aquarian.
The image of a water vessel being poured is a popular choice for this sign.
“The water pouring out from the vessel represents a strong desire for freedom” – ideal for this free-spirited sign.
Our Mindful Life
Pisces: The Fishes
Compassionate and artistic, this zodiac sign is represented by two fishes and the element of water.
The story behind this constellation’s name may come from pre-Greco-Roman times,
“In Syrian mythology, the fish were known as Ichthyes. They helped save Ashtarte, the Syrian version of Aphrodite, by taking her down the river Euphrates.”
Under Lucky Stars
Goldfish, koi, scales, and waterlilies (the flower of the sign) are all popular tattoo choices for those born under this constellation.
Aries: The Ram
Another fire sign, Arieans are known for their strength and bravery. This is well suited to the story behind the sign – one of a golden fleeced ram who saved a pair of twins.
A popular depiction for this sign is a horn, or a pair of horns. A ram’s horns are a powerful symbol, as they are the animal’s main way of defending itself.
Tattoos featuring woman and goddesses with curved ram’s horns is a striking choice for this sign.
Taurus: The Bull
Reliable and stubborn, the story of the bull of the stars,
“commemorates the god Zeus changing himself into a beautiful white Bull to win the affections of the Phoenician princess Europa,”
Earth Sky
This down-to-earth sign’s flower is a rose, definitely one of the most popular flowers to get tattooed.
Also, like its Aries cousin, horns are a prominent feature in Taurus themed tattoos. The great strength of the bull along with the romanticism of a rose representing their softer side can be an incredible juxtaposition of Taurus traits.
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Scorpio: The Scorpion
This water sign, known for its determination and strength, is ruled by two planets: Pluto and Mars.
The story behind the scorpion is one of murder. The myth is that Orion, the son of Poseidon, was killed by a giant scorpion, after which Zeus put both of them in the heavens as constellations.
While getting inked with a scorpion might be the obvious choice, there are ways to soften the intense creature up. Chrysanthemums (this sign’s birth flower), waves, and the ruling planets are creative ways to add extra dimensions to this sign.
Libra: The Scales
The diplomat of the star signs, Libras are known for their strong sense of justice – it’s no wonder that scales represent this sign.
“Libra represents balance and justice, harmony and equilibrium. In Greek Mythology, the Goddess of Justice is Themis. She is usually seen as a woman who is blindfolded holding the scale in her hands,”
Greek Mythology
Balance is the key component of this sign. While you can make a tattoo design of scales your own with different elements, you can also view balance in other ways, such as the art of stone balancing.
Leo: The Lion
Known for their confidence and protectiveness, Leo is a fire sign and its constellation is one of the largest in the galaxy.
This constellation is named after the mythical Greek lion which Hercules had to kill as part of his 12 Labors.
There are many eye-catching ways to go about a lion tattoo. From a large realistic tattoo complete with powerful mane, to a simple geometric design.
For a tamer version of this tattoo, you could choose a design of your beloved feline.
For Leos who don’t want to go the obvious lion route, this sign is ruled by the fieriest planet of them all: the Sun. This can make for a simple tattoo for those aiming for the minimalist look.
Cancer: The Crab
Known for their emotional depth, the crab of the zodiac gets its symbolism from the story of an assassin crab sent to kill Hercules. When Cancer failed, his employer, Hera, placed him among the stars to as a way to say,
“thanks for trying”
This sign is ruled by the moon and its element is water. With this in mind, an ideal tattoo for Cancerians would be waves. For a less watery and more heavenly depiction, the phases of the moon can make an arresting spine or forearm tattoo.
There are many ways to go about a crab tattoo – from realism to a simple outline. Or, you could add the constellation to the design, or the birth flower of this sign, delphinium.
The more complex you go with the design, the bigger the overall tattoo would become to make sure the details aren’t lost.
Virgo: The Maiden
The perfectionist of the zodiac, this sign is represented by the goddess of wheat and agriculture, Persephone, and her story is an explanation of why winter visits the Northern Hemisphere every year.
This goddess was kidnapped by the god of the underworld. Her mother was so devastated, that she turned some parts of the world into a wasteland.
Zeus, in an effort to fix this, ordered that Persephone be returned as long as she ate nothing from the underworld. Alas, she was tricked into eating a pomegranate.
“Persephone was given back to her mother, but Persephone – because of the pomegranate – has to return to the underworld for four months every year. To this day, spring returns to the Northern Hemisphere when Persephone is reunited with Demeter, but the winter season reigns when Persephone dwells in the underworld,”
Earth Sky
A goddess tattoo is an amazing way to represent Virgo, plus you can customize it with the sign’s glyph and flower, morning glory.
Choosing a design for a new tattoo can be a difficult decision. Narrowing your choices down to what has meaning and what’s personal to you – like your star or moon sign, or a combination of both – is one way to make sure you won’t regret your ink.
