Butterfly Tattoos

Butterfly tattoos almost always denote the feminine touch and are very popular among young women and girls. And rightfully so as its fragile elegance and brightly colored mantle instinctively reminds us of the female side of our nature. But, butterfly tattoos are not just superficial adornments because they are also ripe with symbolic meaning. The butterfly is seen as a transformational creature. As a matter of fact, In Greek mythology, Psyche was represented in art with butterfly wings. The creature starts out as a caterpillar emerging from it’s cocoon and eventually evolves into a mystical and magical creature of the air. This was a metaphor for the Greeks of the evolution of the human soul. Bursting forth from our mother’s womb, moving through adulthood and old age and emerging reborn through our deaths. To the Greeks, a human soul emerged each time a butterfly emerged from its cocoon. Souls were carried by the butterfly from earth to heaven, or in some cases were believed to be the souls themselves returning to earth to once again be reborn. Thus, it can easily be seen how the butterfly tattoo is not only a symbol of beauty and femininity but also one that is representative of our innate spirituality.

This is an excellent example of a butterfly tattoo. The design almost has a tribal motif to it and yet is wonderfully shaded in blue. Butterfly tattoos have become very popular these days and they are often the most requested of tattoo designs especially among young women. Butterfly tattoo designs of course are popular among many women just because they look so damn good. And, of course butterfly tattoos have a deep symbolic meaning behind their delicate natures. We all know that a butterfly begins it’s life as a caterpillar and goes through a major metamorphosis as it goes on it’s journey to become a butterfly. It makes itself it’s own cocoon and then emerges a little while later as an amazing butterfly. This transformation made many cultures believe it had magical powers. And the transformation of this lovely insect into a winged creature made many cultures invent symbolism about this insect that compared it to the spiritual qualities of human life. In Greek mythology, the butterfly is often a representation of the mind or subconscious. Now, that you know the symbolism behind the butterfly tattoo, does it inspire you to get your own?