If you are the type of person who takes your own inner peace seriously, then you might be very interested in serenity prayer tattoos. These are a collection of tattoo designs meant to bring the famous mantra and prayer to life in tattoo form. Below we will take a look at what these serenity tattoos mean and a few of the ways that you can get them designed on your skin.
The well-known prayer of serenity was written by a devout theologian in the early 20th century and reads “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”. Obviously, that is a pretty long text tattoo, but plenty of people get the entire mantra tattooed on their skin to show how important it has been in their lives.
Three significant concepts are addressed in the prayer, making it an invaluable Christian mantra that is recited to evoke patience and understanding. In some ways, it can be seen as a different kind of highly religious tattoo, while in another way it can be seen as more of a personal mantra that people use. In both cases, people use those words to give them the confidence to approach everything with a clear mind.
There are different versions of the prayer that vary from the original in minor ways; however, each version conveys the same message. The text used in serenity prayer tattoos is completely up to the person getting the tattoo, but in most cases, people decide to stick to the accurate passage as much as they can. Keep in mind that there are a couple of different “official” versions of the passage, so there really isn’t one truly accurate way of getting these words tattooed on your skin.
Serenity, courage, and wisdom are usually highlighted in some way in the design of serenity prayer tattoos. Often, the three words, sometimes God as well, are capitalized or rendered in a larger or more decorative font in order to emphasize the importance of their meaning. Again, there isn’t a single “right” way of designing this mantra, so it really does come down to personal tastes. However, capitalizing those words does seem to be an effective way of making the mantra stand out.
The serenity prayer tattoo is usually separated into six or more lines with each highlighted word placed on its own. This is especially true when people choose to get the tattoo on a larger area of their bodies, such as the back or the chest. However, it can also work on the arm or the leg, though you have to be a bit more creative with your layout in those cases.
Small, intricate details like interlacing knots or floral designs are sometimes added to serenity prayer tattoos to create a fuller and more complex image. What’s pretty cool about this is that you can even add more meaning to the tattoo by choosing specific images and symbols to include. For example, every flower in the world has at least one meaning attached to it, so you can personalize your design by choosing a flower that highlights one of your traits.
Larger Christian insignia is sometimes added to the design as well, often when the script used appears smaller or thinner. This allows for a more fluid appearance rather than having a large or bulky font competing with a large background image. It also helps to emphasize that your tattoo is a religious tattoo and can make the meaning of the words a bit clearer to people who do not recognize them right away.
Praying hands, with or without a rosary, work well with the prayer. Crucifixes are commonly used, enhancing the focus on the word of God. Wings, doves, and other birds add a sense of liberation from anger and frustration, the key message of the prayer. All of these can be added into your serenity prayer tattoo to give the tattoo a bit more meaning and to give your tat a unique look. Of course, it is very important to know the meanings for all of these elements before you decide to add them into your design.
The prayer is often rendered on a scroll or parchment, which illustrates the ancient wisdom of the words, finding peace in times of unease. A cool effect that many people go with is the aged scroll, which clearly shows that you have wise words on your skin and that a lot of people believe in those words. It also has the added benefit of drawing the eye since most people will recognize the words as being important if they are on that old paper.
Additionally, the script can be designed on a banner, often wrapping around a crucifix. This is a great serenity prayer tattoo idea for anyone that wants to place the tattoo on their lower arm or shoulder since that wrapping effect looks very good in those locations.
Sometimes just the words “Serenity, courage, wisdom” are taken from the prayer and used as a smaller and simpler design, serving as a reminder of the prayer. A lot of people prefer to get fewer words in their text tattoos, so this is an excellent way to keep all of the meanings mentioned above without having to cover too much of your skin with the tattoo. Plus, most people will recognize what the tattoo stands for even without the entire prayer being there.
The serenity prayer tattoo has been adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous and used as a mantra of patience and endurance during recovery. The powerful words are often tattooed onto recovering addicts as a symbol of their victory over their addiction. It’s an excellent tattoo idea for anyone who wants that extra bit of motivation to stick to their goal of quitting alcohol. They can look at those words any time that they are tempted to drink and can be reminded that they do, in fact, have the strength the avoid it.
As you can see, there are quite a number of design options that you’ll have if you decide to get a serenity prayer tattoo. That can be a good or a bad thing, depending on who you are. If you aren’t the most creative person in the world, it can be tough to choose the perfect serenity prayer tattoo design for you. If, on the other hand, you love creating unique designs, you will probably love the fact that there are so many options with this tattoo. In either case, you can always work with your tattoo artist to create a design that looks great on your skin.
Placement of serenity prayer tattoos can be tough for some people, but you can often come up with a design that fits exactly where you end up deciding to place it. Since most people will choose to just use the text, they can manipulate the design in a way that makes it fit wherever they want to place it. However, those who choose to add in images or symbols will want to think of placement options as they are designing the tattoo to ensure that it fits right where they want it.
Regardless of how you get a serenity prayer tattoo designed, you should have a top tattoo artist make this meaningful tattoo for you. They will recognize the importance of the tattoo and will make sure to ink every little detail of it the way that you want it. You most certainly do not want to walk into a random tattoo shop and just hope that they do the job correctly. Look at some local artists’ portfolios either online or in person and then make your decision.
Hopefully now you have a much better understanding of what serenity prayer tattoos are and why so many people decide to get them. They are great text tattoos that have a heavy dose of meaning behind them, so these are definitely not the type of tattoos that people end up regretting. If you want to get a serenity prayer tattoo, be sure to come up with a design that fits where you need it to fit and then hire a good artist to apply it on your skin for you.