Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, one of the many rosary tattoos out there could be a great way to show your pride in your religion while also getting a very attractive tattoo.
There are many places you can place your rosary tattoo and even more designs to choose from. Below we will take a look at why rosary tattoos have shot up the ranks of top religious tattoos and why one of these designs might be great for you.
In Christianity, Catholicism focuses on the worshipping of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit through indirect communication. This places incredible significance on the Saints, Apostles, and Mary the Virgin Mother of God. The rosary seeks to communicate with God through repetitious and methodical prayer and it helps people to worship. Rosary tattoos allow those same people to be able to do this worship without having to have the physical beads in hand, or simply show their love for their religion in tattoo form.
Each bead of the rosary represents the sequence of prayers that are to be said in order to complete the rosary. Rosaries are carried by priests, nuns, and devote worshippers. Design-wise, you will probably want to include every bead found in a real rosary if you plan on “using” it as one. Of course, if you are getting the tattoo simply as a meaningful religious symbol, then you can have as many or as few beads as you like. It all comes down to your preference, though the majority of rosary tattoos out there are quite realistic.
Rosaries have made a popular and beautiful image for tattoos to convey a complete dedication to the word of God. In most cases, this is the primary meaning that people want to get across to outsiders, though more meanings can be used. The truth is that these are quite personal tattoos, so it’s more important what the rosary means to you rather than thinking about what other people will think of the design you choose.
Often pictured with a cross, a bible, or praying hands, the rosary is an instant identifier of a believer of the Christian faith. The other religious symbols that you include with your rosary tattoo come down to what meanings you want to use and how you want your whole design to look. You should also think about the size that you want and where you want the tattoo to be placed so you can ensure that everything will fit perfectly.
Although it is specifically used by Catholics for prayer, the rosary is a symbol ubiquitous to all Christians. This means that you shouldn’t think that you can’t get a rosary tattoo if you’re not a Catholic, nor should you assume that someone who has a rosary tattoo is a Catholic. Still, more often than not these tattoo designs are found on Catholics more than any other Christian religion.
Traditionally, the sequence of the prayers is ten Hail Mary’s followed by the Lord’s Prayer and then the Glory Be prayer. This is continued until the beads on the string are completed. Other prayers are often inserted into the sequence. If you do get a rosary tattoo, you can actually use the beads in the design to do that same sequence of prayers.
The image of the rosary, consisting of 55 beads, 50 in a loop with a tail of 5 beads, usually has a crucifix at the end in both real and tattoo form. In tattoos, part of the design can be brought to the forefront, though most people opt to get their rosaries as realistic looking as possible. The crucifix can be as simple as two lines crossing to a highly detailed cross with Jesus hanging from it. The design will come down to your tastes and how much money you want to put into the tattoo.
The rosary is meant to remind worshippers of the stories of Jesus and Mary during his lifetime. The significance of the mother is emphasized with the rosary, highlighting her crucial role is Jesus’ development. This is the perfect Christian tattoo to get if you wanted to include both Jesus and Mary into the design without actually having to get their portraits. Many people like to think of both of their stories, and the rosary tattoo can be used as both a motivator and a way to make Christians happy.
The rosary is meant to be worn as a reminder of the suffering of Christ and also as protection against Satan. If you get your rosary tat to remind yourself about Jesus’ suffering, you might want to include Jesus on the crucifix to make this meaning clear. When using the protection meaning, most people will choose to get their rosary tattoos either over their hearts or somewhere around their hands. They can look at the tattoo whenever they need to help staying focuses and avoiding negative temptations.
The placement of the rosary is not necessarily important but can hold personal meaning for each individual. Some people might want to place their rosaries in a very public place so they can always look at it when they want or need to. Others might want to cover it up a bit more for whatever reason, so they could get it on their leg, back, or another private area.
The placement of rosary tattoos will not inherently change its meaning too much, so you really can place this type of design anywhere you want to. However, you can choose to add in more meaning with its placement, which we will get too next.
Tattooed across the chest, the rosary could symbolize protection of the heart and desires. This could work very well for anyone who wants to show that their religion is what they hold closest to their hearts. To make a rosary tattoo work in this area, many people will wrap the beads around their heart areas and have the crucifix drape downward.
When the image is placed on the foot, it can symbolize protection and good fortune in movement and travels through one’s life. This is actually the perfect way to get the “protection” meaning included with your rosary tattoo. Of course, some people won’t want to put their rosaries on their feet, in which case you can just use that meaning no matter where you place it.
Placed on the wrist, hands, or forearm, the rosary is a reminder of one’s faith and devotion to that faith. This meaning comes with having the tattoo in such a public location. It shows that you are proud of your religion and feel great to know that you can just look down at your arm or hand and be reminded on your devotion. This is also an excellent location for a rosary design if you want to use it while praying without having to have the physical beads in your hands.
No matter what type of rosary tattoo you choose to get, you should definitely look into getting the work done by an artist who has experience doing religious tattoos. These aren’t usually extremely complex designs (though they can be), but you want the beads to be shaped correctly with no mistakes, and you will want the crucifix (if you include one) to mesh well with the beads. A top tattoo artist in your area will recognize how important your rosary tattoo is to you and will make sure that you get exactly what you imagined.
What’s great about rosary tattoos is that they are not the type of designs that people end up regretting later on in life. They are extremely personal and meaningful to their owners and they can be placed absolutely anywhere on the body. If you do plan on getting a rosary tattoo, take your time with the design process, think of the perfect place to put it, and work with an artist who will draw the design exactly as you want it.