A feather tattoo has been very common over the years for the young and old fellows. The tattoo has also, however, prevailed among women since the feather is not as indiscriminate as scary animals like scorpions or snakes. Feathers have been a symbol of heritage, especially among the Native Americans, although that’s not the only reason the feather tattoos are popular. Whereas some get the tattoos to honor their origins, others would get the tattoo as a means of communication to the spiritual world or for beauty purposes.

Feather tattoos originated in America and were a symbol of death or were used to represent the spirits of the birds. It was important as it played a role in spiritual protection just like amulets do in other cultures. This is because birds’ spirits are considered powerful in cleansing spirits. When a feather was waved over a sacred fire, it was to appease souls or express gratitude to the bird spirits. Ancient Americans would wear feathered headdresses or cloaks to represent class in ceremonies. At times, they were worn by spiritual masters and to honor the brave hearted.

Among celestial beings, Morrigan wore an intricate cloak of mostly raven feathers to allow himself to transform into a bird. It was said that transforming into a bird allowed him to get higher reasoning, travel faster, and get insight about people`s motives. The Druids (medicine men) wore feathery robes also during their special celebrations. In ancient Egypt, the feather tattoo was a representation of the wisdom of Goddess Maat. During a ceremony known as “mummification,” Anubis and Maat compared the weight of a heart against the weight of a feather. The weight of a feather portrays lightness in giving, thus showing the purity of the soul.

The Hindus also knew of the feather tattoo and designs, and they loved the peacock feather especially because to them it was a symbol of kindness, luck, and compassion. In Greek mythology, feathers from a phoenix were a promise of eternal life. In ancient Christianity particularly, three feathers made into signet rings represented virtue; hope, faith, and charity. The three-feather tattoo is almost never used, but the option for typing designs has worked. Angel wings, although they are not from birds, are assumed to be feathers and are symbols of protection.

The tattoos have insinuated a wide range of meanings such as independence, truth, magic, dreams, hope, honor, and liberty. Most of the commonly used feather tattoos are from the eagle, owl, peacock, ostrich, and seagull. The eagle feather tattoo is a symbol of courage and resilience. Military officers are more frequently known to have feather tattoos than the rest of the people. The owl feathers tattoo is a symbol of mystery and intelligence since the bird is known for being an agent of death in the magic or sorcery world. The peacock tattoo with its staunch beauty is a symbol of beauty, pureness, pride, and renewal in Christianity. On the other hand, the seagull tattoo portrays love for the oceans or rising above life`s tidings.

Colors also influence meanings in any type of tattoo. White feathers are a symbol of a new beginning or innocence, especially for the dream chasers. Red would obviously portray romance and passion, while yellow would be for the glow of intelligence.

In the end, feather tattoos are a brilliant choice to go along with other tattoos as a nice complement, or they can be simply done alone and still bring out that effect of awesomeness.