The Many Types and Meanings of the Angel Tattoo

Believe it or not, angel tattoo designs are one of the most commonly searched for on the internet. Partly this is because they are popular with both men and women, as well as among Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Zoroastrians. The biggest reason angel tattoos are so popular, however, is that angels symbolize many different things to different people, including peace, beauty, love, remembrance, morality, religion, faith & devotion, spirituality, guidance, protection, and a personal relationship with God. On the other hand, they can also represent strength, power, vengeance, fallibility, and the eternal struggle between good and evil.

WHAT IS AN ANGEL?

Angels are powerful supernatural being usually portrayed as a human with large feathered wings and a glowing halo over their heads as a sign of their divinity. Although Biblically angles were almost always male (if they had and gender at all), they are frequently also portrayed as female in contemporary artwork. There are messengers between the material and divine worlds, carrying out God's messages, protection, and punishments among humanity. There are several different types of angel tattoos. Each one symbolizes a slightly different view on angels and the wearer's beliefs and values.

GUARDIAN ANGELS

 In the Catholic faith, God has assigned a Guardian Angel to each and every human on earth to protect them, especially during times of crisis, and to help and guide them in attaining their eternal salvation. They are often depicted holding or keeping watch over children. Guardian Angels are the most religious of the angel tattoos, symbolizing faith and devotion, guidance and protection, a link to the spiritual word, and the wearer's personal relationship with God. Another type of Guardian Angel is the Tombstone Angel. These angels are usually depicted, either smiling or weeping, over, behind, or beside a tombstone usually bearing the name of a loved one. Such tattoos almost always symbolize memory and remembrance for one who has died.

ARCHANGELS

There are seven Archangels that stood before God in the Revelation. They are the "royalty" of the angels, the most powerful, and closest to God. They led the army of loyalist angles that cast Lucifer out of heaven in a great heavenly battle. Archangels are often portrayed in armor, wings spread out, and holding a sword. Archangels symbolize divine will, strength, and power, the struggle between good and evil, and even righteous vengeance.

CHERUBS

Cherubs are babies or very young children, usually rather chubby, with small, feathered wings, often portrayed sitting on clouds. Such tattoos often symbolize innocence, "faith like a child", peace, and happiness. Cherubs don't appear in the Bible, instead emerging during the Renaissance, possibly inspired by Cupid, the Roman god of romantic love and beauty (whose physical appearance resembled angels and Christians envision them). These tattoos are symbols of beauty, romantic love, and devotion to your lover. Cupid is often depicted wearing a while loincloth and holding a bow & arrow with heart-shaped arrowheads. Often a banner bearing the name of the wearer's loved one is close by.

FALLEN ANGELS

 Fallen angels are the angels that fought with Lucifer during the great war in heaven. During the Great Fall, they were cast out of heaven and into Hell as punishment for their treason. Fallen Angels went on to become agents of the devils. In tattoos, they are often portrayed as dark angels, often drawn in darker and heavier ink. They are often wearing battle-scarred armor, holding a bloody sword, with their wings scorched, torn, and scared. Although many assume a tattoo of a Fallen Angel symbolized evil and an association with Satan, this is not necessarily the case. The wearer has chosen a Fallen Angel instead of a Demon or Devil for a reason. Fallen Angels symbolize fallibility and yielding to temptation and sin (particularly pride). They symbolize the losing side of the constant battle between good and evil, and may represent the wearer's feeling that they have fallen from grace, or that they made a serious mistake they regret and are living with the consequences.

ANGEL WINGS

One tattoo gaining in popularity is a pair of feathered wings tattooed on the back, symbolically turning the person into an angel. Some wing tattoos cover the full length of the back, while smaller ones fill just the upper back. Angel Wing tattoos are usually done in heavy black ink.