Zodiac Tattoos

Are zodiac tattoos the right choice of tattoo image for you, or will it turn out to be a tattoo you regret? It all depends on your personal relationship with astrology.

Do you consult your horoscope on a regular basis, and have you gone so far as to have a personalized chart done? That indicates that astrology is part of your personal belief system, and that you take it seriously enough to consider zodiac tattoos.

The word zodiac comes from the latin word zodiacus, meaning "circle of animals". The human race has always been fascinated by stars, it's no wonder that zodiac tattoos are so popular.

The ecliptic is divided in 12 constellations and zodiac signs (aka sun signs):

Aries (The Ram): March 21 - April 20

Zodiac symbol:

Noted color: red
Element: fire
Birthstone: diamond
Body Part: head
Motto: I am
Flower: daisy
Positive qualities: rams are adventurous and brave. They understand things quickly, have a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
Negative qualities: the ram is egoistic, they find themselves the most important. They loose their temper easily and can be rude and impulsive.

Taurus (The Bull): April 21 - May 21

Zodiac symbol:
Noted color: pink
Element: earth
Birthstone: emerald
Body Part: ears, neck, throat
Motto: I have
Flower: lilly
Positive qualities: bulls are very practical and have a big sense of responsibility (they are very reliably). They love art, good food and luxury.
Negative qualities: the bull can be possessive, stubborn and lazy. They are materialistic and greedy.

Gemini (The Twins): May 22 - June 21

Zodiac symbol:
Noted color: yellow
Element: air
Birthstone: pearl
Body Part: hands, arms
Motto: I think
Flower: rose
Positive qualities: twins are very communicative and flexible. They are spontaneous, funny, intelligent and like to talk a lot.
Negative qualities: twins can be inconstant and superficial. They have a hard time controlling their nerves.

Cancer (The Crab): June 22 - July 22

Zodiac symbol:
Noted color: silver
Element: water
Birthstone: ruby
Body Part: stomach, breasts
Motto: I feel
Flower: water lilly
Positive qualities: crabs are very sensitive, sympathetic and have a big intuition. They are introvert, caring, adventurous and have a lot of fantasy.
Negative qualities: crabs can be over-sensitive, moody and they have a hard time letting things go.

Leo (The Lion): July 23 - August 22

Zodiac symbol:
Noted color: gold
Element: fire
Birthstone: peridot
Body Part: back
Motto: I create
Flower: poppy
Positive qualities: lions are powerful, confident and creative. They are good leaders and organizers.
Negative qualities: the lion can be dominant and intolerant. They like to be the center of attention.


Virgo (The Virgin): August 23 - September 23

Zodiac symbol:
Noted color: green
Element: earth
Birthstone: sapphire
Body Part: intestines (difficult place to have a tattoo...)
Motto: I analyze
Flower: aloe
Positive qualities: virgins are analytical, modest and clever. They are hard workers and very tidy.
Negative qualities: the virgin can be very critical and choosy. They can have too much attention for details.

Libra (The Scales): September 24 - October 23

Zodiac symbol:
Noted color: blue
Element: air
Birthstone: opal
Body Part: kidneys
Motto: I balance
Flower: cosmos
Positive qualities: the libra is very friendly and charming. He or she is idealistic, romantic and diplomatic. They have a great sense of justice.
Negative qualities: libras are very indecisive and changeable.

Scorpius (The Scorpion): October 24 - November 22

Zodiac symbol:
Noted color: yellow
Element: water
Birthstone: topaz
Body Part: secret parts
Motto: I seek insight
Flower: yoni
Positive qualities: scorpions are very intense and passionate. They have very powerful emotions and the ability to look at the essence of things.
Negative qualities: the scorpion can be jealous, closed, stubborn and sometimes aggressive and cruel.

Sagittarius (The Archer): November 23 to December 22
Zodiac symbol:
Noted color: blue
Element: fire
Birthstone: turquoise
Body Part: hips, thighs
Motto: I seek freedom
Flower: narcissus
Positive qualities: archers are optimistic and sincere. They have a talent for languages, study, philosophy and love nature, sport and games.
Negative qualities: the archer can be restless, extreme, tactless and loud.

Capricorn (The Sea-goat): December 23 - January 19
Zodiac symbol:
Noted color: brown
Element: earth
Birthstone: garnet
Body Part: knees
Motto: I utilize
Flower: carnation
Positive qualities: sea-goats are reliable, determined and hard workers. They are rational, patient and have a lot of discipline.
Negative qualities: they can be strict, miserly and pessimistic. They are prone to depressions.

Aquarius (The Water-bearer): January 20 - February 19

Zodiac symbol:
Noted color: blue
Element: air
Birthstone: amethyst
Body Part: ankles
Motto: I know
Flower: primrose
Positive qualities: the aquarius is very independent, original and inventive. He or she is loyal, rational and very intuitive.
Negative qualities: they can be eccentric, anarchistic and careless.

Pisces (The Fish): February 20 - March 20
Zodiac symbol:
Noted color: silver
Element: water
Birthstone: aquamarine
Body Part: feet (more about foot tattoos ...)
Motto: I believe
Flower: violet
Positive qualities: fish are very friendly, sensitive, humble and flexible. They can be very emphatic and have a strong religious feeling.
Negative qualities: fish can be indecisive, vague and un-earthly.They don't have a lot of will-power and have a hard time organizing their life.

Here are some Zodiac tattoo ideas:

* Zodiac signs: use your zodiac sign as the basis for your tattoo design. Most often tattoo designs of zodiac signs are simple images, but full of symbolism.
* Animals & Flowers: You can have a tattoo of the animal or flower that is connected to your constellation.

* Your element: each zodiac is connected with one of the 4 elements: earth, wind, water or fire. You can combine your element and sign for your zodiac tattoo. Refer to the chart above to find out what the element for your zodiac sign is. The element of the Archer is fire for example, so what about an archer with arrows of fire as a tattoo design? Another obvious example is a fish tattoo in water or a leo tattoo with manes of fire.
* Color: each zodiac is connected with a color (see chart above). You can add more symbolism to your zodiac tattoo by making that color the dominant one.
* Body Part: to add even more symbolism to your zodiac tattoo, you can place it on the body part that is connected with your constellation. If you're a virgo or libra I wouldn't suggest this approach though (see chart above).
* Translate It: translate the name of your constellation or motto in an exotic script. Sanskrit and Tibetan work very well for zodiac tattoos because both the zodiac system and these old languages originate in the same period of time. The first holy books (the vedas) were written in sanskrit and Tibetan is the language used in many Buddhist scriptures. Besides that they are very beautiful and elegant scripts, ideal for the basis of your tattoo design.

* Your loved one(s): while getting a tattoo with your own zodiac sign may be the obvious choice, some people also choose to get a tattoo of a loved one’s sign – a subtler version of the classic tattoo of a lover’s name that so many of us end up regretting! You may also find that several people who are important to you have the same sign, so a single tattoo could be a tribute to all of them.
* Go Tribal: you can use your zodiac sign or animal as a centerpiece for a tribal tattoo design. Or you can have your animal stylized the tribal way.
* The Stars: zodiac tattoos combine well with star tattoos.
* If you do decide to look into zodiac tattoos, don’t overlook the many classic or gothic renditions. They are ornate and very beautiful, suitable for an upper arm or ankle tattoo.

Some zodiac symbol tattoos are more open to interpretation than others, in terms of the images used to portray them. Gemini tattoos, for example, are open to a variety of interpretations. The sign is that of the twins, but there’s almost endless variety in the artistic representations of twins that you can find.

Others, like Libra or Taurus tattoos, are more limited in their representation, but can still be depicted in a variety of styles.

The zodiac system we talked about on this page is the system that's popular in the Western world, but don't forget that other cultures have different systems, like the Chinese zodiac or that from the Native Americans. Their symbols are also a good basis for zodiac tattoos.

Zodiac tattoos symbols are extremely popular, both for aficionados and true believers in astrological influence on our lives and for the individual who just likes the zodiac sign associated with their birthday.*

The zodiac refers to a belt or strip of constellations that are centered on the elliptic path of the earth around the sun (though early believers, of course, thought it was the path of the sun around the earth!). This belt is divided equally into 12 sections, and there is a primary and viewable constellation pattern of stars in each of those sections. Each constellation has an image and a story behind it. Zodiac tattoo designs are artistic renderings of those twelve images.
A Brief History of the Zodiac

There is some disagreement on what the word “zodiac” actually means, but the common viewpoint is that it comes from the Greek word “zôè” (meaning “life”) and the word “diakos” (meaning “wheel”). A similar Greek word, “zoon,” means “animals” or – more correctly – “life beings.” Put together, we see the word zodiac refers to a circle of living beings, both animal and human. Other terms associated with the zodiac are generally Greek in origin, but also include Hellenistic, Arabian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Indian (Sanskrit) language and words.

Our current zodiac symbols have their roots in the ancient Middle East. Written records go back to more than 2000 B.C., but there is evidence that humans have looked to the stars earlier than that. (For example, the Great Pyramid in Egypt was built to line up with the North Star. Knowing the path of the star, astronomers can fix the date of the pyramid’s construction to approximately 4700 B.C.) The study of the stars most likely began in ancient Mesopotamia (now Iraq). The Babylonians developed an early form of writing, known as cuneiform, and began to record their stargazing predictions. At that time, astrological readings were conducted only to benefit the king.

The Egyptians broadened the application, focused mainly around Ra, their sun god. It was Claudius Ptolemy, a Greek scholar and astronomer living in Egypt, who blended the Mesopotamian and Greek views to develop astrology as we now know it. Surprisingly, very little has changed in the images or interpretations since those early days.
Interesting Zodiac Facts

People today like to look at their horoscope in the newspaper, to see what suggestions their astrological sign might have for them. The word “horoscope” also comes from the ancient Greek, and roughly means “look at the hour,” i.e. compare the hour you were born to the placement of the stars in the sky.

When you look at a horoscope, you see that it begins with advice for Aries birthdays (March 21-April 19). Ptolemy fixed his astrological year at the vernal equinox, or the start of spring. Since the zodiac was about life, it made sense to link it to the time of the year when new things started to grow. Our current use of January as the start of the year is a modern day practice by comparison, having been around since only 46 B.C.

When Ptolemy first created his astrological calendar, the constellations selected were correctly aligned overhead. Since constellation paths change over time, the actual stars in the sky no longer match up with the dates associated with them. The rotation moves backward (called equinoctial precession). Now, when we celebrate birthday parties for those born under Aries, the Pisces constellation (soon to move backward to Aquarius) is actually overhead! The stars should properly realign themselves in just under 26,000 years!
Zodiac Tattoo Designs

As you think about your zodiac tattoos designs, there are some points you can consider. First, do you want a zodiac tattoo of the image associated with the constellation (e.g. Aries is a ram), or simply the letter-form glyph (sometimes called a sigul) associated with the constellation (e.g. Aries looks like a “V” with curled down tips, resembling a ram’s horns).

Each zodiac is associated with one of the four elements: earth, air, fire, or water. Each element is linked to certain personality characteristics.

• Earth: uses physical body to make things happen; works hard to achieve goals
• Air: all-pervasive and everywhere; tries to create unification
• Fire: has independent element of self; expresses self without fear
• Water: fluid and self-reflective; sensitive and emotional

One way to custom design your zodiac sign tattoo would be to include artwork representing the corresponding element within your zodiac tattoo designs. For example, Leo the lion is a fire element. How about a lion’s mane made of flames?

As you will see on the pages that follow, each zodiac symbol is also associated with a part of the body, a color, a metal, a flower, and a gem. Different sources sometimes list different characteristics or colors; we’ve included the most popular choices. (Note: some zodiac signs have both an ancient and modern-day gem association. Modern gems will be set apart in parentheses.) Each one even has a food assigned to it, which sign-bearers are recommend to eat for optimum health! While it is not necessary to include these characteristics in your zodiac tattoos, it may help you custom design one that is truly unique. For example, Aquarius is associated with the ankles and shins, the color blue-violet, and the tulip. You could design artwork of a flowing water pitcher, decorated with blue-violet tulips, and have it tattooed on your lower leg.

A word of caution. The practice of astrology is based on ancient world-views that existed before our understandings of modern day science. Repeated scientific studies have found no link between celestial bodies and earthly events. Many western religions have condemned astrology as a form of magic. Thus, you will encounter people who will look down on astrological tattoos and accuse you of being superstitious. If you are really into astrology, and don’t care how people react, then tattoo away.
The twelve signs of the Zodiac are:
Individual Zodiac Tattoos Pages

• Aries the ram, March 21-April 19
• Taurus the bull, April 20-May 20
• Gemini the twins, May 21-June 20
• Cancer the crab, June 21-July 22
• Leo the lion, July 23-August 23
• Virgo the virgin, August 24-September 23
• Libra the scales, September 24-October 22
• Scorpio the scorpion, October 23-November 21
• Sagittarius the archer, November 21-December 21
• Capricorn the (sea)goat, December 22-January 19
• Aquarius the water bearer, January 20-February 18
• Pisces the fish, February 19-March 20

*Though there are also Chinese and (Eastern) Indian zodiac calendars, most of the Western world uses the twelve zodiac symbols presented here. True advocates get heavily involved with complex formulas for mapping out birth charts analyzing ascendant and descendent properties, qualities, triplicities, and quadruplicities. It is not the intent of Tattoo Meanings to instruct people in the construction of these charts. We just want to share the highlights. For more zodiac tattoos information, check our Reference Page for sources you can look to.