So many of us have tattoos today that it is almost impossible to find that fresh, unique idea that no one has ever thought of before, and what’s more if you do end up finding just the tattoo, you need to love it enough to have it on you permanently. The big question is where do you find this perfect tattoo? And there is no one answer to this question.

It is way better to get a tattoo of something you are passionate about than get a tattoo design that is popular. Trends change all the time and so do our ideas of what’s “cool”. It’s quite rare that a person’s love for something will change – quite often people grow fonder of their one true passion with time (like music or cats).

Simply looking up designs may cause a great deal of confusion. If you first decide in your mind what you want then you will find that there are plenty of resources to help you adapt your idea into a tattoo. You don’t have to be a great artist – If you have the idea any tattoo artist worth his / her salt will be able to flesh it out for you.

A good practice is to keep writing them down as you get these ideas. Make sure you have quite a few to choose from, before you refer back to them and pick your winner. Sometimes you find great tattoo ideas in the most unlikely places – keep an eye out for great ideas and make a note of them (I like to take pictures of all that I like, with the camera in my phone)

Tattoo Conventions are a great source for brilliant tattoo ideas. Artists display their work at these conventions. I’ve found that looking at tattoos on a live person often gives you a better idea of what it would be like than looking at them in a magazine or online. And where else can you find a large gathering of tattooed people than in tattoo conventions?!

Of course the other options are magazines, tattoo books and online galleries. Several of these online galleries (like ours) are free and so are all reference books in the library. All you need is patience and perseverance and I promise you – you’ll find that unique design!

She is not known for flaunting her tattoos as much as some of the other actresses and musicians, nevertheless, she has quite a collection. Vivica has a rose and a bunch of vines on her lower back. She calls them her “handle bars” (for what reason? I could only but guess)

She also has a tattoo of a tiny fox on her right arm. Is it a coincidence that her last name is also Fox? Maybe not! According to Native North American mythology a fox is representative of a trickster. A fox is known for its intelligence, its surprising cleverness in escaping traps – eluding predators and going about its environment at night. It represents a morally neutral person; someone unpredictable! Given Vivica’s part Native American descent, it is possible that the fox tattoo represents all those things.

Vivica also has a small tattoo ring around one of her toes (purely esthetic I suppose), a large cross on her back (right shoulder blade) and a vertical line of three Chinese language characters.

It is believed that even back then, the symbol has significant religious attachments. Some associate the use of the cross symbol to the use of the early swastika symbol (which looks very much like a cross minus the handles). It is believed that this early symbol represented the tools used in igniting a fire and eventually became a symbol of the sacred fire or a symbol of the Sun. It is also believed to be representative of lightning or the god of the tempest. It is seen as the emblem of the ancient Aryan civilization (now adopted by the Hindu people. The Hindu swastika symbol looks very much like the Nazi German symbol but means something else).

Another such connection made to the contemporary cross is that of the ancient Egyptians – the ansated cross (also known as the Ankh or crux ansata). It is the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic character that reads “eternal life”. The Egyptian gods of old are often depicted carrying this in their hand. It is believed that the Egyptian Christians (otherwise known as Coptic Christians) later adopted this symbol – perhaps drawn by its form or meaning – as the sign of the cross.

Cross tattoos are famous among men (worn on the shoulders, back, forearm). Women have a (usually) smaller and more feminine version (on the foot, ankle, hand, lower back).

The term fairy brings to mind the picture of a tiny human like magical creature with transparent wings – for instance tinker bell; but fairies were not always that cute. Folklore has it that fairies were initially depicted as tall, glowing, angelic beings or a shorter shriveled trolls! Their wings – another trademark of fairies today – are supposed to have become common in the Victorian era and in later works. The fairies of folklore although they flew, dint have wings. They flew magically – however small they were – sometimes on ragwort (a kind of flower) stems and sometimes on the backs of birds.

In some, other animals have also been described as fairies. This can be attributed to the fairy’s magical ability to change shapes. Like wise their tiny forms were magically assumed and not their original size. Much of the folklore talks about protection from their wickedness – you see fairies are not all angels! It is said that cold iron is fairies like kryptonite to superman. Some charms of rowan and herbs are also used to keep them away. Stories are told of them stealing babies and kidnapping older people as well. Some describe them as having green eyes and those using words to confuse people since they cannot lie. They are also often shown as ones that bite! They hate being thanked as they see it as a sign of someone who forgets the good deed done. They’d prefer a different sign that will guarantee remembrance.

Reverend Robert Kirk, Minister of the Parish of Aberfoyle, Stirling, Scotland, in 1691 wrote: “These Siths or Fairies they call Sleagh Maith or the Good People…are said to be of middle nature between Man and Angel, as were Daemons thought to be of old”. Some believe they are the dead or a particular class of the dead. A few other are of the opinion that they are “demoted angels”. After the angels’ revolt, when God shut the gates of heaven those that stayed in heaven became angels, those that were in hell became devils and those stuck in between became fairies.

In the Hindu culture the fish symbolizes marriage. It is said that when a bride first steps into her husband’s house, she carries a fish in her hand; and the most popular fish symbol is that of the astrological Pisces – two of them swimming in opposed directions.

Before the advent of today’s mainstream religions the symbol – a pointed oval – known as Vesica Piscis meaning fish bladder in Latin, was associated with fertility (and the feminine reproductive power).

In early church history the symbol was used as a secret code. Back in the day Christianity was not ‘allowed’ and Christians were persecuted for their faith; the early Christians drew the fish symbol on the walls of their houses to indicate to other secret Christians that it was a safe place for a gathering or worship. It was eventually included in the Christian church décor. The Greek word – Ichthus – for fish came to symbolize Jesus himself.

For most aboriginal people especially those that lived by the seas, fish were their primary source of food. The salmon, among all, has come to be the most venerated. It became a symbol of fertility, wealth and abundance.

According to Celtic myth the fish is a symbol of wisdom. Celtic myth tells the tale of how the salmon – after swallowing sacred nuts at the well of knowledge – came to be associated with wisdom and from there springs the belief that eating salmons will result in gaining wisdom!

Some Polynesian groups consider eels sacred and therefore cannot be eaten. To them it symbolized ‘justified revenge’. People of this culture prayed to the eels in order to dish out justice to an enemy.

In many Asian cultures, such as the Chinese ‘Feng Shui’, the symbol – fish in the water – would aid in warding off evil spirits.

Butterfly tattoos look particularly sexy on the lower back when combined with tribal swirls on each side. These elements extend the width of the tattoo design and lay quite nicely along the back area. It’s important that the butterfly design be properly centered so the main body aligns with the wearer’s spine. Although off-center non-symmetrical designs work well on other parts of the body they do not lend themselves well to the lower back area. The exception would be to combine the butterfly tattoo design with floral elements. The butterfly design could be centered whereas the floral elements could naturally flow to the left and right of the design, but not necessarily in a symmetrical pattern.

Most commonly found on women, lower back tattoos are often reserved for the daintiest of designs. Everything from flowers to hearts and even lettering can be used as lower back tattoos. Popular in part because they are so appealing, lower back tattoos have quickly become a symbol of sexiness and are commonly seen during swimsuit season or on women who wear low rise jeans.

Since butterflies symbolize redemption, growth, rebirth, and perseverance some people also get words that have special meanings for them tattooed beneath the design.

Considerations When Getting Lower Back Tattoos

Because of the nerve endings in the lower back getting a tattoo in this area can be quite painful. If you have a history of lower back pain you may want to reconsider having a tattoo applied in that area. If you go forward with the process you may want to take some anti-inflammatory medicine before your tattoo session. You may also want to check with your doctor before proceeding with the tattoo. Additionally, you should ask the tattooist to allow for frequent breaks since those with lower back pain sometimes have trouble lying prone on their stomach for extended periods of time.

For more information on lower back photos and to see photos of designs that work well as lower back tattoos click on the following articles:

Lower Back Tribal Tattoos

Celtic Butterfly Tattoos