In many cultures, life originated in or from the water. Some cultures believe that even human life forms also trace back to water elements. Keeping this in mind, is it no wonder that water is considered one of the most significant tattoo design elements that individuals incorporate into any theme. In regard to Japanese tattoo designs, you will very commonly see various water elements present that can change the entire presentation and in turn, the meaning of the completed design.
When a person opts for Japanese water tattoos, it mostly means that it holds a lot of symbolic meaning to them individually. While the meaning to each person would of course vary depending on their lives and their set of beliefs, water is one of the four elements that make up life on our planet. As such, water designs bear additional meaning and significance as a whole as well.
The presence of water elements in a tattoo design can bear both a positive and negative force. It can wield immense power when on a path of destruction. It can destroy life as easily as it nurtures it. One of the things that is believed in spiritually about water is also its ability to clean and purify. Not only does this apply to humans but also things and the environment. The Celts deeply and passionately believed in the power of both positive and negative that water can wield. Even in Christianity water is an important part of baptism where it is sprinkled on the newborn. Water also forms a part of many rituals and ceremonies.
Japanese water tattoos used a central theme could acknowledge the importance of water as one of the vital elements or could be homage to the fact that it is the centre of all life and creation. By virtue of its cleansing properties, water can also represent absolute purity and innocence. Since water and its movements in water bodies is affected by the moon and lunar cycles, often water will be depicted with the moon. Since water has the innate capacity to take on the shape of the vessel or container it is poured into, water is also associated with flexibility. Due to the graceful and fascinating movements that water has it is also considered feminine. The power of water when it comes to destruction is also another thing that most people seek when they look for symbolic value in their water based tattoo designs.
Water based tattoo designs can show waves, droplets, ripples and whole host of other things. Apart from the life giving properties of water, water is also the living place of many beautiful, fascinating and mysterious creatures. There all kinds of life in water including flowers, fish and other creatures. Some of them are so fascinating that people pay to see them. The next best thing you can do apart from actually looking at these creatures is get them in the form of a tattoo design. There is so much that water can mean including creativity, purity, cleanliness, peace, serenity, power, beauty, reincarnation and your inner self among other things.
What is more the design possibilities with water design tattoos are endless and really beautiful to look at. When you are going in for a tattoo featuring water as the design element be sure to not only explore the options of where you are going to put the tattoo but also the significance and symbolism of the tattoo you are getting.
Here are some more stunning examples of Japanese Water Tattoo Designs:
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