Ever since (and long before) Shakespeare’s Ophelia presented her doomed love Hamlet with rosemary “for remembrance” and pansies “for thoughts” in hopes that she might somehow stay within his heart, flower have held heavy and multiple symbolisms in every culture. It is not surprising, then, given flowers’ natural tendency to enhance art and their deep meanings on multiple levels from herbal and botanical medicines to expressing deep, heartfelt emotions, that people have been getting tattoos of various flowers to express deeply personal experiences for centuries. While there is unlimited literature on the various significances and symbolisms of individual flowers, there is far less on why you might select a flower tattoo in the first place. If you have been considering getting a tattoo, but have had trouble finding a tattoo design that expresses the sentiments that relate to your tattoo design, then consider various forms of floral and flower tattoos. They are not all feminine by any stretch, and they can often symbolize a deeply personal story, event or epiphany in a way that no other image can.
Flower tattoos, regardless of what type of flowers they represent, are often used to represent spiritual growth or change. Much as a flower springs from a tiny, insignificant seed that is easily lost, overlooked or neglected for years until finally the conditions are right to create a bloom, a spiritual growth or emotional accomplishment can also feel as if it takes eons to accomplish, but has resulted in a truly beautiful and miraculous result. Often, people use flower tattoos to represent personal triumphs that changed their lives for the better, such as overcoming addictions, emotional trauma, physical challenges or relationship issues. Many organizations that help people deal with these issues also use flowers in their logos, such as a lotus flower for overcoming anorexia and other eating disorders, or a forget-me-not in the case of many charities. While you might not want to get an organization’s logo tattooed on your body, you might draw from a particular area of your experience and incorporate the related flower into a meaningful tattoo design for you. For example, many women use a lotus tattoo to indicate many types of spiritual and emotional growths and triumphs. It is almost like a subtle indication of sisterhood in many cases because other women who have had similar experiences may notice the lotus tattoo and express support or try to make a connection.
Often, flower tattoos also can indicate a major religious revelation. If you have recently experienced a religious epiphany or have elected to get a religious tattoo to help you testify to other people by giving yourself a mark that indicates that you have dedicated your life to Christ, God, or any other Christian motive or cause, then a flower may be the perfect religious tattoo for you. Many Christians who do not want to get cross tattoos, crucifix tattoos or saint tattoos opt for flowers like lilies because of the scripture verse “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.” However, God takes care of them and all the things that He has made. As a result, [!product|lily|lily tattoos--] are extremely popular when it comes to expressing faith that God will provide, or as a way to testify to the fact that He already has provided for you somehow in your life.
Many flower tattoos are selected by people who want to indicate that they are growing and changing in a positive way. Of course, rose tattoos are always going to indicate love and romantic feels to most people, but other floral tattoo designs have a little more depth to them in many cases. A flower tattoo is generally a personal tattoo, although flower tattoos also have their place in memorial tattoos, which may be decorated with a variety of beautiful blooms much in the same way that a memorial service or even a grave might be decorated with real flowers. Ultimately, flower tattoos are lush and beautiful. They indicate personal and spiritual growth and recovery and tend to be hopeful tattoos rather than dark or morbid. In addition, flower tattoos, like flowers themselves, tend to “spring up” or out in bright colors and make everything around them appear brighter and more hopeful. Getting a flower tattoo can be a wonderful way to express yourself without literally feeling like you have to write out your intentions on your skin. Flower tattoos can be feminine or masculine, and they are popular among both sexes. They also often accompany portrait tattoos of children because one’s children often represent hope and growth just like the flower tattoos.