Nautical Star Tattoos

Nautical star tattoos feature a five-pointed star and each point is split in half and filled with a different color from the original, which creates a sort of 3 dimensional effects. Considered one of the “old school” tattoos, nautical star tattoos were originally used in the “Whitelaw” family crest from Britain and due to its navigational relevance has been often associated with sailors.

As of late the nautical star tattoo has become associated with various groups including the gay and lesbian community, punk rock groups, and as a Pagan symbol found about Ireland.

There are various reasons people decide to get nautical star tattoos. One reason is as a positive guide to the future. It is said that if you get the tattoo on your left wrist and align it with your thumb, it is supposed to provide you a positive guide to the future due to the fact that palm reading uses the left palm for forecasting the future. Other people get the tattoo, as stated below, to show their alliance or membership to a particular group. Other people may get nautical star tattoos simply because they like the design and appreciate the aesthetics.

Wearers may decide to get the nautical star as a tattoo is simply because they need a little direction and appreciate the symbolic principles of nautical star tattoos for that purpose. Mainly the tattoo is associated with sailors and the sailor trade due to the significant placed on navigation by the stars associated with sailing.

Currently, many nautical star tattoos are two color and predominately feature either a black and white star or a black and red color combo. Originally, nautical star tattoos, as placed on sailors, were of the black and red combination and a black and green combo. It is assumed these original color combinations were tattooed on sailors to help show them the port and starboard sides. The port side would have been the black and red combination while the starboard side would be the black and green combination. Anymore the colors don’t matter much as people get a color combination that reflects their own preference and the wearer can derive their own meaning from the color combination and tattoo meaning as they like.