Pagan tattoo ideas cut a wide swath across belief systems different from the most popular worldwide (and organized) religions.
Animal and nature worship, the sun and moon, theories of the zodiac, and religions such as Wicca are all Popular pagan themes.
Tattoos may also incorporate ancient duality symbolism such as the Triple Goddess and Horned God, along with totems such as pentacles, moon symbols, and runes.
While Pagan tattoo themes can be linked to practices such as satanism, witchcraft, and the occult, they also incorporate theming and ideas from before the establishment of mainstream religion.
The following 27 best pagan tattoo ideas showcase the wide-ranging options available to provide inspiration for your next tattoo.
1. Tattoo Ideas for the Hand and Fingers
2. Horned God Tattoo Ideas
3. Pentacle Tattoo Ideas
4. Pagan Symbolic Tattoo Designs
5. Triple Goddess Tattoo Art
6. Occult Style Tattoo Ideas
Source: @lherberougetattoo via Instagram
7. Wiccan Tattoo Art
What does a Horned God tattoo symbolize?
In traditional Wicca, The Horned God represents duality: light and dark, night and day, summer and winter, and the idea of good and evil.
This symbol of man’s dual nature makes the Horned God a great symbolic tattoo choice for those with a connection to Pagan religion, and/or the occult.
Other pagan themes linked to duality mix symbols of life and health such as flowers, with more ‘negative’ imagery of ram skulls, serpents, and pentagrams.
Why is the moon a popular pagan tattoo symbol?
A moon tattoo idea is most often linked to motherhood, femininity, and fertility as a predominantly female symbolic tattoo contrasting the masculine sun.
Sailors, hunters, and seekers have been guided by the light of a new, crescent, or full moon, while the sea and women’s fertility cycles alike move with the waxing and waning moon phases.
A moon design can also emphasize the cyclical, the passage of time, or be utilized in geometric designs.
What does a triple Goddess tattoo mean?
The triple goddess is a feminine Wiccan symbol representing three phases of the moon aligned with the three phases that women go through in their lifespan.
Each life phase is represented by a Greek goddess:
- The Maiden is linked to Persephone, the goddess of purity and new beginnings.
- The Mother is linked with Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, bringing life and giving.
- The Crone is representative of the goddess Hecate, symbolizing wisdom, fulfillment, and power.
Parallels can be drawn between the triple goddess and pop culture going as far back (or further) as William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, to modern appearances in video games and interpretations of modern Wiccan theology.
What do pentacle and pentagram tattoos symbolize?
The pentagram is a profoundly arcane piece of tattoo art that links the star symbol to occult power (in both the positive and negative), yet carries vast scholarly interest from more secular tattoo culture as well.
The pentagram is a geometrically perfect shape featuring a five-pointed star, when encased within a circle it is called a pentacle.
In Wiccan tradition, a downward-facing pentagram signifies the second degree of learning, yet also carries the connotation of evil brought forward from the Spanish Inquisition in the satanic pentacle.
What are the most popular pagan tattoo ideas?
Popular pagan tattoo themes include:
- The two-horned God
- The Triple Goddess symbol
- The Moon
- Wiccan spells (often cast as crystals and flowers)
- Occult symbols (such as runes, demons, and the macabre)
- Pentagrams
- Celtic and Norse symbolism
It must be noted that while there is a perceived association with devilry, witchcraft, and the occult, this makes up just a small component of pagan religions (and tattoo imagery).