The rose is the flower of love: Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love is often depicted with roses adorning the head, feet and neck, or resting on a bush grown in a pool of blood of Adonis, her lover who was killed. It can be shown with or without thorns, and can mean very different things. A rose without thorns is the highest degree of purity. With thorns it reminds us that love cannot exist without sacrifices.
The tattoo rose is perhaps the most common design in Old school tattoos, not as the main subject, but in addition to another figure. Sailors choose to honor the memory of their girlfriends (or their mothers) during a long journey.
In the world of tarot cards it is considered a symbol of balance, the beauty of this flower expresses the promise and hope of a new beginning. Even the color of the petals has a different meaning depending on the case:
- the yellow rose is a symbol of jealousy.
- the white rose of purity and spirituality.
- the red rose of passionate love, or in the opposite direction, of sacrifice.
- the pink rose represents grace, virtue and elegance.
- the blue embodies the unattainable fantasy.
- black roses are a symbol of death and darkness.
Discover within the tattoo-world gallery all the different styles of rose tattoo: realistic, figurative, old and new-school.
