Sun, moon and star tattoos can be sensual, whimsical or suggest a spiritual side. No matter what your thoughts on these images, you're sure to find a tattoo design that incorporates your ideas.
Sun, Moon and Star Design Ideas
Sun, moon, star tats are widely open to interpretation. Create your personal design by taking elements of ideas that speak to you and arranging them to fit your body.
The Lovers
Since the sun and moon are naturally masculine and feminine, it's not hard to imagine them entwined as lovers in a single sphere. This can be done by pushing the two images together in a sphere that has one image bleeding into the next, or by using images that represent a Sun God and Moon Goddess. Sprinkle their children, the stars, all around them.
Yin Yang
Some stories of the yin yang symbol indicate that the characters symbolize the sun and the moon. Make a yin yang symbol that incorporates both and add a trail or circle of stars to encapsulate it. Remember that the sun is masculine in this sense and would take the bottom, yang, position, while the moon is feminine and would take the upper yin spot.
Solar Eclipse
Just as the moon moves between the Earth and the sun during a solar eclipse, you can place your moon over your sun to partially obscure it from view. This "black out" image looks best if you "ignite" the edge of the moon with the sun's color to bring it alive. Sprinkle stars around the image to set it off.
Single Emphasis
Zero in on the element you like more, and use the others as complements. If you enjoy colored stars, for example, your tat could have a few colored stars framed around a silhouette of the moon. You could lightly outline the design with the sun to surround them all.
Design Inside a Design
Put a star in a moon or vice versa. One great design idea involves putting a moon inside a star that frames it or the reverse. This type of tattoo is rich with symbolism since the two elements are pulling off each other's energy. Because the sun itself is a star, you can stylize the star in the image to mean both.
Overlay
Layered images can add depth that a single design can't. Try placing a crescent moon over the sun, so the sun is only partially seen. Add a few small stars either within the moon itself, or around the edge for detail.
Day and Night
For the more ambitious tattoo enthusiast, a split tattoo of the day and the night sky can make a great backpiece. A full-textured view of the sky at night with a realistic moon and shining stars can be a stunner on one side, while on the other, a bright sun surrounded by gentle clouds adds depth and contrast.
Crescent
One of the most popular designs for mixing star and moon designs is to get a crescent moon with a star on the inside of the hollow side. A sun can be added to the opposite side to balance the image.
Solar System
Make a stylized solar system to include all three elements, along with a few comets, planets or other designs. Show the moon, stars, a distant sun and any other images across a broad, unadorned space to show off the colors and detail more clearly. This large, colorful design could be done as a shoulder or back piece.
Meaning of Sun, Moon and Star Tattoos
Sun moon star tattoos gather together central astrological themes of the universe in some of the most beautiful artwork ever inked into flesh. You can enjoy these tats simply for their ethereal beauty, or you can delve into the deeper meaning of each element in the design.
The Sun
The sun happens to be a very powerful symbol in its own right, perhaps one of the greatest symbols of all. After all, our world is dependent on the sun to keep our atmosphere livable. Without it, permanent winter and darkness would descend, and it wouldn't take very long for every living thing on Earth to perish.
The Moon
This astrological body is feminine in energy. It is considered a symbol of the feeling side of human nature. As a deity, moon worship is even older than sun worship. Consider Isis, the goddess symbolic of the moon in ancient Egyptian culture. She actually predates sun worshipers.
The Stars
Stars have never truly been considered deities, but they still hold certain meanings, depending on the number of points they have. In general, stars are viewed as embodiments of divine power, lighting the way in the darkness. They can be considered symbols of goodness and truth.
Let Your Stars Shine Bright
A tattoo of sun, moon and stars can be colorful and bright, or shadowy and dark. In either case, it should reflect you, your personality and any beliefs you are choosing to display. Plan your tattoo carefully and watch your stars shine.
