24 Tattoos That Are Considered To Be Good Luck
If you believe in luck, and are the type of person who carries a lucky charm or a symbolic talisman to ward off evil and bring you good fortune, these tattoos are for you
While not all tattoos have to have meaning, many get inked with meanings behind them, and most of those meanings are represented through symbols of good luck.
Many cultures suggest that a shooting star grants the person lucky enough to see it a secret wish, if they are fast enough to ask for the wish before the star burns out, giving them the a chance to make a dream come true. Seeing a shooting star tattoo in your wrist may not grant you a wish every time, but some believe you can use a shooting star tattoo as a talisman.
According to numerology, 777 is an angelic number and believers think that the one who keeps faith in this number, despite his or her religion, an angel will be upon him or her. The triple seven is also used on many slot machines across the world to identify a jackpot, and banknotes with a serial number containing 777 tend to be valued by collectors and numismatists, as it is considered a lucky number. Some believe its counterpart is the number 666, also known as the 'number of the beast'.
Not as common as the three-leaf variety, four-leaf clovers do exist, and is an ancient Irish symbol of luck, popular in Western cultures. If you find one, it's considered good luck. The four leaves stand for faith, hope, love and luck.
Elephants are a symbol of health, longevity, love, wealth, and virtue. In some cultures Elephant figurines are placed on shelves and by doorways to ensure longevity and luck. Ganesha, deity with elephant head and human body, is revered as the lord of success and remover of obstacles.
According to Norse folklore, acorns bring good fortune. The Vikings associated oak trees with Thor, the god who created thunder and lightning with his great anvil and hammer. The oak tree was sacred to Thor because it attracted lightning bolts, and the Vikings believed that acorns avoided Thor's wrath, so they placed an acorn on their windowsills to protect their houses from lightning bolts.
Coming from ancient Egypt, the ankh is a hieroglyphic symbol of life, and for the Pharaohs it was an indispensable lucky charm. The gods were often depicted holding an ankh, representing their life-giving power, and were also depicted in tombs giving ankh signs to pharaohs. This was considered as grating life to the entire nation, as pharaohs represented Egypt as a whole. Some believe that getting an ankh tattoo brings good luck to the wearer.
Ancient art from the Far East, pre-Columbian America, the Mediterranean, and Africa frequently depicts a double-bladed axe to indicate power. Archaeologists have unearthed talismans in the shape of an axe head in all parts of the world, some of which having holes in them, indicating that they were worn around the neck in the hope of bringing success to the wearer. Believers think that an axe tattoo could bring power to the person wearing it.
This plant grows in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and Africa, and Feng Shui practitioners believe that placing a bamboo plant on the east side of a room will improve the flow of energy or "chi." The more stalks a lucky bamboo plant has, the more luck it is supposed to bring. A plant with two stalks represent love, three stalks bring happiness, wealth and long life to the owners, five stalks represent the areas of life that impact wealth, and six stalks represent good luck and wealth. But some plants have even more stalks, which are said to represent good health, growth, great luck, perfection and powerful blessings. Some tattoo enthusiasts believe that getting a bamboo inked on the skin it's also a luck-bringing decision.
To cross one's fingers is an action commonly performed to wish for luck, to implore God for protection or to ward off evils and illnesses, among other things. The gesture is referred to by the common expressions "cross your fingers", "keep your fingers crossed", or just "fingers crossed". Getting this hand gesture tattooed is becoming a popular trend commonly used to wish for luck.
These throwable objects are used in games of chance, and are mostly considered lucky symbols by gamblers. Having a pair of dice hanging on a car’s rear-view mirror as an amulet is seen quite often. Some gamblers who also happen to like tattoos choose to get dices inked, hoping they will have a better luck in the game and in life.
Considered a friend, helper and guide, to encounter dolphins at sea has been considered a good omen and a great symbol of good luck throughout the ages in cultures around the world, specially for sailors who spent months at sea, as seeing a dolphin was often the first sign that land was near. Nowadays, the dolphin tattoo is a symbol of protection, and its image is said to bring good luck.
The Native American dreamcatcher is used for those with trouble sleeping, specifically those with nightmares. When the person is asleep, the dreamcatcher is said to trap all the nightmares of the sleeper, to bestow good luck, and allow good dreams to flow freely. If you feel you need protection from malicious spirits in the night, or if you want to wear your enemy’s spirit on your skin forever, getting a dreamcatcher tattoo might be an option for you.
The talismans created to protect against the evil eye are also frequently called "evil eyes". These evil eyes ward off misfortune when worn as an amulet or a tattoo. Unlike many amulets and symbols of good luck, whose power reside in the possession of the object itself, the power of the evil eye amulet is to protect from the evil eye itself.
The Hamsa is a common sign of good luck in both Jewish and Muslim cultures. Depending on the community, the symbol of the Hamsa bears different meanings. Generally speaking, it is said the symbol protects people from negative energy and bring happiness to the beholder. It has become a very popular tattoo in the last few years.
Horseshoes symbolize good luck, power over evil and fertility. There are different opinions about the proper way to get it tattooed. Many people believe it is best to get a horseshoe tattoo with the points faced upward, so the "U" shape gathers good luck and holds it inside forever. Others believe a downward-pointing horseshoe showers you with luck, but some others believe that if the ends point down the luck will “fall out,” thus defeating the purpose of your horseshoe.
Keys are a popular symbol of luck and one of the oldest charms. A key given as a gift between lovers is considered a symbol of unlocking the doors that lead to love. The giver of the key will be lucky in terms of love. In Japanese culture, three keys tied together are considered a powerful lucky charm too, enabling the wearer to unlock the doors of love, health, and wealth. As for key tattoos, people tend to get them inked hoping to get lucky in love.
Bringer of good luck and prosperity, the ladybug is said to have the power to free you from your day to day problems. Having a ladybug tattoo could brighten your day, lesson your burdens and give you patience with those around you. Folklore suggests that if a ladybug lands on the hand of a recently married woman, the number of dots on its back, is the number of children she will have. It can also indicate the number of happy months that are ahead. On the other hand, killing a ladybug is considered bad luck.
In Japanese culture Koi Fish symbolize good luck, abundance and perseverance, although the significance of a koi fish tattoo can vary depending on whether the fish is going up or down your body, and the color.
Another Japanese talisman is the maneki-neko, a cat depicting figurine believed to bring good luck to the owner, usually displayed in the entrance of different businesses. In modern times, they are usually made of ceramic or plastic, and more recently people are also getting them in the shape of tattoo, trying to bring fortune to their lives.
The pig is a lucky animal in many cultures, a symbol of prosperity, fertility and lots of good luck. For farmers, having pigs was a sure way of insuring food, which translated to the family’s well-being, and a reason to associate them with wealth. In fact, the piggybank is a worldwide symbol of wealth. In recent times, having a pig as a house pet is becoming a trend, and in very general terms is told to be highly sociable and intelligent. The meaning of a pig tattoo can be related to all of the above.
We all have heard the legend that says that the Irish leprechauns hide a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But in the symbolic sense, a rainbow is something difficult to see, magical, and represents the right mix of things that is reflective of life itself. They are usually seen after a storm, a sign that the weather is getting better, showing that there is hope after the storm. In the Old Testament, God created a rainbow after the flood as a sign that the earth would never be destroyed by a flood again. For these reasons, rainbows (as well as rainbow tattoos) are often thought to bring good fortune.
Sapphires are a symbol of good luck since ancient times. The Greeks believed that wearing a sapphire invited the favor of the gods, in the ancient Middle East it was believed to have supernatural powers, in India sapphires bring health and wealth, and in other cultures they are believed to repel spiders, protect virgins, and ward off envy. If you believe in the power of these beautiful stones, a sapphire tattoo might be for you!
Dating back to Ancient Egypt, scarabs were considered good luck beetles. As a symbol of the rising sun and a protector from evil, the scarab is also a symbol of rebirth, regeneration, and transformation.
A wishbone is a traditional symbol of good luck, and a wish maker. If two people tug on the ends of a wishbone and each makes a wish, the person holding the bigger piece when the wishbone breaks will have their wish granted. Getting a wishbone tattoo means you hold both pieces, so the wish becoming true is guaranteed!
The content of the article is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters. For more good luck tattoos, visit the good luck tattoo gallery, where you can filter the tattoos by style, body part and size, and order by date or score.