The Butterfly Tattoos

Here are opinions from WikiAnswer Contributors:

• The butterfly is a symbol of transformation or change, love and joy.

• I got a butterfly tattoo after a personal experience in my life. Rarely do I share what my tattoos mean, after reading that last comment, I figured go ahead. To me, it represents beauty, changes, taking flight, simplicity and peace. At first, its an ugly caterpillar and no one will give it a second look. but with time and dedication, it becomes something marvelous to the human eye. Its a natural wonder. So, with my life, after getting through some tough times, a butterfly just reminded me of myself actually. I had to take time and appreciate what I had and what I hope to be in the future.

• I just got my butterfly tattoo a week ago and for me it means a new life, a new beginning if you will. I think that after years of trying to please everyone else by being someone I'm not my butterfly was my gift to me for being me. It was spontaneous and exhilarating, it is beautiful and calm it is colorful and vibrant...everything I want to continue to be! ~ Happy.

• In paintings, particularly Dutch Renaissance (sp?) butterflies stand for fleeting love (Jacques Louis David, Cupid and Psyche).

• I got my butterfly tattoo 3 weeks ago. When I first got it I just thought that it would be fun to have but now that I think about it, it represents a new life for me. I just started college last fall and I am changing in ways that I would never of even think of. So mine it means changes and enjoying life to its fullest

• Traditionally butterflies are pretty and so many people want them as mere decoration. In a deeper sense butterflies represent rebirth or transformation from the caterpillar to the beautiful butterfly.

• A friend of mine got a butterfly tattoo recently. Just because she likes butterflies. It doesn't "mean" anything! Check out tattoo symbolism here: http://tattoo.about.com/cs/beginners/a/symbols_intro.htm But remember, sometimes a rose is just a rose. It doesn't mean or symbolize anything!

• It could represent different things for different people. Here are some examples of Butterfly symbolism: Change, Joy and/or Color. The butterfly can also represent transition and freedom as well as peace. The native americans believe that if you tell a secret to a butterfly it is ever safe in there keeping, given that a butterfly can not speak. Some people use a butterfly to symbolize someone close that has passed away, I believe that some european cultures believe that spirits or souls are trapped in white butterflies. Others just like the look of butterfly and the tat may not represent anything significant to them.

• A purple butterfly symbolizes the fight against Lupus, a type of cancer . . . my mother has it.

• A womens vagina

FYI - Lupus is NOT a type of cancer. It is not in the cancer family. Lupus is an autoimmune disease. http://www.lupus.org/newsite/index.html

• Obviously the meaning of a tattoo totally depends on the person, I think the last definition is the most accurate, but nevertheless I'd like to share the meaning of my butterfly tattoo with you. First of all I shall tell you a story of a butterfly. When my grandma died and before she was buried she was placed in her coffin in a closed gloomy room with neither windows nor ventilation. Just a pathetic electric bulb lighted her while her loved ones said their last goodbyes, but when they entered the room they found a butterfly flying around with its brightly colored wings. It is a mystery how it arrived there...

Therefor for me a butterfly symbolizes ༺the spirit༻. It symbolizes both ༺life and death༻, with its three stages is symbolizes ༺the ages of mankind༻, it symbolizes ༺reincarnation༻, it also symbolizes ༺progress and self-completion throughout life༻, it symbolizes ༺feminineness and fragility༻. Finally, to me it symbolizes the ༺short and intense life༻, and the "magic" dust on it's wings is our freedom, that enables our flight. I hope that someone finds my opinion of some use.

• My nan just passed away a couple of months ago and I have really been thinking hard what tattoo to get to symbolize what she ment to me. I think a butterfly symbolizes love, joy, freedom, a new beginning for every ending, strong, and beauty. I'm sure the list goes on and on. But I think they're a wonderful way to remeber a loved one.

Source : http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_a_butterfly_tattoo_symbolize