Witchy tattoos emblemize the dark and gothic allure of fashionably edgy individuals, heavy metal fans and subculture aficionados interested in the dark arts and the macabre. It also happens to be the favored choice of tattoos amongst the internet’s most sought after “girlfriend demographic”: the goth girl.
The perfect kind of tattoo to pair up with all black clothing, jet black lipstick and fishnets. The witchy tattoo compliments and celebrates both the dark and the strong feminine energy of its wearer. In recent times, the witchy tattoo has also become a go to choice amongst the male demographic who like their body art dark and brooding.
Contents
- Witchy Tattoo Design Ideas That Would Make You Celebrate Halloween Every Day
- Witcher Tattoo
- Witch Symbol Tattoo
- Small Witchy Tattoo
- Vintage Witch Tattoo
- Witchcraft Tattoo
- Witch Broom Tattoo
- Witches Knot Tattoo
- Witch House Tattoo
- Witchy Cat Tattoo
- Hedge Witch Tattoo
- Traditional Witch Tattoo
- Witch Doctor Tattoo
- Witch King Tattoo
- Blair Witch Tattoo
- Witchy Moon Tattoo
- Dark Witch Tattoo
- Burning Witch Tattoo
- Cute Witch Tattoo
- Halloween Witch Tattoo
- Sea Witch Tattoo
- White Witch Tattoo
- Witching Hour Tattoo
- Carving Out a Witcher Lover Tattoo Using Visual Cues
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Witchy Tattoos: The Meaning Behind The Macabre
Witchy tattoos are largely associated with darkness, independence and feminine energy. The inspirations for this particular tattoo archetype are deeply rooted in rebellion during the Salem Witch Trials.
The symbolisms behind the witchy tattoo are mostly associated with the mysteriously divine feminine energy. As well as the three stages of life a woman goes through in Wiccan folklore: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone.
Pop culture references to the witchy tattoo also exist in the form of more light hearted tattoos. Depicting an old lady with a broom and her cat, to the more brooding nature of the dark nun, skulls, pentagrams and blood moons.
Witchy Tattoo Design Ideas That Would Make You Celebrate Halloween Every Day
To quote the popular gothic-influenced rapper and musician Destroy Lonely’s hit single: “If looks could kill that makes every day Halloween,” the witchy tattoo achieves exactly that objective. The designs may be dark in nature but that doesn’t deter the Witchy Tattoo from being as diverse as the phases and energies it represents.
Witchy tattoos do tend to lean towards a certain style (dark and gothic, obviously) but even in that subgenre of tattoos there tends to be an ocean of diversity when it comes to design ideas. From the cartoonish, to outright maximalist pieces of gorgeous body art.
Witcher Tattoo
The witcher is the antithesis of the witch and in many ways (not to be confused with the videogame and the popular Netflix series) the arch nemesis of the main protagonist of the witchy tattoo style. Juxtaposing these two archetypes in tattoo form makes for an amazing amalgamation of styles when it comes to the witcher tattoo.
One could style up the witcher tattoo in the form of ancient runic symbols that resemble the imagery of the gothic-medieval inspired game Elden Ring. Giving the wearer the allure of a dark, foreboding knight ready to take down their equally intimidating nemesis at any cost.
The witcher tattoo also symbolizes spiritual sacrifice. For a witcher in ancient folklore tends to lose some of his humanity in the literal sense to obtain supernatural powers to slay the witch. When it comes to the witcher tattoo, the sacrifice is the wearer’s pain tolerance and patience.
Witch Symbol Tattoo
As the great rock and pop icon Donovan fondly lamented: “This is the season of the witch, yeah.” The range of symbols that could represent a cool witchy tattoo are immensely vast and require little to no coloring most of the time. But if you want to add some flavor to the darkness, go right ahead! It still would look demonically cool.
The witch symbol tattoo looks best when done in a minimalistic lunar style. Showcasing the three moons that depict the stages of the dark and divine femininity. It can be easily stenciled and completed in a single session with only one color: preferably black.
If you want to add some flavor to the witch symbol tattoo, that could also be managed easily. Add a flower of your choice over a triquetra symbol (a favorite amongst witchy tattoo enthusiasts) and drape it with color which makes for a sharp and interesting contrast with the monochromatic undertones. Or you can go the full on Satanic route and ink yourself a pentagram with any witch symbol of your choice!
Small Witchy Tattoo
The cutest and easiest way to make a witch-tastic fashion statement would be to get a small witchy tattoo. They may look minimalist but with the right art style and stencil, size never matters. The small witchy tattoo would always pop out whenever visible.
You can go the cartoonish and playful route and depict the witchy tattoo imagery in its bare minimum and most commonly known form: the almighty broom! From Tom and Jerry to Broom-Hilda, witches with brooms have always been a staple in pop culture that can easily be converted into tattoo form.
The small witchy tattoo is best suited for forearm and hand tattoo styles. With its vast range of designs from brooms to triple moons, the small witchy tattoo could easily be stenciled and inked with minimum colors or just simply by using fine lines to produce the best of results.
Vintage Witch Tattoo
The vintage witch tattoo is a staple amongst old-school aficionados of the tattoo style. Whether it may be an old Looney Tunes style drawing of the ever desirable goth girl instead of crony old witch on the broom, or a pulp novel style stencil of a voluptuous woman being burnt at the stake. The vintage witch tattoo encourages the embracing of both old and new.
The intrigue behind the vintage witch tattoo lies in its anachronistic art style. You simply couldn’t tell whether it is an ancient pagan symbol or a rehashing of a pop culture icon.
The key to keeping the vintage witch tattoo interesting lies in diversity. Pre-existing styles and symbols of the witch tattoo that already exist (such as the old crone and the goth girl) could be remade and rehashed. Such as homages to old films, pop culture icons, or even turned into tributes to infamous witches of the past.
Witchcraft Tattoo
The witchcraft tattoo falls into the category of some of the most interesting and eye popping design styles in the gothic art style of the tattoo world. This style has remained pretty much unchanged over the course of time and has been revered for sticking true to its pagan and Wiccan roots in terms of symbolism.
Best suited as a dark and foreboding statement piece for the arms, torso and even the lower body, the witchcraft tattoo is tailored for the defiant and the bold. Those who would want to proclaim their devotion and interest towards the dark and macabre with pride should rightfully boast the witchcraft tattoo.
Classical art and alchemy are the main sources of inspiration for the witchcraft tattoo. They require patience (and even multiple sessions if the tattoo bears a ton of details, which it usually does) and a deep understanding of ancient witchcraft lore to get things right.
Witch Broom Tattoo
As previously stated, the witch and the broom are destined to be recognized as together forever. The witch broom tattoo is etched into our collective subconscious as much as it is a beloved style of tattoo to be inked onto our skin.
The witch broom tattoo takes the concept of minimal and recognizable and turns it into something truly (no pun intended) magical. The broom itself could be drawn with the utmost of artistic freedom with the finest of details on the arm or on the legs as the perfect placement for such a simple style to stand out.
The witch broom tattoo could also be combined with the witch’s hat to make for a fun and amusing tattoo design which is simple yet effective. This style is best suited for the limbs as they provide the best linear canvas for the witch broom tattoo.
Witches Knot Tattoo
The witches knot tattoo is an extremely versatile style. Its both circular and pointy designs make it an ideal tattoo style to be inked onto any part of the body with any color of choice. But a black stencil style is always the go-to choice.
Rooted in Gaelic symbolism and the practice of witchcraft in the Middle Ages, the witches knot tattoo is heavily rooted in symbolism. Bringing its wearer luck, riches, and serving as means of warding away negative energy due to the “knot magic” that the tattoo style represents.
The best aspect about the witches knot tattoo is how deeply symbolic its imagery is while staying very simplistic. Henceforth making it the ideal tattoo emblem to be inked onto any body part. To top it all off, it literally looks like a heavy metal band’s logo.
Witch House Tattoo
Are you an Addam’s Family fan? Or do you want to get more historically accurate by adding the whole Salem Witch House itself? The Witch House Tattoo is the preferred style for this specific kind of tattoo. This style requires a penchant for creativity, patience and lots of detail.
The witch house tattoo is best suited for a wide canvas such as the chest or abdomen. Similar to how a good plot of land makes a perfect house, a wide canvas for the tattoo also makes a world of difference. This style is mainly preferred in black.
If you’re feeling bold and want to get the tattoo done in a smaller scale but make it pop out with vibrant details, do go for the forearm or upper arm. This yields maximum results for the witch house tattoo to dazzle with detail.
Witchy Cat Tattoo
Witchy cat tattoos are just as fun to have as they look cute. It also carries a lot of symbolism with it. People in the ancient times used to believe that people who did misdeeds in their past lives would be reincarnated as black cats. Or even more amusingly, that witches shapeshift into cats.
The ideal tattoo style for edgy feline enthusiasts, the witchy cat tattoo is prone to experimentation. If you already own a black cat, then look no further. Just tattoo your own cat’s likeness onto a broom and put a witch’s hat on him!
The witchy cat tattoo not only symbolizes the love for companionship and the bond the witch (the wearer) shares with their pets (their cats), it also exudes independence, cunning and playfulness as cats have always been associated with the aforementioned traits.
Hedge Witch Tattoo
Another minimalist fan favorite for the dark arts enthusiasts! The hedge witch tattoo is a simple yet effectively gorgeous design that pops out just as gracefully as it is adorable.
The hedge witch tattoo is also pretty easy to sketch and experiment with. It consists of a star with seven points. And the rest is up to the eye of the beholder or in this case, the tattooist.
The possibilities are limitless when it comes to styling up the hedge witch tattoo into the ideal design of the wearer’s choice. Be it a set of stars in a small row, or a single adorable star with a spider hanging off of one of its points. The hedge witch tattoo is just as much of an open canvas for design and experimentation as it is versatile. As this style of tattoo can be inked onto any part of the body, with options open for both minimal and maximal.
Traditional Witch Tattoo
For the old school pagan tattoo enthusiast, the traditional witch tattoo is easily the go-to choice. Similar to how this tattoo style is a favorite for the internet’s most fawned upon female archetype: goth women, the traditional witch tattoo could be the perfect medium for the wearer to express their love for such mysterious beauties.
If in the fortunate case you happen to be a goth woman yourself, you might as well just tattoo your own likeness onto your skin! With the accentuated details of a witch associated with this tattoo style, let people fawn over your tattoo just as much as they fawn over you.
Just because this style of tattoo is traditional doesn’t mean it has to remain stagnant in its design and creativity. The traditional witch tattoo is meant to be played with details. It could be a witch wearing modern contemporary clothes (all black, of course) riding a broom, petting her cat, or submerging her poor victims in a toxic vat of witches’ brew. This is also one of those witchy tattoo styles where application of color is highly encouraged.
Witch Doctor Tattoo
The witch doctor tattoo leans more towards the masculine tattoo style. This happens to be a very stark contrast to the overall feminine nature commonly associated with witchy tattoos in general.
Best suited for shoulders, arms and legs, the witch doctor tattoo symbolizes healing from mystical ailments and plagues. It also serves as a good luck omen used to break very “human” curses, such as gambling.
The witch doctor tattoo is deeply rooted in historical accuracy more than myths and legends. It stands out because of the iconic beak and hooded robes. If you happen to be a Renaissance fan or simply love Victorian aesthetics, this is the ideal tattoo style for you.
Witch King Tattoo
The Witch King tattoo is one strictly for the Tolkien fans. Let your inner Lord of The Rings bookworm shine in all its medieval and gothic glory. You could also add the runic language of the Tolkien books to go along with the Middle Earth aesthetic of the Witch King tattoo.
The Witch King tattoo looks best as a medium to small sized design, inked onto the lower leg as well as the chest and forearm. The stencil for this particular tattoo style requires massive attention to detail as well as an extensive know-how of the character’s lore. As a matter of fact, this is the one “bookish nerd tattoo” to rule them all!
Blair Witch Tattoo
The Blair Witch Tattoo is simply put; iconic in the annals of pop culture history. Just like the films and numerous media it derives its influences from.
Suited best on any part of the body and easy to stencil and design, the “Twana Stick Figure” of the Blair Witch Tattoo has remained a legendary Halloween staple for both tattoo enthusiasts and fans of the movies alike.
What kind of horror enthusiast didn’t grow up doodling sketches of the Blair Witch logos on their notebooks? The Blair Witch Tattoo is the perfect minimalist pop culture fashion statement for horror freaks and jumpscare geeks!
Witchy Moon Tattoo
Not to be confused with the similarly themed triple moons, the witchy moon tattoo is heavily reliant on the crescent moon, and the rest is up to the tattooist and the wearer’s boundless interpretation and style choices.
Suited best on the forearm as a visible art piece in all black shading, The witchy moon tattoo is a preferred choice of tattoo for Halloween lovers and lunar tattoo fans alike.
Dark Witch Tattoo
It is time to get spooky with it! The dark witch tattoo calls out the death metal fan in you. This tattoo style tends to be dark and macabre in nature as well as intricate and vivid in its details.
Best preferred as a sleeve tattoo or as a chest piece, a wider canvas means the tattoo shines in its darkness in all its foreboding glory. Forget goth girl summer, it is time to experience goth nun winter.
The dark witch tattoo is meant to mesmerize the wearer and the beholder with equal parts horror as well as beauty.
Burning Witch Tattoo
Oh it burns! The burning witch tattoo is meant to be painful for the wearer, and rightfully so. As it is directly symbolic of the Salem WItch Trials of the 17th Century where “witches” were literally burnt at the stake.
This style is ideal as a tattoo design for the sleeve, knee or leg. And the higher the pain levels, the more meaningful the burning witch tattoo is. Or so it is perceived due to its historical roots. Color is very much preferred in this tattoo style for the flames, with the usual monochromatic sketch format for the rest of the tattoo design.
The burning witch tattoo symbolizes the excruciating pain those unfortunate women have gone through when wrongfully accused of witchcraft in the ancient times. It also looks hauntingly beautiful.
Cute Witch Tattoo
A break from the dark and foreboding is necessary, even when it comes to getting a witchy tattoo. A cute witch tattoo literally stands out from the rest of its peers simply because of the oxymoron it aesthetically symbolizes. Witches usually don’t tend to depict “cuteness”. Or so they say in pop culture, allegedly.
To have a cute witch tattoo is defiant in itself, as if witchy tattoos weren’t defiant enough by nature! You can take inspiration from Disney, chibi designs or even anime to bring out that adorable goth girl juxtaposed with the dark nature of the tattoos themselves.
The cute witch tattoo is a favorite amongst pastel-core enthusiasts and anime fans who are also into the dark and macabre.
Halloween Witch Tattoo
The Halloween witch tattoo is pretty self explanatory. The perfect design choice for the wearer to pair up with pumpkins, cats and candles! The Halloween witch tattoo symbolizes celebrating the joys of darkness in spite of its gloomy allure.
The Halloween witch tattoo is also very versatile in its range. As the design choices can vary from a simple forearm tattoo to a heavily detailed, painfully intricate sleeve tattoo design.
Sea Witch Tattoo
Whether you are an admirer of Medusa, or want to stand out from the usual all black gothic undertones usually prevalent in witchy tattoos, the sea witch tattoo is the perfect choice of design for the seafaring, water loving tattoo enthusiast.
The sea witch tattoo usually symbolizes the wearer’s love for aquatic travel, and their fondness for water as well as the color blue. The sea witch tattoo heavily requires and encourages the use of color, not just limited to blue.
White Witch Tattoo
The white witch tattoo is a strictly minimalist piece. The design is preferable as a full sleeve or chest tattoo in all fine lines with a heavy emphasis on shading. The white witch tattoo is a minimalist throwback to the wearer’s fondness for goth women.
Witching Hour Tattoo
The witching hour tattoo is more symbolic and open to interpretation than it is based on a single design archetype. The witching hour tattoo symbolizes what time it is to dance with the devil in tune with the moon (quite literally).
This style of tattoo represents the hours in which supernatural entities are at their most powerful and malevolent. So if you want to let your peers know which hours of the day they don’t want you messed with, the witching hour tattoo may be the ironic statement piece!
Carving Out a Witcher Lover Tattoo Using Visual Cues
Now that you have a pretty good gist of which kind of gloomy gothic goodness you will ink onto your skin, it’s time to enjoy witching hours! The following video may give you an idea on how to physically and mentally prepare yourself for your eventual witchy tattoo when you visit the tattooist. Give the following video a watch for a better understanding!
Frequently Asked Questions
Every devout tattoo enthusiast compulsively desires perfection. So here’s a questionnaire to aid your decision in getting that hauntingly beautiful witchy tattoo on your next visit to the tattoo parlor. With the aforementioned materials provided so far, it should be easy for you to make up your mind!
Q: Are Witchy Tattoos Religious?
Ans: Yes and no. They are not “religious” per se in the traditional sense. The religious symbolisms of the witchy tattoo pre-date the 3 Abrahamic religions and are more along the lines of the ancient pagan rituals. In short, they are considered “evil”.
Q: Are Witchy Tattoos for Women Only?
Ans: Of course not. Witchy tattoos are meant for all genders. Their meanings and symbols are meant to be diverse. Although the tattoos radiate mostly feminine energy, the witchy tattoo is meant to be wielded as a mysterious force of nature rather than be bound to normal gender norms.
Conclusion
The witchy tattoo is a profound statement for making everyday Halloween. Whether you’re dark and mysterious by nature, a horror fan, or a goth rockstar. The witchy tattoo is the ideal piece of art on your body that would remain shrouded in the allure of mystery.
The witchy tattoo is also a celebration of independent feminine spirit. So if you are a progressive minded tattoo enthusiast, this is the tattoo for you. Regardless of gender or religious affiliation. The witchy tattoo is versatile and diverse, hence you can always find new styles and ideas to ink on any part of your body.
Whether you’re wearing your darkness on your sleeve or want your knees to represent the pain a Salem witch might have gone through at the stake, the witchy tattoo has a niche for every tattoo enthusiast. Make sure to embrace your inner darkness wisely!
