Nautical Star Tattoos: A Safe Voyage Tattoo?
Nautical star tattoos have some very interesting stories behind them. They’re very stylish, yes, but they are also a major art form that goes back for at least a century. It’s not a new thing, by any means.
Most people believe that the tradition of tattooing nautical stars started with Spanish sailors. The North Star is, of course, a major landmark for sailors. It was used to guide them home. It’s thought that they began wearing nautical star tattoos to bring them good luck and encourage a safe voyage. In modern times, though, the meaning behind the tattoo has changed quite a bit.
Today, nautical stars are worn often by the gay and lesbian community. In times when homosexuality wasn’t widely accepted, especially for women, girls often got a nautical star tattooed someplace they could easily cover by day and reveal by night. For instance, sometimes they got a very small one on their wrist and covered it with a watch at times that they didn’t want it to be seen.
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