The willow tree is a fascinating tree. The whole tree has this aura of mystery behind it. From the drooping branches and the feathery leaves, the willow tree has a haunting beauty that makes you want to look at it for hours on end. That is why the willow tree makes for a great tattoo design when you find just the right design for it. But just like its appearance, the willow tree’s meaning is also shrouded in mystery!
So let’s look at the willow tree tattoo meaning and figure out how you can unite the meaning behind it with your personal experience to bring about an awe-inspiring design on your skin! There are many hidden meanings behind it that I know you will absolutely love and I have some design ideas for a willow tree tattoo that can inspire your next tattoo!
Key Takeaways
- Willow trees originated in China and then spread across the world through trade where different cultures had different meanings for it.
- The willow tree tattoo can have many different meaning which includes life, death, melancholy, healing, magic, and even witchcraft.
- Here are some of my design ideas for a willow tree tattoo that I hope inspires your next tattoo design!
Different Meanings and Symbols of Willow Tree Tattoos
The willow tree, or what is better known as the weeping willow, is a tree that is traced back to China and was probably brought to other parts of Asia, Europe, and eventually North America through trade. I can’t blame the traders for wanting a tree like this back home either! So from China, all the way from its journey to the West, here are the different meanings that a willow tree might have:
1. Chinese traditions and myths
Since it originated in China, it is right to start the meaning of a willow tree tattoo from here! The willow tree has long been the symbol of rebirth and immortality. This is because willow trees have a long lifespan and their drooping branches look like the bread of an old man! In old Chinese myths and traditions, the willow tree is also a symbol of youth for women, keeping them youthful for longer.
2. Greek mythology
It is not just the Chinese that were fascinated by the willow, but the Greeks as well! In Greek mythology, the willow tree was seen as a ward against evil, helping to protect people. The great singer Orpheus in Greek mythology used the wood from a willow tree to protect him in the Underworld. A great way to showcase your love for Greek mythology is with a willow tree tattoo.
3. Celtic and druids
It is not just the Chinese and Greek mythology that were inspired by willow trees because the Celtic and Irish druids have roots with the willow tree! Druids have long used the willow tree as a symbol of strength and stability while also commenting on the flexibility of the willow tree as well. Coincidentally, willow trees are seen near water sources, something that the druids commented on as well, along with the superstitions of femininity and fertility. The druids were also connected with nature and the willow tree was the ultimate connection to nature for them.
4. Witchcraft and magic
Due to the mysticism behind the willow tree, the willow tree also has many connections to magic and witchcraft as well! Witches were thought to use leaves and branches of willow trees for potions and curses. The Greek Goddess of Witchcraft herself, Hecate, used a wand made from an old willow tree to cast her magic. So there is a reason why many would consider a haunting feeling from a willow tree! So a willow tree tattoo could well as be magical in itself!
5. Healing
Alongside, willow tree tattoos could also mean friendship and healing due to the medicinal properties that it has. The tea made from a willow tree has long been a potent healing properties that many herbalists have used for thousands of years.
6. Melancholy and mourning
If you have ever looked at a willow tree and been overcome with melancholy, I wouldn’t blame you. The way it looks can invoke such emotions in you and I have had that too! A willow tree tattoo could also mean that you are in mourning over the loss of someone close and the tattoo could serve as a reminder for them.
7. Life, survival, and moving on
Just like how life goes, the willow tree tattoo could help symbolize how you survive the sadness that comes with life and help survive it and move on. The willow tree can afflict you with melancholy and sadness but that does not mean that should bring your life to a halt. That is why a willow tree tattoo could symbolize you moving on with life after a tragic incident.
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5 Willow Tree Tattoo Designs Ideas and Placement
Since there are so many meanings, I thought it would be best to give some of my design ideas for such a great tree! A willow tree could mean a whole host of things so I hope that one of these ideas could help narrow down the choice for you and maybe even inspire your next tattoo!
1. Weeping willow tree tattoo: Shoulder
Since the branches look as they do, I thought it would be best to include a design for the most famous of all willow trees, the weeping willow! The branches of the weeping willow are extra low and it can be the perfect representation of sadness or melancholy. I find that a simple line work on the shoulder to be the best possible location for such a tattoo as you can really showcase the low-hanging branches and all the melancholy with a simple design.
2. Watercolor willow tree tattoo: Arms and back
You will see willow trees near a large body of water since it needs a lot of water to survive. That makes for a great watercolor design that is steeped in a realism style. So a great way to go about it is to get a large surface of the body like the back or the arms to really showcase a portrait-style tattoo. A great portrait for a watercolor design would be a willow tree near a waterfall! The backdrop alone would make for a great tattoo on your back.
3. Willow tree with skull tattoo: Ribs
A great thing about the willow tree tattoo is that you can get it anywhere on the body, be it big or small. That is why combining the life and death tattoo design in the willow tree would be a great tattoo design. A skull overlooking the willow tree tattoo or having it near the roots would make for a great tattoo design, especially on the biceps or ribs where you have a large vertical area for such a design.
4. Celtic willow tree tattoo: Chest
Since the Celtics are probably the most influenced by the willow tree, it would be a great tattoo design to showcase some druids or Celtic traditions with a willow tree! This can also be a very personal tattoo for you if you share Irish or Celtic ancestry as well! If I were to design such a tattoo, I would feel that it needs a large canvas like the chest to really showcase it.
5. Willow tree blowing in the wind tattoo: arms, thighs, legs
The mysticism of a willow tattoo would be greatly evoked with the help of some movement in the wind. Such a design would be difficult but the right tattoo artist could really make the willow tree feel alive and a simple blackwork design could be a great way to do such a tattoo!
FAQs
Are willow tree tattoos considered unlucky?
No, it is not considered to be unlucky. In fact, the willow trees were seen as lucky by Native Americans and they would tie branches on boats.
What does a tree tattoo symbolize?
A tree tattoo might symbolize a connection to nature, strength, and stability, along with the birth of new life and shelter for others.
What is special about willow?
What makes a willow tree special is that is both a sturdy tree and flexible as well. They live for a long time and their flexibility in the wind gives them a sense of mystery.
Final Thoughts
There are many meanings behind a willow tree tattoo. The willow tree itself has journeyed a long way from China to all over the world to help inspire and influence various cultures like the Greeks and Celts. It is easy to see why since the willow tree has such a distinct image, especially the weeping willow tree. You cannot help but fall for its mysticism and the magic that remains in the air from such a tattoo. So make sure to choose the right tattoo design and the right tattoo artist to do the traditions and symbolism justice! The willow tree evokes many such emotions and meaning so I hope one of my design ideas has inspired your next probable tattoo!
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