Floral body art remains a firm favourite with female tattoo enthusiasts, in particular traditional flowers such as the rose, daisy, carnation or lily as well as more exotic species like the orchid, hibiscus and lotus flower. However, there are certain plants and flowers that are more masculine in appearance that are equally popular with guys and a cactus tattoo is one of these. This image can be used on its own however it is often used as a backdrop or in conjunction with other images that follow a specific theme so what is the attraction to this particular image? Symbolically it means simply endurance however cacti on the whole are renowned for their prickly and sometimes dangerous attributes. If you see someone sporting such a design you may want to consider what they are trying to express about themselves. Are they insinuating that they are hardy individuals with the ability to survive in the toughest of situations – think dry desert or drought plagued terrain – or are they warning you not to come too close in case you get stung by one of their spikes? On the other hand, this could simply be because they like the design or as a result of childhood memories of growing up where the cacti grow wild and free such as Texas or Arizona and are perhaps just paying homage to their roots by their choice of body art.
The cacti are native to the Americas, where their range extends from Patagonia to southern Canada, and they come is a variety of species with a wide range of shapes and sizes, including flowering ones. However, these all make great body art designs for a cactus tattoo thanks to their unusual but very distinctive shape which is as a result of their ability to adapt, in order to conserve water in extremely dry and very hot conditions. Over the millennia, the stems have therefore evolved so that they became fully photosynthetic and succulent which caused the leaves to develop as spines. As body art, the cactus is generally depicted in a vibrant shade of green but they can also be done in grey or black and I have seen some interesting designs that follow the style of tribal artwork which look pretty cool too.
These particular images are often used as part of a cultural themed tattoo for those of Texan or Mexican descent and remains of cactus-like plants were found in ancient Aztec artwork including paintings, sculptures and drawings. Mexico City was originally called Tenochtitlan which translates as the place of the sacred cactus and the current coat of arms for Mexico still has a cactus on it. This shows a Mexican Golden Eagle perched upon a prickly pear cactus and devouring a snake, which originates from an ancient Aztec myth. To the native people, this was deemed to have strong religious connotations, while Europeans simply saw it as symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. If you are of Mexican heritage and want to get a cactus tattoo then why not use these three images combined for a cool but symbolic body art design.
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