Sagittarius tattoos are based upon one of the signs of the Greek zodiac. The zodiac is a series of twelve constellations that can be seen in the night sky, each associated with a particular time of year–the time when the Sun passes through that constellation. Expert opinions vary slightly, but the time of year typically associated with Sagittarius is November 22nd to December 21st. People born during this time period are considered a Sagittarians and may want to get Sagittarius tattoos.
The constellation Sagittarius is often referred to as the Archer. It resembles a centaur with a bow and arrow, and some Sagittarius tattoos take this form. A centaur is a mythological creature, half man, half horse. The torso of a man grows from the place where the horse’s head would normally be. Centaurs are common in fantasy books and films, including the Disney film Fantasia and J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series. A shorthand symbol of Sagittarius frequently used to represent the sign of the zodiac is an arrow, which, if placed on a compass, would point northeast. It lacks feathers at the bottom and instead has a single perpendicular line set a short distance from the base. This symbol is also often used in Sagittarius tattoos.
Most Sagittarius tattoos are a variation either on the centaur holding a bow and arrow or the arrow symbol described above. Some also incorporate either the word “Sagittarius” or the letter “S.” The centaur tattoos can be tribal, photorealistic, or colorful and fantastic. The arrow tattoos can vary greatly in size and shape. They can be very simple, like the one described above, or they can be curvy and complicated. Some look more like arrows with feathers, and they can include bows.