The Evil Eye Tattoo Meaning and 55+ Designs That Offer Protection

The evil eye tattoo meaning is all about keeping you protected from envy and evil forces.

I have always known the basic meaning behind the evil eye. However, as I was asked to design an increasing number of evil eye tattoos, I realized that I didn't know the full story. To give this tattoo and my clients the due respect, I did my homework to find out the true significance.

Here I am going to break down the various myths, legends, and beliefs behind each design so that you can choose the tattoo with the most meaning to you.

What Does the Evil Eye Tattoo Mean?

As you can imagine, you need to know the evil eye tattoo meaning before you actually get one. So, what is the symbolism behind the evil eye?

As you are probably already aware, the term evil eye here is a bit misleading.

According to many cultures around the world - Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, etc. - the evil eye refers to the evil eye curse. It is one that can be cast upon anyone but children, pregnant women, and animals appear to be most susceptible to harm.

This evil glare is said to be the result of jealousy or envy. Due to to this, the evil eye curse is assumed to be cast by individuals with shortcomings or deformities, old women, infertile women, and strangers.

In some instances, simply casting evil eyes at the person that you are envious of may be enough to trigger the curse. In other cases, an actual curse along with the evil eyes may be cast upon the person.

However, over the years, people have also referred to a symbol made up of four concentric circles as the evil eye. It may also be called the Turkish evil eye.

This evil eye symbol is thousands of years old. It is known in parts of Asia, Africa, and even Latin America. It is considered to ward off evil intentions or the curses cast by jealous individuals.

In short, it is meant to protect you from the evil eye that people give you. Therefore, the evil eye symbolizes protection.

Some people believe that the evil eye - and the evil eye tattoo - protects you from evil spirits or bad luck. This is a more modern way of thinking, though.

For the most part, the evil eye is meant to prevent the envious curses that people send your way.

Therefore, you can get an evil eye tattoo if you want to surround yourself with light, positivity, and the good things in life.

In many ways, the evil eye meaning and the evil eye tattoo meaning goes so much deeper than this.

The belief in the evil eye is incredibly widespread. You would be hard pressed to find a culture without some kind of myth about the power of an evil glare.

Due to this, many people avoided celebrating their accomplishments in life. They downplayed any good fortune that came their way as well. In short, they didn't enjoy life as much as they could have for fear that people would be envious about their successes.

The evil eye - and the evil eye tattoo - though is used to counteract any negative energy or thoughts sent your way.

In this sense, you are giving yourself permission to take pleasure in the effort that you have made in your life. You are inviting joy by celebrating what you have accomplished or by the good fortune ushered into your world.

So, the evil eye tattoo meaning could be one of freedom as well. It gives you the opportunity to really experience and live life to the fullest.

The Evil Eye vs. The Eye of Providence

By now, you can appreciate that eyes are used all around the world, across different cultures, and for variety of reasons.

So, in addition to appreciating the evil eye tattoo meaning, you must also understand some of the meanings behind similar designs.

In particular, when getting your evil eye tattoo, be aware that there is a similar symbol for the Eye of Providence.

The Eye of Providence is a single human eye. It often has rays of light emanating from it and it is contained within a triangle. The design may be more complex than this, but this is the basic design.

The Eye of Providence is also known as the all seeing eye. It is meant to represent the all seeing eye of God as he watches over humanity. Now, to a certain degree, it can be considered a protective symbol but not on the same level as the evil eye.

I mention the eye of providence is because with some of the contemporary evil eye tattoo design ideas, the evil eye is drawn with lines like ray of light to signify life force energy. So, it can end up looking a little similar.

If you want to remain true to the original evil eye tattoo meaning, you should pay close attention to the design and stick to the right one. Just do some research on the eye of Providence to know what details that you should steer clear of.

Evil Eye Tattoo Ideas

Here are the evil eye tattoo meanings and concepts that you can consider for your next tattoo:

Turkish Evil Eye Tattoos

Let's first begin with the Turkish evil eye tattoo as this is arguably one of the more popular designs.

Despite being known as the Turkish evil eye, it may also be referred to as the Greek evil eye as it is quite commonly found in Greece as well.

This Turkish evil eye tattoo meaning is pretty straightforward - it is meant to repel dark forces. Although many people also feel that this evil eye tattoo may help you to avoid bad luck as well.

Traditionally, this evil eye talisman has either a blue or green pupil - the blue pupil is more common, though.

Do you want to stick to the simplest and most fundamental evil eye tattoo meaning? If so, then this is the perfect ward against evil tattoo that you can get.

Remember, you don't have to take the evil eye tattoo meaning to heart to be able to get this tattoo design. Instead, simply wanting to bring positivity and light into your life is a good enough reason to get it.

Here are some of the evil eye tattoo concepts that you should check out:

You may want to get an evil eye hand tattoo if you want the evil eye tattoo meaning to be more prominent. This is a popular placement for this tattoo as some people believe the tattoo can have a greater impact this way.

Contemporary Evil Eye Tattoos

I refer to the following evil eye tattoo designs as contemporary because they have become more popular in the mainstream tattoo industry. It is quite possible that the actual design is fairly old, even as old as the Turkish design.

There is also the fact that a lot of people tend to get more creative with this evil eye tattoo based off the original design. So, you can expect a few more variations with the tattoo design.

Does this evil eye tattoo symbolize the same thing as the original design? Yes, it does! It is still meant to ward off curses and bad luck cast in your direction. So, if you want to stick to the traditional evil eye tattoo meaning, this concept will still work well for you.

Hamsa Evil Eye Tattoos

The first thing I want to warn you about is that not all designs for the hamsa hand or the hamsa tattoo have an evil eye included in them.

See, the Hamsa hand has origins in the Islamic and Jewish faith. It roughly translates to five - the number of digits in the design. It is sometimes referred to as the hand of Fatima as a nod to one of Prophet Mohammad's daughters.

What you need to note about this symbol is that it isn't a hand in the truest sense of the word. If you take a close look, the two digits on either side of the hand are very short, essentially two thumbs. It is only the three fingers in the middle that resemble a traditional hand.

The reason for this is likely that in both the Islamic and Jewish faith, people are discouraged from making reproductions of the human form. So, this distorted version is as close as you can get.

It is known as the hand of God. It symbolizes divine protection as well as divine might. Essentially, it is a symbol of God's protection over you.

The protective abilities of the hamsa against evil forces is magnified by the inclusion of the evil eye. Therefore, the hamsa and evil eye tattoo meaning, combined, is much greater than either one of these symbols, alone.

Despite beautiful hamsa evil eye tattoo meaning, there are some considerations to be made. In some instances, certain people may consider this is sign a form of cultural appropriation when worn by non-believers.

To add to this, tattooing is typically discouraged in both Islam and Judaism. Therefore, getting a hamsa and evil eye tattoo of this sign may not be well received if you live in a community that has a large Islamic or Jewish population.

The alternative would be to have a hamsa evil eye inked in a place where it will be hidden by clothing for most of the time.

Due to the importance associated with this tattoo, make sure to pay careful attention to every detail included in the original design. This way, you can ensure that you get it right and remain respectful to the meaning.

Artistic Evil Eye Tattoos

The evil eye tattoo meaning is deeply rooted in your personal beliefs. Therefore, you don't necessarily need your evil eye tattoo to stay true to the original design for it to have proper significance.

As long as the basic elements are included in your evil eye tattoo, you should be able to get as creative as you like with the design.

So, if you want to do something a little different with your evil eye tattoo or to put your own spin on it, you absolutely can. Here are some of the different design ideas that you can use for inspiration:

Is It OK to Get an Evil Eye Tattoo?

As I mentioned above, the evil eye is found in most cultures. As a result, it wouldn't be inappropriate to get an evil eye tattoo. That being said, you should be mindful about where you are living and your environment.

In regions were the evil eye holds a great deal of significance, pendants and other amulets are used to ward off evil eye curses. If you live in or belong to a culture that takes the evil eye quite seriously, then it may not be the best idea to get this tattoo. Or, get the evil eye tattoo somewhere where it won't be readily visible.

Who Can Wear the Evil Eye?

As some form of the evil eye appears in most cultures, anyone can wear the evil eye symbol of good luck and protection. Still, there are some evil eye tattoo designs that may be considered a part of a particular culture or religion.

If you don't belong to this group, look for a more commonplace evil eye tattoo design. In general, though, it is unlikely that you will receive much backlash for this tattoo.

What is the Meaning of the Third Eye Tattoo?

The third eye tattoo represents the invisible mystical third eye, largely associated with Hinduism. This third eye is meant to represent insight or sight greater than what your eyes can show you.

I am a believer in knowing the significance of any tattoo you want to get. With the evil eye tattoo, though, it is especially important given that this is an ancient symbol. Now that you are at the end of this post, you know exactly what it means. To top it off, you have plenty of evil eye designs to choose from too.