Meaning of the Yin Yang Tattoo

O meaning of Yin Yang tattoos is very diverse, having its main origins in Chinese philosophy and metaphysics, and has become very popular over the years.

The Symbol of Yin Yang

The symbol represents the duality principle of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are two forces that complement each other and make up everything in the world. The balance between them gives rise to all movement and mutation.

Representation of Yin

Yin represents the passive, nocturnal, dark, and cold principle. It is connected to darkness, water, winter, low places, calm places like cemeteries and churches, and small and fragile objects. In relation to situations and human beings, it represents hatred, sedentariness, opposition, envy, intolerance, and difficulty.

Yang Representation

Yang represents the active, diurnal, luminous, and warm principle. It is connected to light, the mountain, summer and heat, high places, noisy places like parties and balls, concrete, and large and massive objects. In relation to situations and human beings, it represents love, initiative, help, admiration, friendship, creativity, tolerance, and ease.

The balance between Yin and Yang

An example we can give would be where a big, strong tree represents Yang, while a small, delicate tree represents Yin.
Situations where there is too much Yin are exaggeratedly calm and lifeless, and should be avoided. Those with too much Yang are too agitated and cause excess, and should also be avoided. The two principles are implicit in each and every manifestation that exists in nature. The opposites complement each other and there is no conflict between them; one depends on the other to exist. This concept is expressed by the symbol: inside the black Yin is a point of the white Yang, and inside the white Yang is a point of the black Yin. The dots represent mutual dependence. The Yin-Yang represents the balance of nature, of strength, of minds, and of the physical.

Meaning of Yin Yang in Tattoos

Yin Yang tattoos, besides the personal meaning of course, have several meanings and it is one of the most popular tattoos exactly because it gives this openness and diversity. Below we list some of the most frequent meanings of Yin Yang tattoos:

• Gender balance (female X male)
• Balance between good and evil
• Light and Darkness
• Dependency (one cannot survive without the other)
• Constant change
• Unit

Another very common use of Yin Yang in tattoos is two carp in the shape of the symbol. The fish are usually represented in opposite colors and symbolize the male and female of the species, swimming in a circular motion, representing the attraction of opposites and the balance that governs our universes, besides also being able to bring the meanings of carp tattoos as part of you.

Also in Chinese culture, Yin Yang can have various meanings according to its position, as you can see in the chart below:

To understand more about Yin Yang before you get your tattoo, we also recommend the video presented by John Bellaimey (enable subtitles on the video):

Yin Yang tattoo photo gallery