99 Moon Tattoos That Will Illuminate Your Imagination

We’ve all caught ourselves staring at the moon; the wondrous celestial body that illuminates the night sky. It is a universal experience to gaze at its rocky terrain from the confines of earth and imagine the vastness of space. The moon represents the antithesis of the sun. The cosmic counterpart signifying an ultimate balance throughout the universe. Every person that walks this planet is guilty of staring at the moon with wide eyes and a craned neck, hypnotized by the idea of an entity so massive and bleak revolving around the earth. Subsequently, this fascination with the gray rock, which holds the distinction of being the largest planetary satellite relative to the size of the planet it orbits, has influenced our art. In this article we review symbolic and realistic moon tattoos and decipher the difference between a floating rock and a cosmic masterpiece.

Crescent Moon with Star

This tattoo, depicted in black ink on the wearer’s forearm, renders a crescent moon wrapping around a star.

Crescent Moon

A crescent moon is rendered behind the wearer’s left ear in this tattoo.

Abstract Watercolor Crescent Moon

A barren tree creates the foreground while a crescent moon creates the background of this abstract tattoo that utilizes smears of blue and purple watercolors.

“La Luna”

A realistic moon is depicted on the inside of the wearer’s upper right arm with the quote, “La Luna,” reading above the image.

Crescent Moon with Roses

A crescent moon embellished with roses in the center is laid on its side in this black and gray tattoo.

Wind & Water Yin-Yang

While not a moon, this tattoo has an intriguing concept. A yin-yang has the traditional black and white design replaced with the elements of wind and water.

Mandala Crescent Moon and Sun

Elements of mandalas are used to create the images of a crescent moon and a sun on the wearer’s calves in this black and gray tattoo set.

Man on the Moon

A personified crescent moon is embellished with a trio of stars in this black and gray tattoo rendered behind the wearer’s right ear.

Moon among the Cosmos

A hyper-realistic moon is depicted among a smear of blues and purples meant to replicate the colorful tapestry of the cosmos in this piece rendered on the wearer’s left shoulder.

Waxing and Waning Moon Chart

A chart depicts the multiple stages of the moon running along the wearer’s spine in this tattoo.

Embellished Crescent Moon

A tribal inspired design comprises the shape of a crescent moon in this black tattoo rendered on the inside of the wearer’s leg just above the ankle bone.

Suns containing Crescent Moons

A crescent moon is surrounded by the design of a tribal sun in this tattoo set that uses reversed colors to differentiate between the pieces.

Mini-Moon

A miniature black and gray moon is depicted on the back of the wearer’s left arm just above the elbow in this tattoo.

Crescent Moon with the Taj Mahal

This black and gray tattoo uses a crescent moon to frame the skyline of the Taj Mahal while the image is embellished with a few sparkling stars.

Simplistic Crescent Moon and Sun

A simplified version of a crescent moon and the sun are rendered on the wearer’s wrist in black ink in this tattoo.

Neck Crescent Moon

Shading is used to create the image of a black crescent moon in this tattoo rendered on the back of the wearer’s neck. The uneven distribution of the ink in the piece creates texture and complexity that separates this piece from its counterparts.

Pointillism Moon

The moon is created using a bold outline and texture is added with a series of dots in this black and gray tattoo rendered on the wearer’s forearm above the elbow.

Crescent Moon and Sun

This hyper-stylized piece encapsulates a crescent moon and sun inside of a circle in the middle of the wearer’s back between the shoulder blades. Mindful line-work is used to create texture in the piece and stars are used to fill the negative space between the two images.

Mandala Crescent Moon

A crescent moon is adorned with patterns often seen in a mandala in this black and gray tattoo rendered on the wearer’s upper arm.

Realistic Moon and Barren Tree

A barren tree is depicted being loomed over by a hyper-realistic moon in this striking scene rendered on the wearer’s stomach.

Floral Crescent Moon

Flowers are used to comprise the shape of a crescent moon in this unique piece that combines different elements of nature.

Crescent Moon and Bat

A black crescent moon is imagined above a bat with spread wings in this tattoo shown at the base of the wearer’s neck.

Barren Trees and Moon

The moon creates the background of this desolate scene that focuses on barren trees in the foreground rooted in cubes at the base of the image.

Crescent Moon on Wrist

A small black crescent moon is depicted on the wearer’s wrist in this simple tattoo.

Watercolor Crescent Moon

A crescent moon is smeared with purple and black watercolors in this tattoo rendered on the wearer’s thigh.

Small Crescent Moon and Sun

Simplistic depictions of a crescent moon and sun are rendered in the center of the wearer’s back in this tattoo set.

Crescent Moon with Star

A black crescent moon is backed by a blue star in this simple tattoo inked onto the wearer’s left hand.

Crescent Moon embellished with Feather

A crescent moon creates the centerpiece of this tattoo and is embellished with a feather, multiple stars, and a few nonsensical designs.

Moon, Flora, and Whale

A moon functions as the centerpiece of this tattoo that couples seemingly non-related images including flowers and a blue whale.

Mandala Inspired Crescent Moon

A crescent moon is embellished with elements of a mandala in this black and gray tattoo rendered on the wearer’s forearm.

Sunshine Vignette

A rectangular vignette encapsulates the image of a sun shining through the clouds while the sun-rays shine into the distance.

Crescent Moon Kissing the Sun

This black and gray tattoo shows a personified sun and moon kissing and is depicted on the top of the wearer’s of right foot.

Crescent Moon Outline

A crescent moon is created using a black outline in this tattoo depicted at the base of the wearer’s neck.

Crescent Moon and Sun 

This tattoo set, depicted on the wearer’s forearms, renders a sun and crescent moon in black ink.

Excessively Dark Moon

This black and gray moon relies too heavily on dark colors that wash out the detail for observers that are looking at the piece from a distance.

Cycles of the Moon

A realistic depiction of the moon is used to show the various cycles of the moon waxing and waning.

Stylized Crescent Moon

A crescent moon is stylized using elements of a mandala in this black tattoo rendered on the right side of the wearer’s lower back.

Crescent Moon and Sun Cover-up

A tribal inspired crescent moon and sun are depicted in black and gray ink with white embellishments in this tattoo set.

Crescent Moon adorned with Flora

A personified crescent moon is adorned with flowers in this tattoo rendered on the wearer’s upper arm.

Blacked-Out Crescent Moon

A blacked-out crescent moon is depicted at the base of the wearer’s neck in this simplistic tattoo.

A Murder of Crows Flees the Moon

A barren tree is surrounded by a fleeing murder of crows while the moon sits in the background of this hyper-detailed tattoo depicted on the wearer’s bicep.

Cosmic Entities 

A collection of cosmic entities are strung together by a dotted line in this tattoo inked onto the wearer’s forearm.

Overly Dark Moon

Here is another example of an excessive use of dark ink washing out the image of the moon.

Crescent Moon and Star

A personified crescent moon frames a five point star in this tattoo inked onto the wearer’s forearm.

Floral Crescent Moon with Bird

A crescent moon comprised of flowers has an outreaching branch with a bird perched on the limb.

Tribal Crescent Moon with Sun

This tribal inspired tattoo, depicted in black ink, shows a crescent moon wrapping around a sun on the wearer’s right shoulder blade.

Crescent Moon on the Heel

An outline of a crescent moon is depicted on the wearer’s left heel in this tattoo.

Crescent Moon and Sun on Thighs

A black crescent moon outline and tribal sun are depicted on the underside of the wearer’s thighs in this tattoo set.

Hazy Crescent Moon

A crescent moon is embellished with dots surrounding the image in this tattoo that gives the effect of a glowing moon.

Watercolor Sun and Moon

Personified depictions of the sun and moon are colored with smears of watercolors in this tattoo set.

Nighttime Seascape

A vignette of a nighttime seascape shows a cresting wave with a whale tail sticking out of the water while a crescent moon sits in the background.

Pair of Crescent Moons

A pair of crescent moons are created using a series of dots in this heavily textured rendering of the popular image.

Mandala Inspired Moon and Sun

A stylized moon that incorporates elements of a mandala frames a stylized sun in this black tattoo rendered on the wearer’s left shoulder blade.

Cat Sitting on the Moon

A black cat perches on a personified moon while the flowers and stars accent the main image in this tattoo.

Mandala Inspired Moon

A crescent moon utilizes elements of a mandala in this tattoo rendered on the wearer’s left palm.

Moon and Mandala

These black, gray, and white tattoos, depicted on the wearer’s feet, show a mandala and crescent moon with mandala elements.

Personified Crescent Moon

A simplistic, personified crescent moon is shown on the back of the wearer’s left arm in this tattoo.

Tribal Moon inside of Sun

This black tattoo shows a crescent moon encapsulated in a sun and is portrayed in a tribal style.

Landscape in Crescent Moon

A landscape including rolling hills and a flowing stream is shown inside the shape of a crescent moon in this unique portrayal of the popular image.

Feminine Crescent Moon

A personified crescent moon with feminine qualities is portrayed in black ink on the wearer’s thigh.

Crescent Moon with Triangle Accents

A crescent moon is accented with triangles in this simple piece portrayed on the wearer’s wrist.

Cycles of the Moon in Color

This beautiful version of the cycles of the moon uses a palette of pink, purple, and blue to breathe life into the piece.

Cycles of the Moon around an Atom

The cycles of the moon are depicted around an atom in this black tattoo.

Moon Vignette

A silhouette of a person stares up at a personified crescent moon in this black and gray tattoo.

Mandala Crescent Moon with Watercolors

A crescent moon utilizes elements of a mandala and is smeared with watercolors in this piece.

Moon and Landscape

The moon looms over a landscape including pine trees, mountains, and a river in this black and gray tattoo.

Traditional Style Crescent Moon

Traditional tattoo styling is used to create this image of a personified crescent moon utilizing a palette of blue, pinks and yellows.

Crescent Moon with Stars

A crescent moon is accented by a pair of stars in this wrist tattoo.

Tribal Moon and Sun

The moon and sun are depicted in tribal styles in this black wrist tattoo set.

Sun in Love with Moon

This blacked-out tattoo shows a personified sun and moon nearing for a kiss.

Black and White Crescent Moon

A half-black, half-white crescent moon is depicted on the wearer’s ribs.

Mother Nature Kisses the Moon

Mother nature closes the distance to kiss a personified crescent moon.

Yin-Yang

The yin represents the sun while the yang represents the moon in this tattoo set.

Cycles of the Moon

The cycles of the moon are embellished with line-work in this forearm tattoo.

Mini Crescent Moon

A miniature crescent moon is depicted on the wearer’s middle finger.

Two Moons and The Sun

A personified sun sits between a pair of crescent moons in this back tattoo.

Stylized Crescent Moon

A thin crescent moon is accented with flower like shapes throughout the image.

Cycles of the Moon

A realistic depiction of the cycles of the moon sit above a quote in this tattoo.

Crescent Moon behind Ear

A dark crescent moon sits behind the wearer’s right ear.

Crescent Moon with Roses

A crescent moon is filled with red roses in this tattoo inked onto the wearer’s left shoulder blade.

Crescent Moon with Tribal Embellishment

This beautiful tattoo utilizes an abundance of white ink to create a crescent moon embellished with tribal designs and white stars.

Raven with Moon

The portrait of a raven is accented by a crescent moon and is created using a palette of blues and purples.

Realistic Moon

A realistic depiction of the moon is inked near the wearer’s right shoulder.

Cat on Moon

A cat perches on a moon detailed with mandala elements.

Moon with Beads

A sun and moon are accented with hanging beads.

Pointillism Moons

A pair of moons are detailed using a series of dots as seen in the art style of pointillism.

Moon and Wind

A crescent moon is accented by depictions of wind and a series of dots.

Moon Cycle

 

The moon cycle is shown stretching across the width of the wearer’s torso.

Crescent Moon with Mandala Elements

 

Another example of a crescent moon detailed with mandala elements.

Symbols

A crescent moon is accompanied by other symbols in this wrist tattoo.

Embellished Crescent Moon

A crescent moon is embellished with hanging beads.

Crescent Moon with Hanging Beads

Another example of a crescent moon embellished with beads.

Moon and Mountainscape

The moon looms over a mountainscape in this tattoo.

Moon and Sun

The moon and sun are outlined in this wrist tattoo set.

Stylized Moon and Sun

A stylized sun and moon adorn the wearer’s feet in this tattoo set.

Personified Crescent Moon

Another example of a personified crescent moon is rendered in black ink on the wearer’s leg.

Moon Outline

A crescent moon outline is shown on the wearer’s ring finger.

Crescent Moon Outline

Another example of a crescent moon outline is shown on the wearer’s wrist.

Sandwiched Moon

A full moon is sandwiched between two crescent moons.

Moon and Sun

 

 

Dark renderings of the sun and moon are portrayed on the wearer’s heels.

Encapsulated Moon

A moon is surrounded by a black circle.

Moon, Sun, and Ganesha

The outlines of a moon and a sun are rendered on the wearer’s thighs alongside a portrait of the Indian goddess Ganesha.

Red Moon

 

Blue Moon

A blue moon is inked on the wearer’s right collarbone.

Moon Cycle

 

A hyper-simplified rendering of the moon cycles is portrayed on the wearer’s wrist.

Moon with Flora

A realistic depiction of the moon is accented by flowers on either side.