The 'nautical' star is a symbolic star associated with the sea services of the United States armed forces

Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...

 and with tattoo

Tattoo

A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...

 culture. It is usually rendered as a five-pointed star in dark and light shades counterchanged in a manner reminiscent of a compass rose

Compass rose

A compass rose, sometimes called a windrose, is a figure on a compass, map, nautical chart or monument used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions — North, East, South and West - and their intermediate points. It is also the term for the graduated markings found on the traditional...

.

As a Naval Symbol

The nautical star frequently encountered as an informal signifier

Sign (semiotics)

A sign is understood as a discrete unit of meaning in semiotics. It is defined as "something that stands for something, to someone in some capacity" It includes words, images, gestures, scents, tastes, textures, sounds – essentially all of the ways in which information can be...

 indicating membership in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 or Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

. The symbol recalls both the five-pointed star of the US national flag

Flag of the United States

The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...

 and the distinctive color pattern of the compass rose found on many old nautical charts.

In Tattoo Culture

Nautical star tattoos are one of the most popular styles of star tattoo

Tattoo

A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...

.

Possible meanings conveyed

The Nautical Star on the left wrist aligned with the thumb is believed to be a positive guide for the future. The left palm is used in palm readings to reveal a persons future and the nautical star is used in this instance to guide the palm.
As with many tattoo designs, the nautical star may or may not be intended to convey a meaning to the viewer. In some cases, the wearer may simply appreciate the design for its beauty, simplicity, symmetry or ability to serve as a backdrop or an additional ornamental element of any tattoo. For other wearers, the symbol is intended to convey one of a variety of different meanings.
The Nautical Star with angel wings on the right back shoulder it represents that someone is watching over you.
This symbol is often associated with sailor

Sailor

A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...

s and those who make their living on or by the sea. Quite apart from the military/naval connotations, the nautical star recalls the sailor's reliance on celestial navigation

Celestial navigation

Celestial navigation, also known as astronavigation, is a position fixing technique that has evolved over several thousand years to help sailors cross oceans without having to rely on estimated calculations, or dead reckoning, to know their position...

. At times, the tattoo can be coloured in red or green to symbolize membership of the port or starboard watch

Watchstanding

Watchstanding, or watchkeeping, in nautical terms concerns the division of qualified personnel to operate a ship continuously around the clock. On a typical sea going vessel, be it naval or merchant, personnel keep watch on the bridge and over the running machinery...

, respectively.

Often the symbol is used to convey an allegorical meaning. The link to celestial navigation could, for example, symbolize that the wearer's wish to find his or her way home safely, particularly in the case of military personnel. Further, it could express a desire to find one's
way in life more generally.

The Nautical Star is heavily confused with the Nor-Cal or Northern California Star according to ones geographical location. This tattoo which has been affiliated with a vast majority of Northern California gangs regardless of their own affiliation amongst each other. The only typical variation of the Nor-Cal Star is the color on the left side of each leg of the star. The right side always remains black normally.

The nautical star meaning is usually worn to symbolize the way in life they live. and they have there life set with many decisions to take (5 points) in life. Associated with the soldiers and navy about getting lost at war or at sea - Moreland.

Lesbian and Gay Symbolism

Since the 1940's and 1950's, a nautical star tattoo has been used by some homosexuals to indicate their sexual preference. Lesbians started this practice among themselves during an era when homosexuality was frowned upon and not spoken about. Many lesbians chose to get a small nautical star tattoo on the top of their wrist, which could easily be covered by a watch if needed.