What do Colors Mean?

As an artist the power of colour has always been something that has moved and inspired me. Without really understanding the defined meaning of colours I found myself gravitating to colours I apparently needed or rejecting colours I didn't need depending on what was going on in my life.

For example, when I was pregnant with my first son, the colour I was most drawn to was green. All I wanted was to wrap my baby up tight in lots of green. Considering I hadn't really been interested in the colour green since I was a child, this was very interesting to me. Then I learned green, along with pink, is connected to the heart chakra--they're the colours of love! My desire to wrap my baby in green symbolized how greatly I wanted to share my love with him. When shopping for him I still find myself very drawn to shades of green, despite the fact he seems to be partial to reds and blues (which in itself makes sense).

My favorite colour has changed so many times from when I was a kid to now and as I learn more about their meanings and analyze where I was in my life when I preferred that colour things start to make a lot of sense!

The information here on this Hub comes from the study of auras and chakras, but my main source is Tony & Tina's Color Energy: How Color Can Transform Your Life which first opened my eyes to the power of colour.

Consider this Hub a crash course in understanding colour. Hope you find it useful and if you have anything you'd like to add or understand more please post your questions and comments below!

Foundation, Survival, Family, Procreation

Element: Fire

Planet: Mars

Sign: Scorpio

Crystal: Garnet

Gemstone: Ruby

Essential Oil: Oakmoss

- Energizes

- Helps Anemia and Blood Flow

- Alleviates Colds and Flu

- Strengthens Reproductive System

- Helps relieve Constipation

Red is the color of leadership, courage, strength, and willpower. It's no surprise really that in nearly every kid's show Red is the leader of the group. The red chakra is located at the base of the spinal column, it's our very foundation--our source of life. Without Red we have no stability or foundation.

When you have enough Red in your life you are centered, balanced, healthy, and energetic. You are comfortable in your family, community, and whatever other groups you may be apart of. You are very confident in yourself and feel a strong connection with those around you.

When you have too much Red in your life you can be arrogant, have trouble relaxing, and may be controlling and possessive. Green helps balance out the color Red.

When you don't have enough Red in your life you may be self-destructive, lack confidence and self esteem, rely too heavily on the opinions of others, and have strong abandonment issues.

Sex, Power, Sensuality, Bonding

Element: Water

Planet: Moon

Crystal: Camelian

Gemstone: Pearl

Essential Oil: Neroli

- Relieves Muscle Strain

- Boosts Immune System

- Helps with Menstruation

- Detoxes body

- Help Asthma, Colds, Allergies, Bronchitis, Growths, Lung problems, Gallstones, and Epilepsy

Orange's strength is its intuition and how in touch it is with its emotions. Orange is a passionate, alluring, creative, with amazing instincts. Orange is what gives us the power to go beyond the familiar and experience something new as well as pursue our personal desires. Orange is the ruler of the "gut feeling" as it is located near our spleen.

When you have enough Orange in your life you are very in touch with your feelings, are kind and friendly to others, and are full of creativity and optimism. Orange is also the center for pleasure so you appreciate the touch, taste, smell, sight, and smell of everything--and have a healthy sexual appetite.

If you have too much Orange in your life you can be emotionally unbalanced and prone to mood swings. You may be dominating, manipulative, overindulgent, and overambitious. You may also be extremely hyperactive, especially when it comes to sex, and might see people as objects to fulfill your sexual desires. Blue balances Orange.

If you don't have enough Orange in your life you may experience emotional imbalance and sensitive, but unwilling to express yourself. There might be some sort of imbalance in your life having to do with sex, money, or power. You may also experience feeling of guilt, resentment, and distrust.

Intellect, Self-esteem, Acceptance, Inner Strength

Element: Air

Planet: Sun

Sign: Leo

Crystal: Heliodor

Gemstone: Topaz

Essential Oil: Bergamot

- Breaks down Fatty Acids and Starches

- Good for Digestion, Constipation, and Stomach problems.

- Helps Bladder, Kidneys, Liver, and Spleen

- Helps Diabetes, Alcohol Poisoning, and healing Ulcers

Yellow is the colour of intellect. It is located in our solar plexus. Yellow has a strong sense of personal power and is very in touch with itself. The yellow chakra is where our personal thoughts and opinions are formed and developed. Yellow inspires critical thinking and helps us to make decisions and analyze things better. Yellow has high self esteem and inner strength.

When you have enough Yellow in your life you are very happy, outgoing, laidback, and charismatic. You are also very comfortable with yourself and are respectful of others. Yellow also brings out your intelligence and expressiveness.

If you have too much Yellow in your life you can be egotistical, judgmental, and demanding of others. You may also be a workaholic whose perfectionist nature causes you to be dissatisfied with life. Violet (or purple/indigo) balances Yellow.

If you don't have enough Yellow in your life you can be very hard on yourself and will always seek the approval of others. Your insecurities, obsession with the opinions of others, and low self esteem may cause depression. You may also fear being alone and so you are jealous in relationships.

Love, Compassion, Forgiveness

Element: Air

Planet: Venus

Signs: Taurus & Libra

Crystal: Green Tourmaline

Gemstone: Emerald

Essential Oil: Rose

- General Healing and Calming

- Boosts Immune System

- Relieves Anxiety and Exhaustion

- Aids the Heart, Pulmonary and Circulatory Systems, and Tissue Regeneration

- Helps with Ulcers, Asthma, Hay Fever, Colic, and Back Pain

Green is the colour of love. It is located in our hearts. Green is compassionate, caring, tolerant, and kind. Green does not judge or criticize. Green embraces all with loving grace and acceptance that erases feelings of loneliness.

When you have enough Green in your life you are empathetic, compassionate, and centered. You are in touch with your feelings and are happy to express love, forgiveness, and nurturing kindness. You want to fill the world with love.

When you have too much Green you can be overly sensitive and melodramatic. You can also start to express qualities that contradict Green's graceful nature by judging and demanding much of others. You may also be easy to manipulate emotionally. Pink and Red balance Green.

If you don't have enough Green you may have serious trouble letting go of things and forgiving others. You can be paranoid, unworthy of love, and terrified of rejection. You can also be distrusting and indecisive about your feelings.

Pink is sometimes considered the other heart chakra as some believe that the frequency of the heart doesn't appear just as green, but as green encircled by a ring of pink. Pink is the colour of love, though it is slightly different than Green. While Green strongly represents outward love towards others, Pink represents spiritual and personal love; love of self. Pink is attractive, affectionate, and joyful.

Incorporating Pink in your life encourages high self esteem, self love, and happiness. It can also help you find love.

Communication

Element: Ether

Planet: Jupiter

Signs: Gemini & Virgo

Crystal: Aquamarine

Gemstone: Sapphire

Essential Oil: Eucalyptus

- Particularly helpful for children, especially babies as it eases Colic, Diarrhea, Jaundice, and Skin Rashes

- Eases Headaches and Inflammation

- Affects Vocals, Respiratory System, Mouth, Teeth, and Throat

- Dark blue helps Allergies

- Light blue helps Acne and Anxiety

- Aqua blue eases Nausea, Fevers, and Burns

Blue is the colour of communication. It is located in our throats. Blue empowers us to communicate our thoughts and feelings honestly, effectively, and clearly. Blue is wise, knowledgeable, and a master of self-expression.

When you have enough Blue in your life you have the ability to be a great public speaker that is able to express yourself creatively, clearly, and truthfully. You are not only able to verbalize your beliefs, you live by them.

When you have too much Blue you may speak before thinking and talk excessively. You can also be self righteous, arrogant, and unwilling to compromise on anything. You can also have an addictive personality and obsess over things. Orange balances Blue.

When you don't have enough Blue you are unable to express yourself effectively and compromise easily which makes you very inconsistent. You could be quiet and timid but may also be devious and dishonest.

Understanding Truth, Spirituality, Consciousness, Intuition

Element: Telepathic Energy

Sign: Libra

Crystal: Amethyst

Gemstone: Purple Ruby

Essential Oil: Lavender

- Affects the Immune System, Ears, Throat, Eyes and can help with Cataracts

- Aids lung problems like Asthma, Bronchitis, and Pnuemonia

- Helps Alcohol Poisoning, Diabetes, Arthritis, and Nervousness

- Improves Sense of Smell

The brow chakra is violet or purple. It is the colour of creativity, spirituality, and intuition. Violet is connected to the physical and spiritual plane. Violet allows us to communicate with other worlds and helps us make our creative visions a reality. Violet is considered the third-eye and helps guide us towards a deeper understanding of the truth.

When you have enough Violet in your life you possess a great wisdom and a deep understanding of the spirit and the universe that prevent you from being shallow or materialistic. You are also very charismatic, creative, and are extremely intuitive.

When you have too mush Violet in your life you may find yourself lost in day dreams and fantastic worlds, unable to focus on reality. It is also possible that you are manipulative, egotistical, and may be prone to fanaticism.

When you don't have enough Violet in your life you can be a bit airheaded and unable to see things objectively. You may be overly sensitive and afraid of success. You can also find it difficult to be assertive and lack discipline.

Divinity, Oneness, Faith

Element: Cosmic Energy

Planet: Moon

Sign: Cancer

Crystal: Clear Quartz

Gemstone: Diamond

Essential Oil: Jasmine

- Affects Nervous System and Skeletal System, including building strong bones.

- Aids Rashes, Healing, and Coughing

White is located at the very top of our heads. It is the colour of divinity and infinite understanding. White connects us with everything; each other, the earth, other worlds, the universe. White is often related to God or the divine spirit; a higher power that connects and watches over us all.

When you have enough White in your life you are able to understand and relate to all living things. You have strong faith in the divine, and find it easy to live according to your spiritual beliefs. Negativity and spiritual blocks have no power over you. You are disinterested in material things and man made constitutions of what is important.

When you have too much White you may get irritated very easily and find it difficult to reach your full potential. You may also be prone to depression and destruction.

Black gets a poor reputation in history as it is often associated with bad things. In actuality Black is a necessary colour in our every day lives. It is the colour of change and prevents stagnation. Black is what moves us forward and forces us to progress.

Here are some techniques I have used and stand by.

In Tony & Tina's Book they provide cards that help you determine which colours you need. I wasn't sure how well this would work, but it actually works very well.

Paint or colour hand size pieces of paper in Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple/Violet, and White or cut hand sized pieces of paper from construction paper. Make sure they are filled in completely.

Lay out the cards in front of you, evenly spaced.

Rub your hands together then close your eyes and move your hand over the cards.

Stop when you feel warmth under the palm of your hand. You can move your hand back and forth a couple of times just to be sure.

Place your hand on the warm spot and open your eyes. Whichever color your hand landed on is the colour you need.

This is a meditation exercise that we usually start all of my art classes with. If working with a group you can visualize all of the colours so that all of the chakras are stimulated. Or you can focus on one particular colour (or colours) that you need.

Get in a comfortable, open position.

Close your eyes and get into a relaxed meditative state by breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Imagine yourself stepping into your shower and turning on the water to the most perfect temperature.

Then imagine the water changing to the most perfect brightly glowing shade of the colour you need (or go through the colours in your mind, starting with Red and ending with White).

Imagine the coloured water rushing over you, your head, your hair, your throat, your chest, all the way down your arms, legs, and toes.

Continue to visualize this color shower until you feel refreshed. Then turn off your shower, and with a few more soothing deep breaths, open your eyes.

When I first came across this technique in Tony & Tina's book I was skeptical of its power. Then I tried it out and found it very comforting. Now I imagine white bubbles unconsciously! When my sons are old enough to understand I plan to teach them this. Hopefully it will help relieve any fears of monsters in the closet.

Start by getting in a comfortable position.

Relax yourself by taking several deep breaths; in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Visualize yourself or whomever you want to protect. Then imagine a big white bubble surrounding you or them.

Imagine the white bubble deflecting all negative energy and harm and continue to visualize it for as long as you need to feel comfortable.

On days where I feel I need a certain colour, I'll pick out a nail polish in the shade of the colour I need, or where a shirt or other article of clothing in the colour I need. If I feel I need a lot of a colour I fill find ways to incorporate it in lasting ways. For example, after my son was born I really felt I needed pink in my life, probably to re-establish my sense of self and embrace self love--so I dyed my hair.

Be creative in the ways that you bring colour in your life. Even just simply wrapping yourself in a coloured blanket or holding a swatch of fabric the colour you need can help you reap the benefits of that colour.