Colour

It is everywhere there is light

Animals, birds and insects use colour to propagate the species and for protection. Flowers use colour to attract the insects that will cause pollination. Every person on Earth emits colours that are perceived by all others

Light penetrates everything except the deepest seas and the darkest holes deep beneath the earth's surface. Our own bodies are penetrated by light, so we are affected by its properties

Many believe that the light at the centre of our Etheric Selves illuminates outward into the world. There is a strong interconnection between the vibrations of colours, our own Physical vibrations, our Emotional vibrations and vibrations of Another sort, that may be seen deriving form Personality at its deepest Unconscious level, Etheric or Spiritual. There are today many techniques of colour healing practised in the West

Colour is a Living Energy

Colour is infinitely more profound than our appreciation of its aesthetic qualities. Light is 'living Energy' that is made up of both the 'Visible Spectrum' and the 'Non-visible Spectrum' When light reflects off the surface of an object, we perceived colour. Light consists of different wavelengths in the visible spectrum as well as ultraviolet light which is invisible to our eyes

These are all part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Radiation within the wavelengths of the visible spectrum gives colour its intensity and therefore its Energy

The longest wavelenght, the one with the lowest frequency - is RED

The shorters wavelength , the one with the highest frequency is VIOLET

Pigments

Substances that absorb colour are known as pigments

MELANIN - Pigment in your skin containing the colour of your skin

CHLOROPHYLL - the pigment in green in plants

CARTENOIDS - the bright colours in plants (yellow,orange and red)

QUINONES - yellow, orange, red, purple or green

FLAVONOIDS - yellow,bluish reds

Colour can affect our Moods,Emotions and Sense of Well- being

Colour is integral in forming our perceptions of the world, in every area of our lives, both secular and religious. It is indeed a powerful influence

Although some people are more sensitive to colour than others, we all react to it in some way.Colour can make you feel either uplifted or depressed or somewhere in between - you may suddenly feel uplifted or flat

Every colour with the exception of black, puts out energy

Cool colours - blues ,cool greens and greys generally reduce the intensity of a person's vibrations. This may be a good thing if you are strung out, anxious or just wish to feel calm and serene. If you have a low-key personality, these colors could rob you of vitality

Traditional Sources of Natural Pigment

RED

blood / carmine from the cochineal insect / cinnabar / flower pigments / henna / lead / madder / red sandalwood paste / red ochre / safflower

BLUE

ground powders from azurite / cobalt / indigo / lapis lazuli / turquoise / flower pigments

BLACK

charcoal / galena / lampblack / manganese /soot

WHITE

ash / chalk / clay / gypsum / kaolin / lime / white lead / marble dust / rice powder

YELLOW

orpiment / plant saps / sandalwood bark / sulfur / tumeric / yellow chromium / yello ochre

GREEN

chrome green oxide / malachite powder / plant saps

General Sources

coloured feathers from birds / shells / plant dyes / flower petals / seeds / ground gem stones / tree bark

Comparative Meanings of Colours in Tradtional Societies

RED

Is the sacred colour of war for many North American tribes

In Papua New Guinea, the color red symbolises prosperity

Red is associated with blood in Africa and is the colour of life and death

In India, red serves spiritual and social purposes.It is the main colour for marriage and for the ascetic it is one of the colours of fire

In the Japanese region Shinto, red is the symbol of the rising sun and the colour of life itself

For the Chinese, red is the colour of heroes and generals and is the colour worn by the bride at her wedding

BLUE

Is frequently used to depict gods - for it has both spiritual an erotic associations

In China it symbolizes cruelty

In Japanese kabuki threatre, blue outlines on a painted face indicate a bad character

While in different combinations, blue can represent nature gods and the spirits of ancestors

WHITE

In Traditional Chinese cultures, white Is worn by relatives for funerals

And in Chinese theatre, a white face represents brutality and depravity and a small amount of white on the face indicates the lowliest of people

In the West it is worn for weddings

In various parts of the world it symbolises the supernatural world

In India - for promoting magic and meditation - people focus on a white-coloured Vishnu

In Japanese society, a white-painted face - seperates the nobility from the sun-darkened lower classes

In Japan the deceased is dressed in white

BRIGHT YELLOW

Is the imperial colour of India, but the duller tones of yellow represents reticence

In Chinese threater, the white-painted faces of actors portraying heavenly beings are outlined in imperial yellow

BLACK

Outlining around the eye - protects some groups from the Evil Eye

When Vishnu is portrayed as the destroyer of enemies, he is coloured black, however in the Indian kathakali dance theater, those characters regarded as repellent are pained black

Strong black outlines on the white painted face in Chinese Theatre, show an impetuous character

In ancient Egypt, black represented order and fertility

In Japan and the West - black is th colour of mourning

GREEN

Is often th colour of tranquillity and life

The gentle Egyptian god Osiris is green-skinned

In India, some Indian paintings of Vishnu will be portrayed as greenish blue, showing him as the god of water, air and space

In Chinese Theatre, green can represent devils and demons

The Efffects of Colours

YELLOW - Heightens your energy and can help make you feel warm and joyous

ORANGE - Is a stimulating colour

RED - Is one of the most compelling colours for humans, along with black and white. It has formidable energy and should be used with care. Too much red can be owerpowering. If you need an energy boost, wear red

MAGENTA - Is a cool red and contains some blue. Its effects is sensuous and quietly exciting. Magenta is a very strong colour and too much can become cloying and oppressive

PURPLE - Is a combination of red and blue.Can range from the palest of lilacs, mauves and lavenders through to the violets and rich purples. Purple is associated with the church and royalty from Europe and ancient Egypt. Use with care, can be vulgar and unsettling

BLUE - It is a colour that can carry on positive or negative associations. It can either be peaceful and relaxing or cold. It can also bring out feelings of fear and insecurity, depending on the shade and your mood and personality type

TUQUOISE - Is a greenish blue. It is a gentle, peaceful colour that can cheer you up.It suites most people and creates a happy, carefree appearance for those who wear it

GREEN - It is the colour of life an is the most restful colour to the eye.In its artificial form, it can be either peaceful or oppressive.Some can wear it and some look sick in it

Aspects of Colour

HUE - Is the colour itself e.g red/blue/green

TONE - Is a colour's degree of lightness ( high tone) - or darkness (low tone)

CHROMATIC COLOURS - Are colours of intense blue

ACHROMTIC COLOURS - Are colours that have been mixed with white of black, thus lessening the purity of the pigment. Black, white an the greys are also considered achromatic

IRIDESCENCE - Is the shimmering of colours producing rainbow effects. It can be seen in soap bubbles, film of oil,scales and the wings of certain insects. It is caused by interference of light, refraction and diffraction when the position of an object carrying these characteristics is changed

info source:The Power of Colour-Cynthia Blanche