This post is one of a series on signs and symbolism. You can find my post on where to see signs and how to understand them HERE. And if you’re interested in developing your intuition, check out THIS POST.
You can watch the video of this post through my YouTube channel.
What is colour?
Colour is energy, electromagnetic energy; the same as everything else in the universe. And we see electromagnetic energy as different wavelengths of light. Red has the longest wavelength and violet has the shortest, and each of these wavelengths—or frequencies—has an accompanying tone. So you could say that colour creates musical waves.
If you’ve developed your psychic awareness, you might see, hear or feel the different frequencies of colour. Maybe you can see the colours in a person’s energy field—also called an aura.
I talk about energy in my post on the SIXTH SENSE. If you haven’t read the post, I recommend it as it will give you a better understanding of energy, how we perceive energy and how energy affects us.
How Colour Influences Our Frequency—Where We See Colours—How Colours Are Used
In the physical realm, we see colours everywhere.
Two things to be aware of:
- 1. Colour in nature can’t always be replicated by artificial means.
- 2. Not everyone sees colour in the same way.
Let’s look at the most common colours. Here is the colour wheel used in the man-made world for printing.
A basic colour wheel has three primary colours—red, yellow and blue—which are used to create all other colours. A slightly expanded colour wheel shows six colours: the three primary colours of red, yellow and blue plus the three complimentary colours of orange, green and purple.
The complimentary colours are opposite each of the primary colours and give a pleasing contrast, such as red and green, blue and orange or yellow and purple.
When we see colours in the natural world, we’re seeing refracted light, like the seven colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. So, in this post, I’ll talk about the seven rainbow colours plus a few more.
And speaking of rainbow colours, one of the oracle decks I’ve designed, LIFE SIGNS ORACLE, uses the rainbow colours for symbolic meaning.
RED
So let’s start with the primary colour red. Red relates to the physical realm, the Earth.
In nature, we see shades of red in sand, soil and rocks, where we build houses to give ourselves stability and security. So red connects with our roots, so we have a strong foundation from which to grow. Earthy colours derived from red, such as shades of brown and rusts, are also strongly related to Earth energy, so these colours are great for helping us to stay grounded.
Other aspects of the colour red are energy and heat. Think of phrases we might use, such as red hot, hot with anger or heated passion.
Red is eye-catching and conveys a feeling of action and movement. So if we look to the man-made world, red is used to warn or grab the attention. A few examples: traffic warning signs, red buses, emergency service vehicles.
The old style phone box and post boxes are red so they stand out. Some popular logos are red.
In the man-made world, we sometimes see red and green together because they are complimentary colours that give a vibrant contrast—think of traditional Christmas decorations.
On a personal level, we see the heart often shown as red, and we have red blood, so we might see red relating to health and the medical profession, for example, the Red Cross. In hospitals, surgeons often wear green—the complimentary colour to red—as a way of balancing and calming the powerful influence of the red colour of blood.
RED in the Aura
In the electro-magnetic energy field of the body, red connects to the base chakra at the base of the spine. So, thinking back to red’s symbolism for stability, security and grounding, the base chakra relates to these areas. Imbalances in these areas can cause an energy blockage and eventually lead to physical health problems.
If red appears in the aura around the body, it relates to different influences depending where it’s found. For example, change coming in or moving out of our lives; action and movement; red also relates to hot emotions, such as anger or passion.
As red is a long wave colour, it’s most easily seen during a sunset, closely followed by the complimentary colour orange.
ORANGE
Orange is a mixture of the two primary colours red and yellow, and on the colour wheel, it sits opposite the primary colour blue. As with red, orange is a warm colour that connects to the elements of earth, but orange also connects to fire. Orange isn’t as eye-catching or attention-grabbing as red, and usually isn’t used as a warning colour, but we see it in a few popular logos.
Because orange is partly red and connected to Earth, we see orange in nature in similar places to red such as the soil, sand or stones.
ORANGE in the Aura
Orange in the electro-magnetic energy field connects with the sacral chakra below the belly button. Around the lower abdomen of a woman’s body is the womb, where life is created. So orange is the colour most related to creativity. The lower abdomen is the part of the body where we most feel emotions, especially anxiety and excitement, so orange relates to our desires, our needs and our emotional bonds with other people. With its strong connection to the emotions, if used inappropriately, orange can have a negative influence on the emotional state, as can the next colour: yellow.
YELLOW
As with orange, yellow, the second primary colour, connects to the element of fire and also to air. The air element relates to the mind. So with inappropriate use, yellow can negatively influence both the mind and emotions.
On the other hand, yellow can be an uplifting colour. We might think of sunshine when we see yellow. And like red, yellow is a powerful attention-grabbing colour and is used as a warning for hazards. We see yellow in logos and advertising but to a less extent than red, because of its potential to cause emotional or mental instability—take note of how and where yellow appears, especially when used with red, and how it affects your thoughts and emotions.
YELLOW in the Aura
In the body’s energy field, yellow connects to the solar plexus just below the ribs. The solar plexus is our power centre, shining like a sun from the middle of the body, so here we cultivate the inner strength to follow our intentions, to balance our inner power and use our mind and energy wisely. Yellow in the aura relates to thoughts, beliefs and new ideas.
These first three colours of red, orange and yellow have the strongest impact on us, because of their ability to influence the body, emotions and thoughts. But as we move around the colour wheel and the colour wavelengths get shorter, their influences change.
GREEN
With the rainbow, green sits in the middle, giving a clue to one of its indications: balance. And if we think of where we see green the most—in nature—we can understand its influence.
Green can heal, balance and bring harmony. Green represents growth, abundance and fertility.
On the colour wheel, green is a complementary colour, opposite red. So red and green are often used together to give a pleasing contrast. Green isn’t eye-catching like its opposing colour red, so you won’t see it used in situations that need to grab the attention. Green is a softer, gentler colour and is used accordingly.
GREEN in the Aura
In the body’s energy field, green connects with the heart chakra and our ability to love. So green brings feelings of compassion, forgiveness, understanding and acceptance. The heart chakra radiates from the centre of the chest and when we are unable to love ourselves, this area of the body can manifest heart problems at the physical level. If we see green in the aura, it often relates to emotional healing.
BLUE
Another healing, calming colour is blue, the third primary colour. Blue connects with the element of water, which emphasises going with the flow.
Blue is a cold colour and its short wavelength makes it appear to recede, the opposite to the advancing colours of red and yellow, which is why blue brings a sense of peace and calm. So when used in signs or logos, blue usually conveys a gentle, less invasive message.
Blue in the energy field links with the throat chakra, where we express ourselves through verbal communication, so blue relates to speaking the truth. If the throat is blocked, it can cause a bottleneck in the flow of energy through the body. Speaking our truth or voicing our needs is necessary for us to receive and thrive. A blockage in this area is common because many of us are taught to put other’s needs before our own.
With blue’s significance to communication, you can see that several social media platforms have blue logos, which is not a coincidence.
BLUE in the Aura
Blue in the aura can represent a significant time for communication or an awakening of a person’s life purpose, as blue relates to the divine blueprint of the soul’s journey in this lifetime and previous lives.
As we move around the colour wheel, we reach the final colour of purple, the complimentary colour of yellow. But with the rainbow, indigo follows blue.
INDIGO
Indigo is a mix of deep blue and purple, the colour we associate with the night sky and space. Indigo gives a sense of depth and mystery, and it connects to the spirit realm and all things unseen or unknown. It is a colour rarely used in the modern world in logos or packaging because it recedes more than blue, never catching the attention, which makes it overlooked.
Staring at the colour indigo can induce the desire to turn inwards to self-reflect and connect to Spirit, and it gives a sense of endlessness.
INDIGO in the Aura
In the body’s energy field, indigo relates to the third eye, the sixth chakra in between the eyebrows. This centre connects us to our sixth sense, spiritual truth and higher wisdom, and through the third eye, we can see beyond our physical reality.
The man-made world is full of illusions. If our third eye chakra is closed or blocked, these illusions can fool us or we live in a state of fear, having little or no trust in life and the universe.
Indigo in the aura relates to a powerful spiritual connection, spiritual protection and awakening to the truth. Its shortwave frequency vibrates at a faster rate than red, but not as fast as violet, the last colour of the rainbow.
VIOLET
Violet and colours derived from violet, such as pink, have the shortest wavelength. Violet and shades of purple are regal colours, because long ago, purple was the most expensive colour dye for fabric, so only royalty could afford purple and violet fabric.
Violet connects with the spiritual realm, our divinity, our limitlessness and the higher consciousness. Violet recedes more than any other colour, so is used sparingly in the man-made world, but when violet is used, it conveys a sense of luxury and richness.
VIOLET in the Aura
In the body’s energy field, violet relates to the crown chakra at the top of the head, which connects us to the spirit realm, to Creation and to Source. Violet light is often used for spiritual protection and cleansing the body’s energy field.
When seen in the aura, violet is similar to indigo, showing a strong spiritual connection and spiritual protection, and it shows a soul on a spiritual path who has gained much wisdom through experience and learning.
As the wavelength of violet becomes shorter, the colour gets lighter, going through shades of pink that lead to metallic pearlescent tones, eventually becoming clear.
BEYOND THE RAINBOW
The colours beyond violet radiate at a very high frequency and are found in certain crystals and minerals. They can be used to anchor more light into the body’s energy field.
These high vibration colours, including gold, silver and other metallic shades, represent purity, universal love, spirit and oneness. In the physical realm, these colours are used occasionally because of the high cost of creating them, think holographic and iridescent.
WHITE
And now we’ve moved through the rainbow of light, we arrive at white, light itself, the colour that embodies all the colours.
White is purity, peace and spirit. White gives the sense of wholeness, the oneness of life, and is associated with creation, the beginning of everything. When we see white in the natural world or the man-made world, it reflects light, scattering it all around to brighten up the environment.
White represents the daytime, fresh energy and newness. It is clean and crisp, giving a sense of both hot and cold: think of the expression white hot or snow white. And if seen in the body’s energy field, it shows a spiritual person that has attained peace of mind and a high level of awareness.
BLACK
Although, technically, white is the last colour, there’s one more I’d like to mention, and that’s black. Strictly speaking, black is a non-colour because it is the absence of light and where white is reflective, black absorbs light into its endless depth.
And now we’ve moved through the rainbow of light, the last colour I want to mention is black. Strictly speaking, black is a non-colour, the absence of light.
In the natural world, we see animals with black fur or humans with black hair, but on closer inspection, black fur or hair is usually a very dark shade of red or blue.
Black appears in certain substances such as charcoal, tar or minerals, but we don’t see true black plants or flowers.
Black in the body’s energy field isn’t good news. It signifies a blockage in the energy flow and if the black is close to the physical body, it usually manifests as physical illness.
Black is the void, representing emptiness, but it is also endless. Where white is light, life and love, black is an ending, fear and loneliness, but black isn’t all bad. Before Creation began, when light exploded from the void, the blackness was all that existed, so black is possibility, the potential for anything and everything.
Black is the birth place of light, and light could not have existed without the black void, so where white is everything, black is nothing, and these two opposing forces exist in everything and everyone, requiring constant balance.
In healing and wellbeing modalities, colour is used to help balance the body’s energy field, and the more we keep our light and shadow balanced, the brighter our inner rainbow shines.
Well, I hope that’s helped you gain a little insight into the influence of colour. If you’re interested in oracle cards, understanding the influence of colour can be useful when interpreting the cards. And if this interests you, here’s my previous post on expanding your sixth sense.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on colour symbolism, so please feel free to leave your comments below. Thanks for reading until the end, and I’ll see you in the next post 🙂
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Elizabeth Keedy 