Color Series: Yellow

Some of the attributes of orange overlap with yellow, because orange is a result of red mixed with yellow.  However, yellow has more associations with the mind and with intellect than orange does.  While red and orange are stimulating to the body, yellow is stimulating to the emotions and the mind.  It’s a very visible color and grabs the attention as much as or more than red and orange do.  Yellow is a color of joy, optimism, and happiness.  It often is uplifting and inspiring to those who see it, although yellow is a love/hate color.  Like orange, many people either love yellow or hate it.  Different shades of yellow may be more appealing than others to different people, and different shades can have different effects.  Pale yellow is softer, gentler, and less overwhelming while deeper shades can become overpowering.

Although red is the main color for fire, yellow is often associated with fire as well.  The coolest-temperature fires are yellow–just look at a candle flame–and the sun appears to us to be yellow rather than red because of the earth’s atmosphere.  And what is the sun but a gigantic ball of burning gases?  Yellow is the color of light and illumination, most likely because of the color of the sun’s light.  Even though it is often placed with fire, yellow is more commonly equated with air and mental faculties.

Various religions use yellow as part of a belief system.  In traditional Christian variants, yellow is the color for Greed, one of the seven deadly sins.  During the medieval period of Western Europe, and so a part of medieval Christianity, there were thought to be four humours used in medicine.  The humours were main bodily fluids, and were thought to have an effect on the body and personality.  Changes in humour were thought to be the source of sickness.  The humour associated with yellow was yellow bile, which was thought to cause bad temper and a touchy temper when out of balance. The theory of humours has now been discredited by  modern medicine, but it was very important to medieval and ancient medicine.

In many different variations of Paganism, Wicca among them, yellow is the color of the East quarter and Spring.  This color is generally thought to be the color of childhood and youthfulness.  Yellow is often associated with the Maiden Goddess and the Litha and Imbolc holidays.  For ancient Greeks, many goddesses were described as having golden hair, probably because it gave the goddesses a distinct look different from the typical physical characteristics of a Grecian.  Buddhist monks wear saffron yellow robes, and yellow is a sacred color for Hindus.  In Islam, yellow is the color of wisdom.

In the United States, yellow is used for school buses.  The particular shade of yellow used on school buses was proven to be the most visible color to the human eye compared to all over colors in the visible spectrum.  Since we want kids to be safe, it makes sense to use the most visible color to paint their transportation.  This color may also be associated with monetary wealth since gold is a shade of yellow.  For the Aztecs, yellow was the color for food since their most abundant food source was corn, which is yellow. Yellow is historically a very important color in China.  It corresponded with the earth and was the color of Ming and Qing dynasty emperors.  One emperor, Huangdi, is also called the Yellow Emperor and is commonly considered the founder of modern Chinese civilization due to the large number of inventions and technological advancements made during his reign.

For Greeks, yellow signifies sadness, while in France yellow is the color for jealousy.  In India, yellow is the color of spring and is worn during the Festival of Spring.  It is also the color of the Vaisya caste, which includes farmers and traders.  During 1930s and 1940s Germany, the Star of David on armbands and labels given to Jews was yellow.

Of the chakras, yellow is the color for the third chakra, the solar plexus.  The solar plexus is located at the midsection above the navel.  This chakra is commonly thought to govern willpower, self-esteem, and self-worth.  If the solar plexus chakra is closed, it probably means you feel a lot of fear, anxiety, and negativity toward yourself.  People with a closed or insufficiently clear solar plexus chakra tend to be passive, somewhat timid, and indecisive.  When it’s balanced, this chakra indicates a high self-esteem and a high regard for the self.  You are in control of yourself and your actions, and you are able to have confidence and appropriate assertiveness in group situations.  Too much of this chakra (meaning when it’s overactive) can result in aggressive and domineering behaviors.  Also associated with the stomach, liver, small intestine, and pancreas.

Uses

Like red and orange, yellow is not generally the best color to use for healing.  It excites the mind especially, and many people need rest and quiet in order to heal.  So I would not recommend the use of yellow for any healing purposes.  However, a touch of yellow in a room can help to lift a person’s mood and make them happier.  Taking yellow flowers to someone in a hospital, for instance, can help them heal by lifting their mood.  Yellow used in small doses can help a person to heal, but too much can be overwhelming.

Yellow can be used to enhance or activate memory.  Looking at the color yellow while studying could aid memorization and learning.  It can also spark creativity and raise self-esteem.  Yellow is associated with feelings of self-worth and high self-esteem.  This color can help to raise one’s self-esteem levels and improve a person’s opinion of themselves.

Yellow is an energizing color, so wearing a yellow shirt or jacket can help improve one’s energy level.  Yellow also works well as a compliment with other colors.  It can tone down overwhelming reds and oranges, and can add energy to the effects of blue, purple, green, and other cool shades.

Too much yellow can cause irritability, fear, depression, cowardice, and irrational thoughts or behavior.  Like the other warm colors, red and orange, too much yellow can overwhelm a person and cause anxiety or fear.

Associations
Element: Air, Fire
Emotions: joy, optimism, happiness, warmth, confidence, anxiety, fear, cowardice, deviousness
Animals: cheetah, canary, chickadee, golden retriever, (baby) ducks, bees
Astrology: Taurus, Air signs
Chakra: solar plexus
Flowers: yellow tulips, yellow roses, buttercups, sunflowers, black-eyes susan, daylily, coreopsis, yarrow, daffodil, marigold
Foods: bananas, lemons, corn, squash, curry, saffron rice, pineapple, apple, pepper, honey
Metals: gold
Stones: amber, citrine, flourite, topaz, cat’s eye, calcite
Season: Spring, Autumn

Resources About Yellow
http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-yellow.html
http://www.eclecticenergies.com/chakras/introduction.php
http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/colour/yellow.php
http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/yellow.htm
http://www.color-wheel-artist.com/meanings-of-yellow.html

Color Series: Orange

A number of the associations and meanings for the color orange overlap with those for the color red, and some attributes with yellow.  Since orange isn’t a primary color and is a mixture of yellow and red, it makes sense that it would share the attributes of both parent colors.  Also, shades of orange that lean more toward yellow will have more of yellow’s power, while shades that are redder will take on more of red’s meanings.  Like red, orange is a vibrant and stimulating color.  Red and orange are both good for stimulating the appetite–this is why many restaurants, especially fast food ones, will use these colors in their logos and buildings.  Orange is a very attention-grabbing color that stands for energy, friendliness, and flamboyancy.

Although not generally used as a healing color, orange can promote good health for some people.  For others, it’s almost as overwhelming a color as red, and shouldn’t be used for healing.  Orange is a color of change, based on its association with autumn and that transitional period of seasons.  It can promote transitions or changes in a person’s thoughts, emotions, or life.  It’s also a color of fun, warmth, security, food, and sensuality.  Most people, I think relate sensuality to the color red instead of orange, but orange takes on this meaning because of its association with the sacral chakra (see below).  However, orange can also mean immaturity, dependency, frustration, pride, and difficult interactions with others.

Although not a very common color for religious symbolism, orange does hold certain meanings in various religions.  In Christianity, likely stemming from a medieval tradition, orange represents the deadly sin of gluttony.  In Wicca and some other paths of Paganism, orange is most closely associated with Samhain and autumn.  It is not generally a color associated with the Goddess, although specific Goddesses may have this color in their particular system, especially those related to fire in some way.  However, orange can at times be considered a youthful color, and so the argument could be made that it more closely aligns with the Maiden Aspect.  In Buddhism, monks often wear robes of saffron, which is a yellow-orange color.

In the Netherlands, orange is the national color.  This dates back to the rebellious Prince of Orange and the Dutch War of Independence.  Orange is a color of happiness and love in China and Japan.  The color also has national significance to Ireland and is used in the country’s flag.  In the U.S., orange is often used as a warning color.  For example, traffic cones are usually orange.  Unlike red, orange does not carry the meaning of “danger”, but has more of a connotation of “warning”.  Also in the U.S. orange is the color of Halloween and Thanksgiving.  For some Native American tribes, orange is a color of kinship or learning.

In the chakra system, orange is the color of the sacral chakra, located in the lower abdomen at the intestines.  This chakra is related to self-respect, feelings, fertility, and sexuality.  Also associated with uterus, bowels, prostate, ovaries, and testes.  The sacral chakra also relates to creativity and freedom.  This chakra and its color deals with respecting the boundaries you’ve set for yourself and deals with your self-respect.  If you aren’t in tune with your sacral chakra and don’t respect yourself, you could knock other chakras out of balance as well.  The main words for this chakra are “I feel.”  Orange can help your feelings to flow more freely, thus helping this chakra stay open and balanced rather than clogged or overloaded with pent-up feelings.

Uses

This is not the color to use if you want to hide from the world.  Like red, it attracts attention.  Wear this color when you want to attract attention, but be cautious about too much orange, or you’ll look . . . well, like a traffic cone.  Too much orange can overwhelm and can take on its negative qualities when it does.  Orange is good to encourage oneself to be more social, and is a good color to use when decorating social areas. If you want/need help studying, try using orange to stimulate your thoughts and mind.

This color and many of its vibrant shades should not be used in bedrooms or other places intended for resting, as it is not a restful color; it should also not be used for those places in which stress occurs, such as an office, because orange can exacerbate the stress levels and make things worse.

Associations
Element: Fire, Water
Emotions: joy, confidence, creativity, happiness, excitement, daring
Animals: ladybugs, goldfish, orangutans
Astrology: Gemini, Leo
Chakra: sacral
Flowers: bird of paradise, orange lily
Foods: pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, apricot, mangoes, orange peppers, peach, tangerine, citrus, cantaloupe, honey
Metals: gold, copper, brass
Minerals: cinnabar
Stones: carnelian, garnet, tiger’s eye, orange agate, topaz
Season: Autumn (primary), Summer (secondary)

Resources About Orange
http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-orange.html
http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours
http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/colour/orange.php
http://www.eclecticenergies.com/chakras/introduction.php
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/orange.htm
http://www.color-wheel-artist.com/meanings-of-orange.html

Color Series: Red

Red is often considered a very strong color. It’s a color that can overwhelm if there is nothing to tone it down. Many countries have used this color in their flags because it’s seen as a color of strength, honor, valor, and passion.

This is also the color of love. Red is the color of passion, lust, and romance. Pink is considered the color of new love or young love, but red is strong, passionate love. The most prevalent colors of Valentine’s Day, the day of love, are pink, red, and white: pink for shy, new, or young love; red for passionate or romantic love; and white for pure love. Along with red’s passion come other strong emotions and actions: anger, rage, aggression, courage and bravery, energy, power, violence, and battle/war.

Sometimes red is associated with danger or evil. Red is used for stop signs and stop lights not because it grabs the eye (studies have shown that school bus yellow is the color most likely to draw attention), but because it symbolizes the hazard of the intersection and offers a warning. Some animals have bright red skin or scales to warn other animals of their deadly poison. As a color of aggression, red is a warning and a symbol of violence. Although not necessarily a sign of danger (unless it’s danger to your wallet), red is the color used for sales because it’s a warning—technically speaking, it’s a warning to the consumer that a change has been made to the prices of items, and while it’s generally a “positive” warning, it’s a warning nonetheless. Color therapists say that red is such a strong color that it can stimulate brain wave activity, and for some the color can raise the heart rate or blood pressure just by looking at it. Often red is considered a stimulant.

In the United States, red is most often considered the color of either anger or love. The notion of red being symbolic of power or status is also prevalent in the States—we roll out the red carpet for celebrities and VIPs, for example, as a symbol of their status and power, and many sports teams use red in their team colors because of its powerful associations. In many Asian countries, red is the color of good luck, good fortune, and happiness, but for some it may also have the added associations of Communism (depending on your viewpoint, that may or may not be a bad thing). The traditional color for an Asian bride’s attire is red. A number of cultures and religions consider red to be the color of life because it’s the color of blood. Within Paganism, this color generally is thought to be the color of life or new life because not only is red the color of blood, but it is also the color most associated with reproduction and a female’s monthly cycle. In Christianity, red is associated with Christmas, martyrdom, and the blood of Christ, but it is also the primary color for the Devil. For some Middle Eastern cultures, red is the color of the Devil and evil as well. In South Africa, red is the color of mourning.

Red is the color of flame and the sunrise or sunset. It is generally not considered the color of the sun itself because we perceive the sun as light orange or yellow, even though satellite photos of the sun have shown it to be very red. Since flames and fire give us heat, red is the color of heat and is considered a “hot” or “warm” color. In Wicca in particular (and some other Pagan paths in general), red is the color of the Mother Goddess, the South quarter, and the Beltane and Midsummer holidays.

Of the chakras, red is the color for the base or root chakra. This chakra is commonly thought to govern basic human nature and base needs. If any of you have studied psychology, this would compare to the lowest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which is the level of basic human needs such as sleep, food, water, air, reproduction/sex, etc. Humans need this most basic level to be met and satisfied before any of the higher levels can be reached. In chakra terms, if your red base chakra is out of balance, you’re probably going to have trouble with the higher chakras as well. The root chakra is the link to the physical world and the physical body. Also associated with muscles, kidneys, arteries, and adrenal glands.

Uses
Red is a good color to use when you want an extra boost to your confidence level or if you want to attract attention. However, too much red can send the message that you’re coming on too strong and may overwhelm other people you interact with. Small touches of red, or red combined with other colors, can go a long way. For example, a celebrity may wear an all-red dress at a premiere to draw the eye and attract everyone’s attention, which in turn takes away from other celebrities around him/her. While I assume no one reading this is a celebrity, us regular folks can use the same principle—a red dress or suit to prom, for example.

Aside from a confidence-booster, red can also stimulate passion or romantic feelings. If you’re going on a date and want to set the tone in that direction, wear a red shirt or dress, or bring red flowers like roses. The image of a rose petal-strewn bedroom and red bed sheets is frequently used for a reason. As a stimulant, red excites us mentally and physically, and the outlet for that excitement is defined by the situation: a romantic red setting leads to passion; an angry red setting leads to anger, rage, and possibly violence; a violent red setting leads to battle or aggression; etc.

Wear red underwear or pants/skirts to stimulate the base/root chakra. If you feel too passive in your life and want to feel or be more active, try wearing red clothes, especially around the root chakra. It is NOT a recommended color for any kind of healing spells.

Associations
Element: Fire
Emotions: Love, anger, rage, passion, courage
Animals: cardinals, foxes, red deer, salmon
Astrology: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Chakra: base/root
Flowers: roses, carnations, poppies
Foods: peppers, red potatoes, apples, cherries, grapes, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, red cabbage
Metals: iron
Stones: rubies, garnets, rose quartz, carnelians, bloodstone, coral

Resources About Red
http://www.color-wheel-artist.com/meanings-of-red.html
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/red.htm

Book of Shadows, Part 2: Formats for a Book of Shadows

(This is part two of a three-part series)

There are many different formats to use for a Book of Shadows (BoS for short), and choosing a format is completely up to each person.  Find what works best for you–you may find that you try a few different methods before settling on one that works best.  Keep in mind what you’re likely to be good at, but also keep in mind that this kind of exercise is meant to be meaningful and worth taking time for–so, for example, writing something down rather than typing can be more meaningful to some.

Digital

A digital BoS could be something simple like a Word document or something like an online journal of sorts.  It can be public or private–though I generally say a BoS is something private and personal that shouldn’t necessarily be made an open book.  The point of the Book of Shadows is to find what works best for you and what doesn’t work, and a public BoS is perhaps a bit less personal.  Anyway, a digital BoS is kept on the computer.  You could print off pages if you wanted something tangible.  If you’re  not very good at writing or don’t really enjoy writing, a digital book could be the way to go.  If you’re a technology lover, then typing may come easier to you than writing, and you may prefer keeping a digital copy.

Pros: Easy to compile and move sections around; portable via Internet or flash drive; printable; easily changed; public or private.
Cons: Completely technological; no writing involved; can be lost if not backed up.

Spiral Notebook

A spiral notebook is pretty simple and easy to use as a Book of Shadows.  It will keep everything in one place and neatly together.  If you like to write, this could be a good option.  The spiral notebook doesn’t look like anything special however, so if you’re looking for something with a “witchy” feel to it, I’d say go with the journal.  It’s hard to turn a spiral notebook into a medieval-looking book.  However, if you want to insert pages or keep other materials with the book, there’s no way to keep things with it or insert pages or materials unless you glue it in, and that can be messy.  A spiral notebook could be used alone or with a three-ring binder to keep printed or extra materials together with the book.

Pros: Good for writers; keeps everything neatly together; decent for organization; could be used with a binder or alone; private unless shown to others.
Cons: Hard to move sections around and reorganize; can’t add papers or other materials unless gluing in; finite number of pages without being able to add more.

Three-Ring Binder

This is the option I originally started out with.  I typed up pages and printed them out to keep in the binder.  That way I could write notes in the margins and reorganize whenever I wanted, or combine with notes in a spiral notebook.  In my opinion, this option has the most freedom in terms of organization and combines technology and writing, both of which I like.  You can always add more pages, especially if the binder is large.  Typing is one option, but you can also write on notebook paper and keep it in the binder, which also allows for easier reorganization.  However, a binder doesn’t look very special, even with some decoration–but if you’re in the closet or desiring to keep your BoS looking innocuous, this could be a good option for you.  If you want your binder to look good but aren’t handy with decorations yourself, there are binders you could buy like this one that are pretty nice:

Pros: Good for organization and reorganization; can print out and use with writing; private unless shared; can combine with a spiral notebook; add many more pages; neat and orderly; can include other print-outs or materials in the binder.
Cons: Bulky; not very portable; doesn’t look like anything special.

Journal

The binder may be the most freeing option, but the journal is my favorite option.  This is because I’m a huge sucker for the pretty journals, and I tend to collect journals as well.  However, the journal format can be somewhat inconvenient for your Book of Shadows if you decide halfway through that a different organization of the entries would work better–there’s no way to change things around!  But if you enjoy writing, and appreciate the magical act of writing, a journal could be a good way to go.

Pros: Pretty; good for writers; everything in one place.
Cons: Difficult to reorganize; finite number of pages.

Part One: What is a Book of Shadows?
Part Three: Books of Shadows, Then and Now  Coming Soon!

Book of Shadows, Part 1: What is a Book of Shadows?

(This is part one of a three-part series)

The topic of a Book of Shadows seems to come up fairly frequently among Pagans, especially Wiccans.  But the majority of people don’t know what a Book of Shadows (or BoS for short) really is or how to use it.  I recently had a friend (general Pagan with Wiccan leanings) ask me what a BoS is, how to use it, and how it’s different from a Book of Mirrors, and I found myself explaining all of these things in general terms–so let’s go more in depth!

What is a Book of Shadows?

A BoS is a book of some type that a person can use to record spells they have used, the outcome of spells, what worked and what did not work, different rituals, etc.  In general, a BoS is used predominantly by Wiccans, as the concept of a Book of Shadows originated with Gardner and Gardnerian Wicca.  However, this does not mean that those outside of Wicca can’t use a BoS.  Nor do you have to be in a coven.  You can be a solitary general Pagan like my friend and still use a BoS.

How Do I Use a Book of Shadows?

It’s really up to you how you wish to use this book.  The most common use and form seems to be like a journal.  You update it whenever you want, or whenever you have something to add, but you don’t need to do it every day.  When you do a spell, write it down in the BoS exactly as you said it.  Leave room at the end of the page or on the following page to write up what happens after the spell is cast.  After about a week, or however long if you specified a time period in the spell, then write if the spell worked, if it worked well or kind of or not at all, whether it’s something you would use again or not, etc.  This can apply to meditations or chants as well as spells and rituals.

Say you just got a new guided meditation cd and you want to record how effectively it works for you so you won’t forget, or you want to record what happened during the meditation.  You can put that in a BoS.  Use the cd, see if anything changes or if it’s effective, and record the outcome in your BoS.  I used a guided meditation that could take the listener to meet spirit guides.  I wrote down what I saw, what I felt, and how effective the meditation and cd were for me and if I would use them again.

This differs from a Book of Mirrors (BoM) in that a BoS is not generally used for reflection.  It is used to record actions taken in terms of spells, rituals, prayers, meditations, chants, etc., or actions you would like to take, such as writing down a meditation for future use to try out later.  But generally, you don’t reflect upon life or your actions; you record whether a spell worked, didn’t work, and leave it at that.  Reflections on how these things then affect your life and what changes are effected go into a BoM.  That being said–like much else in Paganism–these books are highly personal, and you can make them into whatever you want.  My friend, for example, found that she was actually writing a Book of Mirrors after I explained it to her, but her’s is probably going to end up being a combination of a BoM and a BoS.  Nothing wrong with that!

Now, if you’re a part of a coven, they will probably have guidelines and such on how to format and use both of these books, but if you’re in a coven, you probably already know that anyway.

Part Two: Formats for a Book of Shadows
Part Three: Books of Shadows, Then and Now  Coming Soon!