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

Do Pagans/Wiccans Have a Concept of Evil?

I found myself the other week trying to explain a Pagan view of good and bad and evil to a group of non-Pagans. It was a question I hadn’t really even thought of very much myself.  Do Pagans, and more specifically, Wiccans, believe in evil?

I said no.  I don’t think we do.  I’m speaking more in the terms of a Wiccan point of view and manner of belief, but parts of this may apply to the broader Pagan community–forgive me if I happen to generalize at times.  Also, this concept isn’t even fully formed in my own mind, so pardon if I backtrack or even contradict myself in my musings–I’ll try not to, but no guarantees.

I don’t think we believe in evil.  That doesn’t mean we don’t understand the concept, or that we don’t have a concept of evil, but I don’t think we believe in it as a part of our spirituality.  “Evil” here has the meaning of an act that is so far beyond reprehensible that it can barely be conceived.  Evil is an act or a person that causes unimaginable levels of pain or harm to a person, a group, or another living being.  Hitler, for example, is considered evil by a great many people.

The problem (as I see it) with relation to the concept of evil is that many Pagans believe in a natural order.  Death is not evil, but natural.  Harm is not evil, but merely something to be avoided because it’s bad, and it happens.  It’s an accepted fact that we will all be hurt at some point in our lives–the only unknown is how badly we’ll be hurt.  But that doesn’t necessarily equate to evil.  This part seems to be a matter of degree.  A little pain, a little hurt, all falls within the natural order, but great pain and great harm that goes beyond what one person should in theory be able to accomplish falls under “evil.”

As a moral person, I can see that.  But it’s not a part of my spirituality, it’s outside of it.  The concept of evil, to me, doesn’t enter into or come from my beliefs.  The greatest concept of evil that most people either believe in or can understand is the concept of Satan and the Devil.  Many people say that evil comes from Satan.  This understanding of evil comes from the religious beliefs of that person and tends to mean that what is evil is unnatural, created by the Devil, sinful, and/or morally reprehensible.  This idea is directly related to the spirituality in the fact that believers have a model held in front of them saying that if X, Y, or Z is done, then you can’t get into Heaven or be a good person or be a moral person, etc.

Pagans don’t have that.  We believe that everything has its natural place, and you can do pretty much whatever you want to if you’re willing to accept the legal, moral, and/or karmic consequences of the action.  Doesn’t mean the community will like you, or condone what you do if it’s found you are actually causing harm, or tell you you’re wrong.  It just means that spiritually, from a faith standpoint, there is nothing in the belief system that says what action is wrong or evil and what action is not.  From a moral standpoint, I think most of us would agree that murder is wrong.  But from a spiritual standpoint and a Pagan worldview, murder is acceptable if you, the perpetrator, are willing to accept the consequences of your actions knowing that this carries heavy karmic implications (if you believe in karma) and heavy legal and moral implications.  Mind, I’m not saying we advocate murder or anything like that, because we don’t–what I am saying is that the emphasis is placed on making the choice.  If I were in a situation where I had to murder someone because it was the only way I could protect myself or my family, I’d probably do it, and accept the consequences.  Would I go and commit outright murder?  No, because I know that’s wrong.  But nothing in my spiritual beliefs says that it’s wrong or evil to do so–that is coming from a moral standpoint, not a religious one.

What do other Pagans and Wiccans think?  Do you think we have a religious or spiritual basis for the concept of evil, or do we not?  I’m interested in what others think on this subject, so please, weigh in!

Stereotype #8: Pagans Worship Satan

This may be more of a misconception than a stereotype, but I think it can still fall under the “stereotypes” category, especially for some non-Pagan groups who do think that all Pagans (or most Pagans) worship or believe in Satan.

This is simply not true. Most Pagans don’t even believe in Satan or the devil.  In order to worship something, you need to believe that it is true.  If one does not believe in the existence of the devil, then how can one worship him?  The devil/Satan is a Judeo-Christian concept, and while there are dark gods and goddesses in any world mythology a Pagan may choose from, these darker-aspected deities do not automatically equate with Satan.  Satan is a strictly Judeo-Christian personage, and to say that Pagans worship Satan is very much incorrect.

I’m sure by now someone has thought of Satanists.  Yes, there are Satanists, and yes, as far as I can tell (with my very limited knowledge, mind you), they do worship Satan.  However, the majority of Satanists don’t even consider themselves Pagan, and most Pagans do not lump Satanists under the Paganism umbrella.

I’m sure this misunderstanding and stereotype arose over many hundreds of years after cultural and societal beliefs began to connect the darker Pagan gods with the Judeo-Christian Satan, especially those deities who dealt with death.  The image of the devil is actually connected to images of Pan and the Horned One, so it’s not a surprise that if culturally the images were changed to match the idea of Satan, then Pagans of all types would be equated with Satan worshipers.

I do believe it’s less common nowadays to hear “so if you’re Pagan, do you worship Satan?” than it used to be.  I have, however, had that question posed to me on a number of occasions, so I think it still can be counted as a stereotype.  After all, I’m not exactly fully out of the closet, so I can’t be the only one who’s gotten that question!

Thoughts on Tarot

This past weekend, I was out with my best friend and some other friends.  I had recently told my best friend (who is basically a sister to me) about my taking classes with a coven.  Religion never really comes up in our discussions, as it doesn’t play a major part in our relationship, but she was curious and asked me about my beliefs and such.  I mentioned that I read tarot and oracle cards, and offered to give her a reading sometime.

Her reaction surprised me somewhat.  “I’m kinda scared, I don’t want to know the future like that.”  She explained a little more, saying that she didn’t like the idea of cards being able to tell the future or that cards have power.  I started to smile.  I reassured her that most of the preconceptions she had about tarot are not entirely accurate.

It’s amazing to me sometimes how much stock a person can put into a tarot reading.  The day before the conversation with my friend, I had helped my old Pagan Student Union on campus do a tarot reading event (and by helped, I mean I sat in the back and offered moral support, since I was ill). But I got to observe and watch as people lined up at the door and waited their turn, and I watched the hesitation, the uncertainty, and even hints of fear on their faces.  Some of them clearly felt they were taking their lives in their hands almost, or felt as if we could tell them absolutes about their future.  People seem to think that because a tarot reader can see a possible future it means that we can see the future in the cards, and that’s just not necessarily the truth.

From what I’ve learned (and I grant you, I’m only at about intermediate level at reading cards), a good tarot reader will acknowledge that the reading is good for only about 3 months out.  3 months.  That’s how far a reading can “see” into the future before the future changes or branches off.  The future is also not absolute.  What people seem to forget when they get a reading is if they don’t like something they see in the cards, then they have the option to go try to change it.  Now, some things are more difficult to change than others.  But that doesn’t mean that if the tarot reading says you’re going to have a really bad breakup with your boyfriend that you have to have a really bad breakup.  Armed with information, you can try to end it more amicably or even try to repair the relationship before it breaks.  A tarot reading is not a certainty, just a likelihood.

I’ve been read by a professional, who was very good.  She was accurate on everything she told me, but her reading also went only 3 months into the future.  Everything after that was speculation on what might happen, and she stressed that fact when imparting that to me.

The fact that people react to tarot with either unthinking belief, fear, or outright denial is a result of a lack of education, lack of belief, or from superstition.  It seems strange that people don’t know more about tarot, given all the information out there about tarot cards, but it’s true—most people still think that the Death card in a reading means they’ll die, that the Devil means they’re possessed or wicked, or that the Tower is complete physical destruction like a personal apocalypse.

I see it as my job to be reassuring during a reading.  If a card like the Tower comes up, I’ll do my best to find any nugget of positive news that I can so that the person isn’t walking away with doom and gloom.  I also take the time (if I have it, which usually I don’t at an event like the PSU event) to explain the cards, give a little more information so that the person understands why I’m saying what I’m saying.  I also most definitely point out that my reading is only good for 3 months, if I’m reading the future.  That doesn’t apply for the cards that look into the past or present, of course.  Basically, I’m saying do as much as you can as a tarot reader to help the person you’re reading understand and not spread misinformation.  The more accurate information there is out there, the better people will react and the more open they’ll be when around tarot or when discussing tarot.