Working with Colour - Red

This week's Pagan Blog Project is R, which for me was easy as I am really into colour and its vibrations and benefits etc etc. I started out with a very clinical approach to this blog, but just didn't feel it. I had read something this morning from another blogger which got me thinking about my own blogs - are they real? Are they what I truly believe in my heart or what I have read in books? I hope it is the former as I always try to be authentic, but this morning it just felt clinical. I had a formula based on previous work with colour and it wasn't working for me. So, as I am learning to be more spontaneous (which is anathema to my 4 vibration) I thought I'd just sit and write and see what happens.

So, Red? What do I use it for? What does it mean to me?

I love red, have done so for a while now and it is probably my favourite colour after orange. To me, red is about passion, vitality and life. When I wear it I feel sexual and sensual (especially as a lipstick!), confident and ready to tackle anything - dare I say bullet-proof?

I also feel like me... I am not a pastels girl, and never will be, so wearing strong colours is part of who I am, wearing the standard rainbow colours gives me strength I can't describe. It also fills me with hope, hope that today will be a good day, hope that maybe I can achieve anything, hope that I will get through the day and whatever challenges it may bring (and as a casual High School teacher, these are many!).

I would love to say that I use red for grounding, but until recently I didn't think specifically of grounding techniques so I would be lying. I guess I naturally moved towards it without understanding it properly. I have owned and worn a read pair of boots for a few months now and I love them and wear them any chance I get! I now realise I may have been doing this instinctively as I desperately needed grounding and was unaware of it - I live in my head and have recently discovered my inability to understand the earth element reflected a deep need to be grounded, but that is another story...

In my travels (Inna Segal's book again!), I have learnt that red can be good for improving the circulation (which I often have trouble with), healing wounds and blood disorders, constipation, sciatica, increasing the sex drive and helping with weight loss but I have not had the urge to use it for these issues... probably should see what happens the next time I cross my legs for a period of time in my red boots! An interesting experiment... I may yet have cause to test the other theories out along my journey, but today they remain untested!

I do, however, use it for balancing my base chakra, which I am assuming is common practice. If I have money troubles or issues concerning the home or security, I will wear my boots or another piece of clothing to help balance this chakra. I will also meditate with a red jasper at my base or wear a garnet if the mood strikes me (or if I have the flu, as garnet is great at helping to assist with flu-like symptoms - to this I can attest!). I have also recently 'learned' that red is the numerological equivalent of the number 1, being about all things physical and how you relate to the world around you.

To me though, it is a colour of passion and vitality! I always feel a little sexier when I am wearing it, a little more confident and able to meet the challenges of the day. I do feel just simply better... Blue also does this, but for different reasons... Red is just such a strong colour to me, it gives me strength and for that I am forever grateful.

Working with colour: Orange

This week the Pagan Blog Project is up to 'O' and I thought it was about time I posted about one of my favourite colours! Orange... I did a bit of research into colours, their chakra correspondence and their energetic vibrations, a while ago and this is what I came up with:

Orange is associated with the Sacral Chakra, found a few inches below the navel. It is the centre of creativity, vitality, sensuality, appetites and desires. In the tarot, it represents passion, creativity and family connections. If you see orange a lot, it may be a message to further enhance these qualities in your life. It can, according to Inna Segal, indicate that shock or trauma is holding you back from moving forward in life and using orange can help bring up associated emotions for healing. On a physical level, it can help with digestive issues, breathing conditions and fertility. It also helps with fear and depression by creating optimism, enthusiasm, courage and determination. It helps to create bonds of love and connect you to your wisdom and intuition.

Orange clothes are a good way to utilise the energy of the colour. Orange directly on your Sacral chakra will help balance this chakra, however any orange clothing will do the trick!!

Wearing orange, particularly around the Sacral Chakra, can help to alleviate these issues and increase your vitality and optimism for life. You can also visualise breathing orange into your Sacral or Heart Chakra with the intention of healing any associated issues. You can also wear an orange crystal, such as a Carnelian or Orange Calcite, or eat more orange food. Remember, intention is key! Just ask that the orange clothing, food or crystal heal your ailment and trust in the universe to provide! 

There is a lot more to Orange than the above, I am sure, however, I find that it is great for increasing courage so when I am feeling a bit fearful, I wear it with the intention it increase my courage and allow it to do its work. There are a lot of changes going on in my life at the moment, so perhaps this is why I have been drawn to it for some time...

The Importance of Indigo - Pagan Blog Project

I am not sure if you are aware, but apparently scientists have taken Indigo out of the colour spectrum as it is not a definable colour between the blue and purple (this is only rumour for me, but considering the fate of Pluto, I am assuming the worst!). It got me thinking about the impact of this on the chakras and other aspects of paganism, spirituality and life in general.

Also, the Pagan Blog Project focus this week is 'I' and it seems 'coincidental' to me now that I should choose this week to think about colour therapy and my relationship with indigo in general... so here goes!!

For me, it appeared at first to have little impact as my brow chakra had always appeared as purple anyway, and my crown white, so I was not really used to working with indigo for this. So I forgot about it and got on with my life.

Lapis Lazuli, what I affectionately call my 'Atlantis Temple'

Then, very recently, I started to look at the meanings of particular colours, their vibrationary meanings, healing ability etc etc and stumbled upon an important personal truth. Even though I do not work with indigo, and very rarely have I since seen my brow chakra appear this colour (it has happened once or twice), it has it's own merits in the world and should be included and honoured among the basic colours used in healing, magick and other aspects of life. It is used to increase spiritual knowledge and awareness, intuition, inspiration and imagination and also has been said to soothe physical pain (through visualisation and intent of course!). And although it is a tertiary colour and I usually only work with primary and secondary ones, I still feel it has it's place in our lives. To me, colours like violet, turquoise and to come degree pink (although I do like to use this to differentiate between the types of love you would want to encourage) just seem to be watered down versions of their primary or secondary counterparts. Yet,  indigo seems to have its own specific vibration and magickal use, separate to the others. It just 'feels' as if it is important enough to include in my 'colour chart'! 

Perhaps this will lead me to further explore tertiary colours on a larger scale in time, but for now I'm taking a 'keep is simple stupid' attitude... I'll revisit the tertiary colours issue when and if it arises.

For now I am happy with my inclusion of Indigo in my work, and I hope you all do too, no matter what 'scientists' say!!!

The Power of Being Green

I am very into using colour for healing, particularly when associated with crystals. I have written a few image articles for my Spirit Healing page on Facebook, but I would like to incorporate it here as well! I think there is a lot we can learn from the vibrations of certain colours, and incorporating them into our daily life can facilitate balance and harmony within! 

Pictured: Malachite bracelet and Green Jasper pendant

Green is a very powerful colour. Linked to the Heart Chakra, it is a symbol of love, compassion and forgiveness. In the tarot, it is the colour of harmony and balance. In Wicca and Witchcraft, green is a colour to attract money and abundance. It is also linked to jealousy, envy and superstition, but we will focus on its more positive attributes! Just a quick note, if you wear a lot of green already and are prone to bouts of jealousy and envy, you might like to consider replacing it with a different colour for a while and see what happens! Perhaps its most powerful use is that of healing. In all areas where my research led me, healing was at the fore front of its symbolism and uses. Inna Segal describes many areas where it can be used as healing; such emotional issues include agoraphobia, claustrophobia, insomnia, self-esteem, money worries, heartache and shock. Its physical healing properties cover mostly illness concerning the heart and lungs, but also the liver, nervous system and the thymus (this last perhaps as the thymus is the gland governed by the Heart Chakra). It also helps to heal hay fever, laryngitis and ulcers while purifying the blood and restoring general health.

Drinking green infused water is an easy way of incorporating Green into your life! You can buy bottles that are already green in colour, but painting one is also a good option. Glass bottles are best for this purpose, as you will not get that 'plastic' taste or be consuming the chemicals form the plastic when you drink it. Fill the bottle with water and place in the sun for at least an hour. The longer you leave it the stronger it will be!!

But for the important part, what to do with it? Again, the easiest way to work with green is to wear it, specifically over the heart or the area of most concern. This need not be obvious, a green singlet or underwear is just as effective as a complete ensemble! Yet, if green is not your colour, try any number of green crystals available. The most common (and to my mind the most beautiful) is Malachite, but jasper, quartz and agate in green are just as effective! You can also meditate on the colour green, visualise breathing it in to the area of concern and breathing out the illness or issue at the same time. Eating more green food or drinking green infused water is also an easy way of using this colour. As with all work of this kind, it is about intent! You need not spend a lot of time or money on the endeavour, just small things with the intent of receiving the healing you desire is enough! I will sometimes wear green nail polish with the intent of it balancing my Heart Chakra and healing emotional issues, especially since the arms and hands are specifically linked to this Chakra itself! I would never advocate going against the directions of a doctor, especially as I am not one myself, but adding this to your already existing treatment is a worthwhile exercise!