Green

9tzek47acSymbolic Meanings of the Color Green

  • New Life
  • Resurrection
  • Hope
  • The Sea
  • Fertility and Regeneration
  • Recycling
  • Environmental Awareness
  • A Lucky Color
  • An Unlucky Color

Green is an amalgam of blue and yellow, and is the color of the fourth chakra. Green is the universal symbol for “Go!” to red’s “Stop!”

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In common with yellow, there seem to be several anomalies in the symbolic meaning of green. To call someone “green” means that they are inexperienced or innocent and obviously refers to fresh young shoots, yet jealousy is also described as the “green-eyed monster.” This saying is actually Shakespearean in origin. In Othello, he describes jealousy as being like a green-eyed monster, the cat, “which doth mock the meat it feeds on.” Probably the same origin gives us “green with envy.”

Green is a soothing, refreshing color, so it is interesting to discover why it’s sometimes believed to be unlucky. It’s still a statistical fact that fewer green cars are sold in the UK than any other color because of this superstition.

In the Middle Ages, green was meant to be the color of the Devil. He’s even depicted on a stained-glass window in Chartres Cathedral as having green skin and green eyes, strangely similar to a generally held belief about the appearance of Martians. In this sense the color denotes an alien, nonhuman, possibly threatening being; no surprise, then, that it’s the color of the Fairy Folk, and it might well be that the color is lucky or unlucky depending on their attitude toward you. If you dressed in green it was believed that the fairies could claim you as your own.

In Islam, green is the color of paradise, and Mohammed has a green banner. Paradise actually means “garden,” and in the arid desert landscape of the Bedouin, any stretch of lush green land must indeed appear heavenly.

The epitome of the nature God in the Western world is the Green Man, the pre-Christian deity whose leafy face peeps out from woodlands and verdant forests and reminds us that Mother Nature is supernal. However, the Green Man is not exclusive to the West. He also exists in Islam as Al Kadir. Al Kadir is the patron of travelers and he’s said to live on the very edge of the world where the oceans of Heaven and Earth merge. Be mindful if you meet Al Kadir that you should do as he tells you, however outlandish the instructions might be.

green-man-billy-leslie

In alchemy, full of hidden meanings, the Green Lion itself has more than one meaning. It is a symbol for Vitriol (sulfuric acid) which is created by distilling the green iron sulfate crystals in a flask. But the life-force itself was symbolized as the blood of the Green Lion, blood contained in a green vessel; this was a reference not to real physical gold, but to Philosophers’ Gold, far more valuable and elusive.

Other meanings associated with the color green:

  • When used in combination with the color red, green is seen as a Christmas color. The colors green and red are also complimentary colors and may seem to vibrate when used together.
  • Depending upon which colors are used in combination with the color green, it has both a warming and a cooling effect.
  • Olive green and several green shades and tints used in camouflage gear have a strong military meaning.
  • Combining green and blue together in a color palette represent nature, including the new growth of the forest and the water.
  • Combining brown and beige with green is often associated with organic or recycled materials.
  • Telling someone they have a “green thumb” means that they are good with plants and gardening.
  • The phrase “green room” refers to the room in a theater or television studio where the guests, experts, or performers go to relax.
  • The expression “greener pastures” and “grass is greener” are used in reference to something newer or better.
  • The phrase “green around the gills” is used when discussing a sickly or pale appearance. Often this description is caused by an upset stomach and the need to throw up.
  • The term “greenback” refers to the United States dollar bill.

Collected from various sources

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