Black

Symbolic Meanings of the color Black:

• Night
• The absence of light
• Mourning
• Sobriety
• Denial
• Authority
• Perfection and Purity
• Maturity and Wisdom

Although it’s the opposite of white, both shades are, in fact, due to an absence of color and technically speaking black is not a “color” at all. This doesn’t stop it having a wealth of symbolic meaning.

Black often has negative connotations for the reason that it is the color of the night, or the absence of light. It doesn’t require a great leap of the imagination to extend this light/dark, day/night symbolism to good/bad. A fundamentally natural occurrence to do with the orbit of the Earth around the Sun, therefore, has had far-reaching consequences, resulting in fear, racism, superstition, and bigotry which even continues today simply because of skin color.

In the West, black is the color of mourning and funerals. In some cultures, white is used in this context, in which case it carries the idea of rebirth. Black,, however, is not so sanguine. It is final, conclusive, the denial of life.

Despite the mirthless sobriety of black, it depends how you wear it. The “New Black” is a term applied to anything that is in vogue, since black is also somehow dangerous and sexy as well as practical, therefore always fashionable as a color.

The “black sheep” of the family refers to the one who is a bit of a scoundrel, and in some cases, an outcast. The “black dog” means depression. Conversely a black cat is a very lucky symbol in the UK and other parts of the world. A person who holds a black belt in any of the martial arts is considered to be at the pinnacle of their abilities, and indeed, in Japan, black is the color of wisdom, experience, and maturity. In this instance, black is a color of perfection, an idea shared by the Cathars who also saw black as a symbol of completion and purity.

Black is a secretive, mysterious color and used as such in rite and ritual. A polished black mirror provides a perfect, glossy surface for scrying or seeing into the future.

Other meanings associated with the color black:

• The phrase “black tie” refers to a formal event or dress code.
• The saying “pitch black” references no light or no visibility.
• The term “black-hearted” describes an evil person.
• The expression “blackwash” is to bring things out in the open.
• The phrase “in the black” refers to having money or profiting and doing well in business.
• A “black box” refers to any complex piece of equipment, typically a unit in an electronic system, with contents that are mysterious to the user.
• A “black eye” is damage to an eye, including bruising and discoloration, or damage to one’s reputation.
• The expression “men in black” refer to government agents.
• A “blacklist” is a list of people or organizations to boycott, avoid, or punish.
• The term “blackguard” is used to reference a bad guy or a scoundrel.
• The word “blackmail” refers to obtaining something by threat.
• The word “blackout” means a loss of electricity, loss of visibility, turning out the lights, loss of consciousness, or the act of erasing or deleting something.
• The phrase “black market” refers to the illegal trade of goods or money.
• A “black hole” is a region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape. and can also refer to a place where people or things, especially money, disappear without trace.
• A “black-hat” is a hacker who “violates computer security for little reason beyond maliciousness or for personal gain”.

Collected from various sources