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Color is available to us in a visible spectrum of wavelengths from infra-red to ultra-violet. All time and space is connected in an unbroken wave of light. Light or color is energy or qi. Since the beginning of man's existence the sun has joined us all in a union of light and color.

Many ancient peoples thought that light was the source of life. Taoist feng shui believes that all matter is energy or qi. All that we see is light energy or color. Light gives existence to all living things. Without it we could not be. The pineal gland in the human brain is sensitive to light and the energy of magnetic fields. This "third eye" produces neurohormones that influences our body's functions.

Feng shui helps to maintain a balance of yin-yang or light and dark and with the electromagnetic frequencies of the earth or planets. The Earth has electromagnetic fields that circulate along meridians. According to their year of birth, every person has a unique frequency associated with the Five Elements which correspond to the eight directions on the Bagua.

Colors are specific wavelengths of energy that can be used to balance our qi. Colors have an impact on our emotions, possessing the power to arouse or to tranquilize, to gladden or depress.By understanding the emotional context of colors, we can manipulate the experience of place to our benefit. Colors engage our eyes as well as our cultural interpretations of emotional experiences.

RED is considered a particularly auspicious color. It means happiness, strength, warmth or fire and fame. Red, being the color of blood, represents a flow of life's forces. When we add this color to a setting, we are affirming life on a deep level. Red can be a spring board from which activity, responses, and focus commence. But red can register as over-powering. Moreover, it is associated with violence and can agitate as well as deplete a feeling of comfort. In all cases, pure red will elicit a powerful reaction and an awareness of its potency is paramount to its effective use. Use red to:

    Denote extremes, as in a red stoplight
    Mark a ceremonial activity, as in red ribbons at opening ceremonies
    Agitate, as do carnivals' flashing red lights
    Attract attention, as in a bull's eye in a target
    Signal approaching an important area, as does a red carpet

For the ancient Romans, a red flag was a signal for battle. Because of its visibility, stop signs, stop lights, brake lights, and fire equipment are all painted red. The ancient Egyptians considered themselves a red race and painted their bodies with red dye for emphasis. In Russia, red means beautiful. The Bolsheviks used a red flag as their symbol when they overthrew the tsar in 1917. That is how red became the color of communism. In India, red is the symbol for a soldier. In South Africa, red is the color of mourning. It's considered good luck to tie a red bow on a new car. In China, red is the color of good luck and is used as a holiday and wedding color. Chinese babies are given their names at a red-egg ceremony. Superstitious people think red frightens the devil. A red-letter day is one of special importance and good fortune. In Greece, eggs are dyed red for good luck at Easter time. To paint the town red is to celebrate. Red is the color most commonly found in national flags. In the English War of the Roses, red was the color of the House of Lancaster, which defeated the House of York, symbolized by the color white. The Redshirts were the soldiers of the Italian leader Garibaldi, who unified modern Italy in the nineteenth century. To see red is to be angry. A red herring is a distraction, something that takes attention away from the real issue. A red eye is an overnight airplane flight. If a business is in the red, it is losing money. Red is associated with the heart; and red increases blood pressure. The Chinese believe that red brings luck, probably the reason that Chinese brides wear scarlett. They paint their front doors red as an invitation to happiness. Pinks, plums and purples would have the same effect.

or gold stands for power, so the emperor wrapped himself in gold robes embroidered with a gold dragon - the Imperial emblem. Yellow gives a sense of tolerance, patience and wisdom gained from past experiences. Yellow is the color of the sun, which is an important element of life on earth just as the center of an egg is the epicenter of life for many species. In our culture, yellow is often associated with negative attributes such as rumor mongering (yellow journalism) and cowardice (yellow-bellied). A yellowish tint in the whites of the eyes suggests an unhealthy condition. We perceive a person's face as unattractive when cast in a yellow light. Use yellow to:

    Cheer, as does sunshine
    Infuse with hope, as do golden opportunities
    Vitalize a work area with light
    Elevate mental activity, as does meditating on a point of light
    Counter the effects of diminished daylight
    Warm, in the same way, as reflection from polished gold
    Activate explorations, as did the yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz

In Egypt and Burma, yellow signifies mourning. In Spain, executioners once wore yellow. In India, yellow is the symbol for a merchant or farmer. In tenth-century France, the doors of traitors and criminals were painted yellow. Hindus in India wear yellow to celebrate the festival of spring. If someone is said to have a yellow streak, that person is considered a coward. In Japan during the War of Dynasty in 1357, each warrior wore a yellow chrysanthemum as a pledge of courage. A yellow ribbon is a sign of support for soldiers at the front. Yellow is a symbol of jealousy and deceit. In the Middle Ages, actors portraying the dead in a play wore yellow. To holistic healers, yellow is the color of peace. Yellow has good visibility and is often used as a color of warning. It is also a symbol for quarantine, an area marked off because of danger. Yellow is beneficial to certain mental disorders and as the color of the sun it signifies longevity.

BLUE is the hue of intellect, peace and contemplation. To Christians, blue is the color of the Virgin as Queen of Heaven and denotes faith, compassion and the waters of baptism. The ancient Greeks and Romans attributed the color blue to Venus, the goddess of love. Sky and water cover the globe with the color blue. Blue is a color of isolation and adventure. It is also the most popular color choice of American males. If the skin is bruised, it turns blue. A blue movie or blue joke connotes profanity. When we are extremely exasperated, we are described as blue in the face. Blue, like all colors, has one foot kicking open a positive door and the other a negative one. Use blue to:

    Denote mystery, as do the deep blue seas
    Assist with meditation, as does the sky to contemplation
    Express uniqueness, as does once in a blue moon
    Cool, as blue waters can on a hot day

In ancient Rome, public servants wore blue. Today, police and other public servants wear blue. In China, blue is for little girls. In Iran, blue is the color of mourning. Blue was used as protection against witches, who supposedly dislike the color. If you are true blue, you are loyal and faithful. Blue stands for love, which is why a bride carries or wears something blue on her wedding day. A room painted blue is said to be relaxing. Feeling blue is feeling sad. Blue devils are feelings of depression. Something out of the blue is from an unknown source at an unexpected time. A bluebook is a list of socially prominent people. The first prize gets a blue ribbon. A blue blood is a person of noble lineage. This is probably from the blue veins of the fair-complexioned aristocrats who first used this term. Into the blue means into the unknown. A bluenose is a strict, puritanical person. A bluestocking used to be a scholarly or highly knowledgeable woman. The pharaohs of ancient Egypt wore blue for protection against evil. The blues is a style of music derived from southern African-American secular songs. Blue laws are used to enforce moral standards. A blue ribbon panel is a group of especially qualified people. Blue/violet is associated with the head and are known to reduce headaches;

GREEN is between blue and yellow and evokes a consciousness of life. Where there is green, there is life-sustaining human habitation. Green vegetables provide essential nutrition for the human body. We feel alive and rejuvenated because we associate green with growth. Green can also indicate immaturity, as in the immature apple. Having insufficient training or being too new is expressed by the term greenhorn. The sin of envy is described as green. When we turn green, we are nauseated; hence green can be a sign of sickness. Use green to:

    Connect us to nature
    Create peaceful conditions, as does a houseplant
    Nurture, as in the description of a gardener as having a green thumb
    Rejuvenate, as in making something green
    Promote rest or calm

Only one national flag is a solid color: the green flag of Libya. Ancient Egyptians colored the floors of their temples green. In ancient Greece, green symbolized victory. In the highlands of Scotland, people wore green as a mark of honor. Green is the national color of Ireland. A greenback is slang for a U.S. dollar bill. Green means go. When all systems are green, it means everything is in order. The green room of a concert hall or theater is where performers relax before going onstage. The green-eyed monster is jealousy. A greenhorn is a newcomer or unsophisticated person. Green is youthful. Being green around the gills is looking pale and sickly. Green with envy means full of envy or jealousy. A person with a green thumb is good at making plants grow. A green, is a town park. Green is a healing color, the color of nature.

represents purity, virginity and the transcendent, yet it also suggests the pallor of death, and in Asia is the color of mourning. White is the reflection of all colors. It cannot be influenced by anything. It connotes innocence because it is untainted; nothing but self is present. Since white diffuses all color and remains pure, godliness is often associated with the color white. White can be experienced as counter-revolutionary or taking a stance against the status quo because it makes all other things stand out. Nothing can be hidden when surrounded by white. Use white to:

    Define a focused ego, as does a white shirt for business attire
    Identify purity, as in a bridal gown
    Convey cleanliness and freshness
    Show there is nothing to hide

A white flag is the universal symbol for truce. White means mourning in China and Japan. Angels are usually depicted wearing white robes. The ancient Greeks wore white to bed to ensure pleasant dreams. The Egyptian pharaohs wore white crowns. The ancient Persians believed all gods wore white. A white elephant is rare and considered sacred to the people of India, Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka. In North America a white elephant is either a possession that costs more than it is worth to keep or an item that the owner can't get rid of. It's considered good luck to be married in a white garment. White heat is a state of intense enthusiasm, anger, devotion, or passion. To whitewash is to gloss over defects or make something seem presentable that isn't. A white knight is a rescuer. A white list contains favored items (as opposed to a blacklist). A whiteout occurs when there is zero visibility during a blizzard. A white sale is a sale of sheets, towels, and other bed and bath items. A whited sepulcher is a person who is evil inside but appears good on the outside, a hypocrite. White lightning is slang for moonshine, a homebrewed alcohol. A white room is a clean room as well as a temperature-controlled, dust-free room for precision instruments. White water is the foamy, frothy water in rapids and waterfalls. Overuse of white can cause what is referred to as a "white occurence", delivering too much cold energy.

BLACK is the color of magic and mystery. We feel absorbed and are absorbing when we wear black. On the positive side, black, or any dark color, gives a feeling of depth, both in mood and perspective. Yet black indicates a lack of hope, and it may make us feel dark, low and depressed. In some situations the mystery and magic of black is sexy, and in some places it causes discomfort. Totally absorbing, black reveals nothing and does little to brighten. Use black to:

    Assert independence
    Evoke intrigue and mystery
    Radiate warmth, as it feels absorbing
    Express strength and solidarity

The ancient Egyptians and Romans used black for mourning, as do most Europeans and Americans today. The Blackshirts were the security troops in Hitler's German army, also known as the S.S. Black often stands for secrecy. Black humor is morbid or unhealthy and gloomy humor. In China, black is for little boys. A blackhearted person is evil. If a business is in the black, it is making money. A blacklist is a list of persons or organizations to be boycotted or punished. Black is associated with sophistication and elegance. A black tie event is formal. A black belt in karate identifies an expert. A black flag in a car race is the signal for a driver to go to the pits. A blackguard is a scoundrel. The ancient Egyptians believed that black cats had divine powers. Black lung is a coal miner's disease caused by the frequent inhaling of coal dust. Blackmail is getting things by threat. Black market is illegal trade in goods or money. A black sheep is an outcast. Blackwash (as opposed to whitewash) is to uncover or bring out in the light. A blackout is a period of darkness from the loss of electricity, for protection against nighttime air raids, or, in the theater, to separate scenes in a play. When you black out, you temporarily lose consciousness.

PURPLE Combining the power and authority of red with the sanctity and wisdom of blue, purple is the most mystical of colors. As a focus for meditation, it can raise consciousness to higher levels. Purple, deep red or plum are equally auspicious colors, said to inspire respect. Some say purple is luckier than red. Purple is not a simple combination of blue and red. It is a hard color to mix, created only when blue is mixed with certain shades of magenta. This difficulty is reflected by its regal use. It is hard and rare to be a leader just as it is hard to mix purple. To come forth with insights requires us to dig deep inside and believe in our egotistical view of the world. Purple evokes self-centeredness and spirituality. Rage is the flip side of asserting one self calmly with grace. The expression purple with rage connotes purple's negative message. Use purple to:

    Evoke higher mental processes
    Signify power
    Elevate self-esteem

The Egyptian queen Cleopatra loved purple. To obtain one ounce of Tyrian purple dye, she had her servants soak 20,000 Purpura snails for 10 days. In Thailand, purple is worn by a widow mourning her husband's death. A purple heart is a U.S. military decoration for soldiers wounded or killed in battle. Purple is a royal color. Purple robes are an emblem of authority and rank. Purple speech is profane talk. Purple prose is writing that is full of exaggerated literary effects and ornamentation. Leonardo da Vinci believed that the power of meditation increases 10 times when done in a purplelight, as in the purple light of stained glass. Purple in a child's room is said to help develop the imagination according to color theory. Richard Wagner composed his operas in a room with shades of violet, his color of inspiration.

PINK represents love and pure feelings, joy, happiness and romance.
PEACH is the color representing attraction and love. This a good color for single people, but it is a destructive color for married couples.
ORANGE, as a mixture of red and yellow, is auspicious and imbued with the characteristics of these colors: happiness and power. Some say orange is not a popular overall color for interiors because of the confusing symbolism between a human being's life-sustaining entity (blood) and the world's life-sustaining entity (the sun).
GRAY is an ambiguous color, a gray area. Its impact depends on an individual's association. To some, gray, like a dismal cloudy day, connotes frustration and hopelessness. To others, it is positive, a marriage of opposites: black and white. Gray in this instance signifies balance and the resolution of conflict.
BROWN gives us a heavy feeling. The color can be used to create a stable, established impression. The use of brown in old European home, for example, gives us a feeling that something has existed for a long time and will continue to exist in the future.
TAN represents a new, successful beginning. Out of seeming hopelessness, a new possibility arises. It connotes balance or neutrality.