Purple

Purple is seen as a “difficult” and very personal color. Perception of its meaning shifts as it moves from blue (spiritual or mystical) to red (sensual). Purple has historic associations with royalty and luxury, since for many years the dyes used for purple were very expensive. It also has cultural associations with creativity and independent thinking. In Feng Shui, purple is a yin color, and belongs in the wealth and blessings corner. Violet is the color of the seventh chakra, Sahasrara, the center of enlightenment. Purple is one of the official New Orleans Mardis Gras colors, and in that usage represents justice. During the Victorian era, purple and lavender were considered sufficiently somber to be part of the official “half mourning” period as a widow gradually moved out of the more stark black dress of full mourning.

Pale lavender or mauve shades can be seen as more sophisticated than pastels in other shades, such as yellows or pinks or blues that might be seen as nursery colors. However, in Feng Shui lavender symbolizes indecision. Purple might be “difficult” but it is one of the more popular colors.   Because of its spiritual con notations, purple is usually an excellent choice for metaphysical companies to use in their advertising and product design.

Blue

Blue is the most consistently popular color, routinely topping favorite-color surveys. Recent studies have shown the body's internal clock to be most sensitive to blue light. The sky is blue, water is blue. Blue is seen as calming and steady, the color that is always there for you. As a result, blue is an extremely popular color for corporate logos. In warning systems, blue is often the lowest level, meaning, no risk. In Greece, Turkey, and other countries in that region, a blue eye charm is considered protection against the “evil eye.”

Although blue is the coolest of cool colors, according to Eiseman very bright electric blue tones can actually be seen as hot, like a blue flame. In Feng Shui, blue is a yin color and a water color, and is associated with relaxation, peace and trust, with navy shades signifying intellect and wisdom. Navy blues are seen as authoritative and conservative, especially in clothing. Indigo blue is associated with the sixth chakra, Ajna, the “third eye.” Bright blue is the fifth chakra, Vishuddha, involved in communication and self-expression.

Green

Green—both the color and the word—has acquired a very strong cultural association with environmentally responsible business. To do anything “green” means to do it in an environmental, sustainable manner. This makes sense, since nature is green. In our culture, green has a powerful association with forward movement, safety, and approval, based on traffic light conventions. Green = go!

Like purple, green has meanings that shift as it moves from warmer to cooler and from brighter to darker. Very bright, yellow shades such as lime and chartreuse are currently trendy, a trend that is likely to continue because of what Eiseman described as the kids’ bedroom factor—Shrek (bright lime) green and Nemo (bright pure) orange will evoke positive feelings in the current generation of kids for years to come! Darker, bluer shades of green are calming and restful, much as blue is.

In Feng Shui, green is yin, a wood color, and seen as balancing and refreshing. The fourth chakra, Anahata, is green, and symbolizes love and compassion. In the health care industry, yellow-greens are seen as the color of infection and not a good choice. Green is also one of the Mardis Gras colors, and represents faith.

Yellow

Yellow is the most luminous of all colors and for that reason is often the color of things that demand your attention, such as highway signs or safety equipment. Our sun is yellow, and yellow colors make us think of the sun—bright, cheerful, warm. But these very qualities can make too much yellow overstimulating. In the language of the traffic light, yellow means “watch out!” (Or, “speed up!” as the case may be.) In Feng Shui, yellow is a yang color, an earth color, and represents warmth, motion, communication and knowledge. When yellow is seen as “gold” (slightly orange shades, and actual metallic pigments) it is seen as luxurious and refined, and represents power in the Mardis Gras trio. Ochre, earth-toned yellows can be seen as warm and cheerful but less excitable than brighter yellows. However, too muddy of a yellow shade can seem “tainted” or “decayed.”

Bright, pale yellow pastels can seem like a nursery color, a color of extreme youth, which can seem fun, or lacking in authority depending on context. Very subtle yellows, such as cream-colored paper, can seem sophisticated. Pale subtle yellows are often used as neutral interior paints. Manipura, the third chakra, is yellow, and is associated with identity and intellect.

Orange

A perfect example of how a discredited color can make a comeback, bright pure orange was for years seen as the color of cheapness and fast-food. Burnt, brownish oranges were seen as the color of your grandma's carpet from the early seventies. Orange was seen as an unflattering, difficult, weird color.

Of course, orange became so thoroughly despised that it was ripe for a comeback. In the last few years, orange has come to be seen as youthful, hip, and edgy. It is an urban, high-tech color. Like yellow, it is hot and bright and attention-getting. Orange is commonly used for safety equipment and signs, and is another color that can easily be overstimulating. Pumpkin shades, and brown-orange shades, are associated with autumn. In Feng Shui, orange is yang, an earth color, and associated with concentration and organization. Orange is the second chakra, Svadhisthana, and is associated with sexuality.

Pale, peachy oranges have never gone out of fashion. Peach is seen as a spring color, a good color for weddings, and an appetizing color. For people of northern European descent, peach is seen as a flesh color. It is also a cosmetics color.

Red

Red is the first color that newborn babies see, and it continues to jump out at us visually. It is the color of blood, of fire, and has cross-cultural associations with warning and alarm. In our driving culture, red means STOP!. But, red is almost always seen as a positive color, a color of power and good fortune. Red equals passion, eroticism, intensity. It is the most common color to find in national flags. It is the color of the first chakra, Muladhara, the root chakra. In Feng Shui, red is yang, fire, the color of good fortune, money, and reputation.

Like orange and yellow, too much bright red can make people feel worn out or agitated. Red is as a good food color. According to Eiseman, it can be seen as “sticky” and should usually be avoided for products like lotions. Cosmetics are commonly found in shades of red.

Pink

Pink is a color whose meaning has shifted over the last few years. While pastel pinks are still seen as feminine, hot pinks and magenta shades are, according to Eiseman, now seen as “sports” colors and sex-neutral. However, there is a generational shift, where men of the baby-boomer generation and older still see all shades of pink as feminine. Because of its association with babies, pink is seen as a gentle color, a color that is going to take care of you. But it can also be seen as unsophisticated. More gray or brown shades of pink (like taupe) are more sophisticated. In Feng Shui, pink is a yin color, and is the color of love and partnership. For people of northern European descent, pink is seen as a flesh color. It is also a cosmetics color.

Black

Black is a neutral background for many colors. In Feng Shui, black is a yin, water color, and fortunate for money or career. It is seen as sophisticated, adult and mysterious, but is also associated with mourning and sadness. Black along with subtle or metallic colors usually means “elegance.” Black used with brightly contrasting colors (such as white, red, or yellow) is often seen as playful, especially when used in vivid patterns. A black contrast makes pastel colors, such as pink, seem more sophisticated.

White

White is seen as clean and fresh and neutral, but too much white can seem sterile and intimidating. Interior design abounds with off-whites for this reason. In Feng Shui, white is a metal, yang color, and associated with the creativity bagua. A white background with black text is seen as plain, and can seem either authoritative or cheap depending on context.

Gray

Gray is seen as even more neutral than black and white, the ultimate non-color. In Feng Shui it belongs in the travel and helpful people corner.

Brown

Brown is seen as a neutral, especially in light beige or khaki shades. It is a warm earth color, a skin and hair color, and a food color. Chocolate and coffee browns are seen as appealing. Brown is seen as a hardworking, everyday color, which is why it works so well for UPS.