Understanding the Rainbow: The Psychology of Colour

The colours of the rainbow provide the rich tones of life, the warm and cool energies that sprinkle our world with creativity and joy. Colours provide more than just aesthetic appeal, however; colours actually affect how our mind perceives the world around us.

Each colour of the rainbow holds its own vibration, is associated with its own chakra, and possesses certain attributes that influence our mental state. Certain colours can inspire delight, agitation, creativity, sensuality, hunger, relaxation, and a multitude of other emotions and feelings. Colours weave the fabric of our universal blanket and provide texture, brilliance and passion.

Taking a look at each colour of the rainbow and its inherent psychological meaning will provide a basic guideline for working with colour energy and encouraging the specific emotional and mental states that you desire each day. Accessing the psychologically-provocative components of colours is as easy as meditating on a certain colour, introducing it into your wardrobe, or surrounding yourself with its corresponding crystals.

Feel the Rainbow with Colour Psychology:

Red

Thinking of the colour red might immediately bring to mind romance and passionate energy. The colour of our lifeforce, the crimson blood that runs through our veins, red is a beacon of excitement. Red represents our fiery expressions, such as ambition, determination, or anger. It is a warm and confident colour that gets the juices flowing and arouses feelings of leadership and ability. Red is the hardest colour for our eyes to pick up on, and as such, there are fewer shades of this colour than any other; for a colour with limited variety, however, it is mighty in power.

Red is associated with the Root chakra, where we derive our sense of security. Fire agate, garnet, and red jasper are excellent crystals to bring forth the sensual, assertive vibrations of this colour. This colour is especially useful if you feel discouraged, stuck, or apathetic.

Orange

Bright and warm, but not without depth, orange is the colour of adventure and instinct. A perfect blend of red and yellow, orange takes some qualities from each surrounding colour and creates its own spirit altogether. It is a courageous colour, whose energy promotes vitality, strength and intuition.

Orange is associated with the Sacral chakra, which resides in the pelvic area and contains the wisdom from our most genuine self - it provides our “gut instincts.” If you find this colour too bold to slip into your wardrobe, try meditating on sunstone, a beautiful gemstone that shines brilliantly and promotes positivity, or carnelian, which energizes. Focus on orange when you need help trusting yourself and embracing new, exciting activities.

Yellow

Yellow is truly a colour of joy; imagine planting yourself in a field of gargantuan sunflowers, their golden glow enveloping you in positivity. It is hard to deny the uplifting qualities of the right shade of yellow. This colour is related to the mental realm and correlates with the knowledge and intellect you have amassed in this lifetime. It is a creative colour that arouses optimism and euphoria, inspiring you to design and invent.

Yellow is identified with the Solar Plexus chakra, the chakra located in our stomach that encourages willpower, self-discipline, clarity, and independence. If you have lost your center or feel detached from your core, surrounding yourself with this hopeful colour will instill illumination and feelings of self-worth. Amber, a deep, golden stone that eliminates negativity, and citrine, a translucent yellow stone that manifests self-expression, are excellent stones for drawing the energies of this colour toward you.

Green

Green is one of the most well-represented colours on the planet; it is the colour that is the easiest for our eyes to see, and there are more shades of green that we can see than any other colour, from seafoam to emerald. Green represents harmony, enlightenment, and balance. Like the life-giving properties of Mother Earth herself, green replenishes both energy and spirit. It correlates with harmonious, platonic love and inspires peace.

As such, green is associated with the Heart chakra, located in our chest, and promotes compassion, kindness, and respect. If you have found yourself at the center of heated disagreements or feelings of selfishness, green is the colour you should focus on to open your heart and inspire unconditional love. Jade, malachite, emerald, peridot, and aventurine are all amazing crystals for embracing the energies of this benevolent hue.

Blue

Like a cerulean, Southern sunset, blue is a colour that offers reliability. It is not a colour that shouts “look at me!” but rather meditates in peaceful quietude. Blue promotes sincerity and tranquillity, turning agitation into communication. This colour allows you to speak your truth in a gentle way that will not incite aggression from others.

Blue is the colour that represents the Throat chakra, the chakra of your authentic voice. Meditation on blue and its corresponding chakra allows you to access and free your voice, no longer holding your feelings back. Labradorite, called the stone of magic, and lazurite, which promotes an understanding of truth, are incredibly effective crystals for manifesting the calming energies of this colour. If you are having a hard time expressing yourself, this is the pigment to focus on.

Indigo

Indigo, a beautiful blend of royal blue and deep violet, is a colour of intuition and higher consciousness. Unlike orange, which concerns our gut-instincts, indigo is related to mental intuition, or psychic energies. This colour allows you to truly focus, to concentrate on any task that may be at hand. Indigo’s energies are wisdom, creativity, and open-mindedness.

This colour allows you to connect with your higher mind and integrity and is associated with the Third Eye chakra. The Third Eye chakra illustrates our ability to see that which is not visible to the eye, the greater mysteries of life that our spiritual center is attuned to. Tanzanite, a stone said to promote angelic communication, and iolite, a crystal that nourishes the soul, are excellent gemstones for bringing our indigo’s energies. If you need to connect with your higher mind, consult this angelic shade.

Violet

Violet is an imaginative colour that relates to our spirituality and deep thoughts. Violet contains the highest vibrational energy of all colours, making it a powerful influence over our psychological mindset. Violet and purple are typically thought to be interchangeable, and both correlate with the world of fantasy and mysticism. This colour acts as a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms, marrying our psychology with our aura. Indigo is associated with the Crown chakra, the chakra that connects us to Gaia, or Mother Earth.

Amethyst is a beautiful, purple crystal that is associated with the Crown chakra and promotes intuitive spirituality, and charoite is a dreamy stone that will embolden the heightened qualities of violet. This colour is especially healing for those who feel disconnected from the spiritual realm or who need help realigning with their path.

Feel the Rainbow!

The rainbow does so much more than provide variety and aesthetics in our universe; they inspire and delight with their inherent vibrational energies. Utilizing the energies of colours can vastly improve mood and psychological well-being.

Find the inspiration in every rainbow and fill your world with colour!

Related Article: 5 Ways You Use Your Intuition Without Realizing It