Color Stories | Yellow
Illuminating Optimism and Enthusiasm
On a recent trip to India I went to an astrologer. If you know me, that probably seems surprising but it just seemed like one of those things you should try when you want to absorb every bit of a culture. The entire experience was fascinating. This was a new school (but respected) astrologer and he plugged my time of birth and geographical coordinates into a computer which produced a summary of my reading. What came next was a half hour discussion about my various houses and prospective future — much of which was interesting (and surprisingly accurate) given how little I had divulged.
Most of the advice seemed to make sense, at least from a historical or cultural perspective, but what surprised me the most were the suggestions about what to wear. He said that Jupiter’s weak position in my moon sign was causing a disturbance and part of the remedy was to wear yellow. Yellow clothing or a yellow sapphire would be the most beneficial. Additionally, I was to wear a silver snake ring on my right pointer finger. These were pretty specific directions.
Driven by curiosity, I had to figure out what these things meant or else I might be doomed. First, I learned that the snake is a symbol of vitality and renewal, best exhibited by its continual shedding of skin. Jupiter is the yellow planet representing wisdom and the power of manifestation. Yellow, it turns out, is apparently really important for a whole host of reasons.
In Indian and auraveydic culture, yellow is associated with the solar plexus chakra, which is considered the core of our sense of power and self, or our ability to manifest change. It is much like the sun in that this is a source of energy that allows us to take action and direct our path forward.
If you think about a workout focused on this area of the body whether doing sit-ups, pilates, or yoga, there is often a great feeling of power afterwards. Sometimes it feels as though you can take on the world, or even that nagging to-do list. It is this uplifted energy that yellow brings out in us. At its best it inspires enthusiasm, optimism, and confidence and this luminosity of being gets radiated out to the world around us, thereby sharing our positivity.
Yellow at its root is a cheerful color. In Hindu culture, yellow is a symbol of spring and figures prominently in the Vasant Panchami rituals welcoming the renewal and joy of the season. It could be said that yellow plays its most prominent role in the spring, a season of transformation. Along with the increased amount of sunshine, yellow is also one of the most common flower colors because it attracts bees and other pollinators.
In addition to this, yellow has the ability to evoke a negative response and create anxiety or agitation through over-stimulation. Here’s where context matters — and the hue, tone, tint can play a key role. Using yellow in the bedroom is usually not a great idea as it’s not calming, but in the kitchen a stimulating effect can be a good thing. Similarly, in an already stressful situation like the airport, yellow can have a jarring effect but in a fast-food context it can be lively and playful. Yellow is the brightest and most highly visible color — it can sometimes even be seen by blind people — making it an optimal choice for getting our attention which is why it is used for traffic signals, warning signs, and school buses.
Because yellow has such a luminous quality to it, it is often connected with the spiritual province for Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains among others. In India it is an auspicious color and many of the holy people wear yellow or saffron tunics and robes. After seeing so many people wear this attire on the streets of Haridwar and Rishikesh, I thought that purchasing a saffron tunic would be my easiest route to planetary harmony, but alas I never found one for sale.
Yellow was one of the earliest natural pigments to be discovered and typically came from clay, saffron flowers, and turmeric. Indian yellow, a particularly warm and vibrant color, unsurprisingly originated from India. It was a common artist pigment created from cows that had consumed large quantities of mango leaves. This restrictive diet was harmful to cows but until the practice was outlawed in 1908, the pigment flourished and was used first by many Dutch artists, and later by other Europeans.
In early Western art, yellow and gold were used to represent enlightenment and a connection with the eternal heavens. The lightness and brightness of yellow is a source of hope and salvation at a very human level. In pharma studies we often see this as the light at the end of the tunnel, a flame, or the sun — often representing a source of inner strength and optimism for the future.
Whatever your current state of mind or health, the right shade of yellow has the power to lift the spirits and spread a little joy into the world.
Read on:
This is the Only McDonald’s in the World Where the Golden Arches aren’t Golden — Vogue
What’s the Best Color for a Triangle? — Jim Davies Ph.D, Psychology Today
Why Lime-Yellow Fire Trucks are Safer Than Red — American Psychological Association
Why are the bridges in Pittsburgh painted yellow? — Chris Potter, Pittsburgh City Paper
