Red no. 7

All About the Color RED

Written by Kate Smith, CMG, CfYH
Red has more personal associations than any other color. Recognized as a stimulant, red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element.
How the color red affects us physically: Increases enthusiasm,Stimulates energy and can increase the blood pressure, respiration, heartbeat, and pulse rate, Encourages action and confidence, Provides a sense of protection from fears and anxiety.
Red is the color fo the base or root chakra. This chakra is located at the base of the spine and allows us to be grounded and connect to the universal energies.
First chakra, base of the spine. Groundedness, trust, belonging, lessens feelings of mistrust.
Gemstones that will aid the Root chakra include lodestone, ruby, garnet, smokey quartz, obsidian, hematite and onyx.
Red around the globe.
Red represents beauty in many languages and cultures, including Russia. In Chinese culture, colors corresponded with the five primary elements, the directions and the four seasons. Red was associated with fire, south, and summer.
In Japan, the color red is associated closely with a few deities in Shinto and Buddhist traditions, so statues of these deities are often decked in red clothing or painted red. In Sweden, Falun red (red based on the pigment from the Falun mine) was reserved for the privileged class. In China, red is associated with good luck and fortune. In Greece, Easter eggs are dyed red and the Greek expression "piase kokkino" ("touch red") is said when two people say the same thing at the same time. It is believed that such an occurrence is an omen that the two will have an argument in the future, which can only be broken when the two touch the closest thing that is red.
In Jamaica, a popular slang term for someone who is under the influence or drunk is "red." In England, red phone booths and red double decker buses are national icons. Standard British pillar boxes (mail boxes) have been painted red since 1874. In India, a red mark on the forehead is said to bring good luck. To the Hindu, red symbolizes joy, life, energy, and creativity. Islamic, Hindu, and Chinese brides traditionally wear red.
Cochineal red, discovered by the Aztecs, was made using the female cochineal beetle. A pound of water-soluble extract required about a million insects. For the Aztecs, Indian red dye was considered more valuable than gold! However, it was the Spaniards who introduced the crimson color of Cochineal red to Europe in the 1500s. In Aztec culture, red was connected with blood.
Red amulets were worn in many cultures to prolong life. In Singapore, the color red traditionally symbolizes joy. Chinese New Year is celebrated by wearing red clothing and decorating the house with red. Red envelopes with "luck money" are given to unmarried children to bring good fortune to them for the rest of the year.
Red symbolizes feast days of martyrs in the Catholic church. In Israel, kosher clothing stores banned the color red and sell only loose-fitting apparel for women.
The belief in the protective power of the color red can be traced back to the old Chinese folklore of the Nian, a man-eating beast of ancient China who used to feed on human flesh. Discovering that the creature abhorred loud noises and the color red, the people made liberal use of the color not only in their firecrackers, but also in home decorations and clothing to protect themselves from the Nian.
Political associations with red: The color red represents the U.S. Republican Party and beginning with the 2000 presidential election, states that favored the Republican candidates began being referred to as "red states," while those that favored the Democratic candidates were referred to as "blue states."
Red is the color most associated with the Soviet Union during communist reign.
Interesting information about red:
Red is the highest arc of the rainbow. Red is the first color you lose sight of at twilight. The longest wavelength of light is red. In the financial arena, red symbolizes a negative direction.
Eric the Red is the Norwegian Viking credited for colonizing Greenland...he earned his nickname from his bright red hair and beard. Feng shui recommends painting the front door of a home red to invite prosperity to the residents.
According to "The Language of Stained Glass" at Armstrong Browing Library at Baylor University: When Dante spoke of the Seraphim - the first of the nine choirs of Angels - the color that "glows" was the pure orange vermilion which his fellow citizens and brothers-in-spirit (the painters, illuminators, and glassmen) knew as red. So, it may be said that pure red is the color of divine love, the Holy Spirit, courage, self-sacrifice, martyrdom, and all the warm impulses that belong to the great-hearted everywhere.
Bees can't see the color red, but they can see all other bright colors. Red flowers are usually pollinated by birds, butterflies, bats, and wind, rather than bees.
Red is the color that means "severe" in the color-coded threat system established by presidential order in March 2002. This system quickly informs law enforcement agencies when intelligence indicates a change in the terrorist threat facing the United States.
Red in athletics and sports:
There are several American teams that use red as their primary color. Baseball teams include the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. Basketball teams include the Chicago Bulls.
Hockey teams include the Detroit Red Wings.
Thanks to a reminder from reader D.A. I want to mention the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. Their team motto is "Go Big Red", their mascot is "Lil Red" and in her words "the stadium full of fans it is known as 'The sea of red' as fans always wear red." Go Huskers!
Red as a signature color:
Frank Lloyd Wright, Bodacious Woman Mary Foley,
Companies or brands identified with red: Coke, Red Bull.
Red and good causes:
American Red Cross, American Heart Association. The red ribbon is an international symbol of AIDS awareness. The Red Ribbon Campaign is a drug prevention program
Popular phrases that include red: Red carpet treatment: giving privileged treatment to an important person. Caught red-handed: clearly guilty. Red in the face: to become embarrassed.
Seeing red: to be angered. Red flag: a warning of danger. Not worth a red cent: having no value. Red letter day: a memorable, joyful day. Red tape: excessive formalities in governmental process. In the red: a term to describe an economic loss.
Quotes about red: "Everyone knows that yellow, orange, and red suggest ideas of joy and plenty. I can paint you the skin of Venus with mud, provided you let me surround it as I will." -- Eugene Delacroix. "If one says 'Red' – the name of color – and there are fifty people listening, it can be expected that there will be fifty reds in their minds. And one can be sure that all these reds will be very different." -- Josef Albers. “Of all the hues, reds have the most potency. If there is one electric blue, a dozen reds are so charged. Use them to punctuate white, burn into bronzes, or dynamite black." -- Jack Lenor Larsen. “Painters use red like spice.” -- Derek Jarman. “Perhaps blue, red, and yellow strike the mind more forcibly from there not being any great union between them, as martial music, which is intended to rouse the nobler passions…” -- Sir Joshua Reynolds.
What it says about you when you buy a red vehicle: There is no question that the vehicle you drive is an extension of your personality -- an unspoken but clear message to the rest of the world. The message you send by driving a vehicle that is Vibrant Red: Sexy, speedy, high-energy, and dynamic. If, however, your vehicle is a Burgundy or Blue-red, you give a similar message but far less obvious.
Songs with red in the title: "Black, Red, Yellow" by Pearl Jam, "Blue Red and Grey" by The Who,
"Courtesy of The Red, White And Blue" by Toby Keith, "Flaming Red" by Patty Griffin, "I Saw Red" by Warrant, "Lady in Red" by Chris Deburgh, "Little Red Corvette" by Prince, “Red House” by Jimi Hendrix, "Red, Red Wine" by UB40, "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" by Elvis Costello.
Red in the garden: Red is considered a warm color in landscape design. Its appearance in the garden has an energetic effect. Red flowers and foliage give the illusion of coming forward in the landscape, helping to make a large garden feel cozier. Red plants attract the eye and are a good choice for areas you want to draw attention to. Red's complimentary color in the garden is green.
Write mystery into your garden plots by combining deep reds, such as burgundy, maroon, and russet, with equally dark purple and chocolate brown. Such sultry combinations create the illusion of depth and hidden distances. --Better Homes and Garden
Red and our sense of taste: Red fruits are flavorful and nutritious. Although not seen as frequently, there are also red vegetables. A few of my favorite red foods are listed below.
The warm scent and flavor of baking apples is a sure sign that fall is just around the corner.
The fragrant, sweet juiciness and deep red color of strawberries can brighten up both the taste and aesthetics of any meal; it is no wonder they are the most popular berry fruit in the world.
Fresh cranberries, which contain the highest levels of beneficial nutrients, are at their peak from October through December, just in time to add their festive hue, tart, tangy flavor, and numerous health protective effects to your holiday meals.
Red and our sense of smell: "Red is a color associated with poison, passion and seduction" -- Aromascope. "Gallica Roses come in crimsons, deep pinks, mauves, and stripes and splashes. They are most often described as having Old Rose fragrances, which can be intense and spicy." -- American Rose Association. AromaPod, a scented lifestyle tool, uses the color red with the scent that provides energy. "Cherry" was the original scent of the red colored Magic Scents Crayons from Binney & Smith Inc., introduced in 1994 with mostly food scents. However, there were numerous reports that children were eating the food-scented crayons, so the food scents were retired and replaced with non-food scents. The scent for the color red became "cedar chest."



Rosso

Dal latino rubens (rosso) è il sinonimo di colorato. E' il primo colore che i neonati imparano a riconoscere.
Appariscente, intenso, stimolante è il simbolo dell'amore e della passione. Guardate per qualche minuto una luce rossa e il cuore batte all'impazzata, questo è dovuto all'azione della frequenza della radiazione sul S.N.N. simpatico con azione sulle ghiandole surrenali, emissione di adrenalina e fa salire di poco la pressione arteriosa.
La scelta del rosso corrisponde ad uno stato d'attivazione, ad uno slancio diretto verso la conquista, ad un desiderio ardente ed in espansione. Il rosso rappresenta, infatti, la mobilitazione di tutte le energie, cui corrisponde la sicurezza di sè, la fiducia nelle proprie forze e capacità.
Il rosso si associa con la circolazione sanguigna e con lo sviluppo cellulare, ed è perciò controindicato in caso di tumore. Scalda il corpo e stimola la produzione di sangue. Molto utile in caso di malinconia e depressione.
Il rosso rende loquaci, aperti, premurosi, passionali. Molto utile nelle malattie da raffreddamento, nel mal di gola, nella tosse cronica e nell'asma. Utilissimo per trattare paralisi parziali e totali.
Chi si veste di rosso si fa senza ombra di dubbio notare. Il rosso può essere legato anche ad aggressività o incontinenza sessuale. Indicato per problemi circolatori (stasi, geloni, freddolosità, ecc.) Molto utile è l'uso di calzini e guanti rossi per migliorare la circolazione periferica.
Il rosso rappresenta uno stato fisiologico che provoca energia. Accelera il polso e la respirazione, aumenta la tensione. Il rosso esprime la forza vitale e l'attività nervosa, sottolinea il desiderio in tutte le sue forme: il bisogno di arrivare a dei risultati, al successo. Il soggetto desidera con avidità tutto quello che gli permette dì vivere pienamente ed intensamente. Il rosso sottolinea perciò lo slancio spontaneo, la "forza di volontà" e tutte le forme di vitalità e di forza, dalla capacità sessuale al desiderio di cambiamenti rivoluzionari E uno slancio verso l'azione, lo sport, la lotta, la competizione, l'eroismo e la produttività. Il rosso è simbolo del sangue, della conquista, della fiamma che illumina lo spirito umano, un temperamento sanguigno. la sua percezione sensoriale è l'appetito, il suo contenuto affettivo il desiderio. Una fatica fisica e nervosa dei problemi di cuore, l'impotenza e la perdita del desiderio sessuale accompagnano spesso il rifiuto del rosso. In termini temporali, il rosso è il presente...