The Color Spectrum Is Filled With Spiritual Symbolism

#1: Yellow

The rich sunshine of yellows and gold are used to celebrate wealth, beauty, femininity, and fertility. Oshun — Orisha of rivers, fertility, and love— is often draped in flowy yellow fabrics.

#2: Natural Colors

Numerous African cultures associate green with nature, new beginnings, and physical and spiritual growth. Osain, Orisha of natural forests and herbalism, rocks green, brown, sienna, and other earth tones.

#3: Black and White

Anti-Blackness wants us to believe white means “good” so black means “evil.” While many African communities associate white with “purity,” black is also very spiritual.

Black is used for marking periods of mourning, but it also is a color that honors spiritual maturity.

#4: Red

Some people avoid wearing red because for many it represents tension or violence spilling from both the spiritual and living worlds.

But the Xhosa tribe honors red as representing their ancestors’ blood. It’s no coincidence that Oyá, Orisha of storms and protector of the dead, is depicted as wearing maroon.

Adorning ourselves doesn’t always have to be wearing flashy stones, beads, and charms. Incorporating subtle or loud colors into your wardrobe is another way to adorn yourself.

Which colors are you naturally drawn to?