In trying to sort through the now vast array of information I've gathered about the color orange and its symbolic extensions, I neglected a few things in my last post, such as returning to the discussion of Eryl's orange wind tunnel. I actually forgot about it completely until yesterday morning, when it floated back into my head in that half-awake state before I got out of bed. What I wanted to say is that the associations of both Svadhisthana and Yesod with the Moon and by extension dreams, and also with the birth canal seem very much in accord with the wind tunnel image. Eryl experienced this when she was in a dream-state induced by morphine, and was in the hospital experiencing what I can only imagine must have been a death/rebirth sort of ordeal. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, Eryl.)
I also wanted to give credit to the other bloggers who brought the color orange into my sphere. (Aside: I find it amusing that Blogger's grammar-checker underlines the word "blogger" as being a non-word.) There are more than just the ones mentioned here, but these are the most noteworthy.
One of the more amusing orange-related posts came from Kat, at The Bobwhites, and was titled Oh Noes! The Dreaded Orange Spot. Kat had been venturing into soapmaking, and this post was about "DOS" - which is what soapmakers actually call it - and it is something mysterious that happens when your soap doesn't quite come together as it should. Somehow, Kat and I ended up in a conversation about a children's book we would write together about a young bar of soap that has to battle with Spot, the Dreaded Orange Dragon. Proof positive that orange is the color of silliness. As well as soap disease, apparently.
And finally, I would be remiss if I did not also mention the lovely Jenny Stevning, who frequently uses orange in her WONDERFUL artwork, which is often achingly vibrant and moving. Visiting her blog has been a regular source of joy and inspiration for me.
There is just so much goodness in this orange blogosphere of ours, no?
Gosh, there's so much to digest in these last two orange posts I'll have to go away and sit quite still for a while. Will come back later.
ReplyDeleteYikes! Wow! Thank you!! I am honored.
ReplyDeleteTo thank you I think I must draw something that you can print out and COLOR with delicious orange.
Glory Be! Thank you!
Thank you for introducing me to Jenny's artwork and blog. Also--I really like your orangy banner.
ReplyDeleteHi, Polli, I agree, Jenny's worth a daily visit.
ReplyDeleteEryl - I hope it's not too much. I worried about that with these posts. You have no idea how much I left out!
ReplyDeleteJenny - You're welcome, and I meant every word. I don't know if I could ever do justice to one of your drawings by coloring it, but it would be a lot of fun to try.
DG - Your welcome. And thanks - it seems very Halloweeny to me though.
Dan - I have to admit, I sometimes go there more than once a day.
ReplyDeleteOrangey goodness! Wow, all this interlacing is incredible.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm interpreting like mad! Suddenly my orange wind tunnel makes enormous sense. I don't want to horrify everyone by going into the gory detail but I'll just say, so you can get the gist of it, that I was in recovery after having a large growth removed from an ovary.
ReplyDeleteI meant to tell you before I got sick, that my favorite thing to do, and this is pretty silly perhaps for a grown woman; but I always go to Fall and Halloween sites and especially, Historychanel.com and watch "The Haunted History of Halloween" because of ORANGE.
ReplyDeleteWhen I see pumpkins I take a deep and calming breath. It's like valium.
When I'm very stressed I'll say to myself: pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins...
I made a collage about how successful one of my businesses was going to be (almost two years ago) and oddly, a big, fat pumpkin patch was right in the middle of it!
Am loving this orange idea, Polly! I have to go back and read the posts I missed.
Thank you for your contemplations of color. Reading your orange-full words, I found myself thinking of a couple of books...one was Beloved by Toni Morrison, where she writes about how, near the end of her life, Baby Suggs "used the little energy left her for pondering color./'Bring a little lavender in if you got any. Pink, if you don't.'/And Sethe would oblige with anything from fabric to her own tongue."
ReplyDeleteI also thought of Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris (author of Chocolat)--it's one of the most amazing novels I've ever read.
Thanks again, and many blessings!
Postman - if you only knew the half of it.
ReplyDeleteEryl - I had forgotten that's what it was - a problem in the second chakra area of the body! I can't wait to hear what interpretations you come up with.
EC - Oh how I've missed your quirky brilliance and humor! I love pumpkins too, and you're right, they are very calming. I'm going to plant some as soon as the ground thaws.
Jan - Thanks for visiting! Wow, it's been quite a long time since I read Beloved. Great book. And I'm excited to check out the Harris novel - I loved Chocolat.