Color Symbolism: Green

Stepping into the cooler side of the spectrum, we find green. Green is opposite one of the purples, more so of magenta, on the colour spectrum, opposite the right balance of blue and red. Green endures a duality of nature, and is often associated with jealousy and greed, but also, beyond what it has come to mean, it is part of a lush world.

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Green is a part of almost every land-grown plant on this known world. It is often associated with life and living as a result. To be Green can mean a focus on all things environmentally friendly.

Green suggests a creative mind to New Age philosophers, as well as a fixation on health and medicine. It is considered the official colour to represent Islam, as Mohammed was quoted saying, "water, greenery, and a beautiful face," were three good things to have. It symbolises freshness as well as someone who is too new at something.

Green in medicine usually symbolises illness, as cartoons are draw with green faces. Poison Control Centre stickers that I saw or had in the house growing up were a green face and a phone number. To be "green around the gills" suggets sickness. Green had once been considered a colour of bad luck by Britons, using green as symbols to denote objects subject to superstition.
Widely understood, green means go, which sort of goes against its soothing nature.

Most of all, green has come to symbolise hope from it being the dominant colour of spring after cold winter. It is the first colour of new life as it sprouts from the earth.

Connotations of green from Design Meltdown: Nature, environment, money, wealth, family, harmony, health, peace, posterity, soothing, relaxing, springtime, youth, humor, fun, happiness, life, growth, jealousy, envy, novice, restful, calming, balance, stability, summer, organic, recycled, plants, trees, fertility, fresh, good luck, and vigor.

What does green make you think of?

How does it affect you?

Where do you see green most?

Do you have any feelings or memories that you would associate with green?