| As February winters come to a close, we wave | | | | You see, not only is pink indicative of love and the |
| goodbye to days of pink hearts and roses and say | | | | heart, but green is also a very powerful color linked |
| hello to green sprouts of Spring. Interesting that both | | | | with unconditional love. This fourth Chakra lies center |
| Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day both carry an air of | | | | of our Chakra energy system and is the most |
| blossoming new hope and renewal of joyful splendor, | | | | powerful energy, in my opinion, that exists. It acts as |
| where matters of the heart and life are concerned. | | | | a bridge between the upper and lower three |
| Also notable are the colors associated with each, pink | | | | Chakras; a bridge between all worlds and illusionary |
| and green, both coincidentally representative of the | | | | divisions. As our Heart Chakra, green has great |
| energy of the Heart Chakra. So is green, just the | | | | healing power and protective qualities. It is the one |
| new pink of Spring? | | | | thing we humans can use powerfully when we learn |
| With the approaching "March" on life, we discover | | | | to naturally access it and stay centered in the |
| flowering blooms abound, precious first breaths and | | | | presence of it's energy constantly. The Heart Chakra |
| steps from our dear animal friends, and the onset of | | | | is an impenetrable force of healing that has no |
| springtime cleaning of both our inner and outer | | | | boundaries or limitations. It asks that we see, feel, |
| closets, as we all take stock of what to let go of, | | | | think, and act on a whole other level that is |
| and the new we would like to usher in. For many, | | | | motivated by nothing more than love. When we |
| that new involves change and the desire to let our | | | | come from the purity of our hearts and commit to |
| dreams flourish and our hearts fill with hope. Optimism | | | | that compassion and acceptance, it implores us to |
| and abundance are irresistibly bountiful; helping us | | | | embrace the essence of our being and know the |
| forget any lingering, dismal feelings. We find ourselves | | | | beauty of all of existence, as an extension of |
| singing a new tune, as the melodies of birds and the | | | | ourselves. The Heart Chakra is the jewel of all |
| phosphorescence of vibrant butterfly swarms | | | | Chakras, and it's green energy is the emerald beauty |
| enrapture our hearts. | | | | of all gems. |
| But what do we know of this "green little gig" that | | | | Coincidentally, this brings us back to where we began. |
| envelopes our souls with such needed freshness? A | | | | Back to a little "Luck of the Irish" energy. It just so |
| little "Luck of the Irish" might just take us farther | | | | happens that the most prominent Irish ring is the |
| than we are aware, so let's explore. Here is what | | | | Claddagh ring, which has a history dating back to |
| one Historian, Jason Spence, has to say: | | | | over 300 years and is one of history's most |
| "St. Patrick is the origin of the 'Luck of the Irish.' He | | | | meaningful and respected jewels. The features of |
| was a kidnapped Brit who was enslaved and found | | | | the Claddagh ring symbolize some of the best virtues |
| God on the hills herding sheep as a slave. He escaped. | | | | of human life. The heart held in the hands show love |
| Became a Bishop and returned to bring the faith to | | | | and the hands represent friendship and togetherness, |
| the Pagan Irish who believed in the Druids. He | | | | the crown on the heart symbolizes loyalty--all virtues |
| received inspiration from God to use the three leaf | | | | that have increasingly been forgotten in today's |
| clover called a shamrock, to explain the Trinity to his | | | | materialistic world. No wonder many people remain |
| flocks who were the descendants of the Celts and | | | | fascinated by this Irish ring. People wish that some |
| Viking invaders. They believed in the ancient Druid's | | | | things would never change. And even though change |
| religion of magic and many gods of nature. That | | | | is natural and inevitable, the core foundation of love |
| there occurs four leaf clovers was explained that | | | | that has transcended time, is one thing it wouldn't |
| they were the result of God's melting the Druid | | | | hurt to hold on to, and could only benefit us more as |
| beliefs with the Trinity of the Christian beliefs. Irish | | | | we deepen and broaden through its evolvement. Our |
| soldiers conscripted into the British army began | | | | values and how we treat and honor ourselves, |
| wearing the shamrock on their uniforms to bring | | | | others, and everything around us are telling of what |
| them "magic" and avoid being killed in battle. Because | | | | we see as our creation, in respect. Another |
| they were blessed and used by St. Patrick, they | | | | description of the ring expresses how the heart |
| believed they were on God's side and protected by | | | | represents the hearts of each and every member of |
| God. This is known as "Wearing of the Green." | | | | mankind, in addition to the element which gives |
| Green, yes green. A color that represents many | | | | everlasting music to the Gael. (Remember that |
| things to many people--a melting pot of symbolism. | | | | springtime song of birds and love ringing in our ears). |
| The word green is closely related to the Old English | | | | The ring is also based on and directly correlative to |
| verb growan, meaning "to grow." And isn't that what | | | | the Shamrock, one of the oldest symbols of the Holy |
| Spring is all about? Everything blooming, growing...a | | | | Trinity among the Irish. This interpretation describes |
| never-ending, cyclical process. Growth is our natural | | | | the crown as a symbol of the Father, the left hand |
| state and anything less than this, simply is "unnatural." | | | | as the Son, and the right hand as the Holy Spirit, all |
| Speaking of which, the most common association for | | | | caring for the heart in the center, symbolizing |
| green seems to be found in its ties to nature, | | | | humanity. Throughout each varying symbolism, a |
| naturally. Culturally, green has much broader and | | | | single theme shines through, specifically that the ring |
| sometimes contradictory meanings, ranging from it | | | | symbolizes the trinity of "Love, Loyalty, and |
| symbolizing hope and growth, to death, sickness, or | | | | Friendship" or, in Gaelic, "Grá, Dílseacht |
| even what some might call "evil." Romans used green | | | | agus Cairdeas" (pronounced 'graw, dealshocked ogis |
| holly and evergreen as decorations for their winter | | | | cordiss'). |
| solstice celebration, Saturnalia, which evolved into a | | | | "The hands are there for friendship, |
| green celebration called Christmas. It is also the | | | | The heart is there for love. |
| traditional color of Islam and was symbolic of | | | | For loyalty throughout the year, |
| resurrection and immortality in Ancient Egypt, where | | | | The crown is raised above." |
| the god Osiris was also depicted as green-skinned. | | | | Taking all of this into account, it becomes very clear, |
| Irish legend states that green clothes attract faeries | | | | why we find ourselves immersed in good feelings, as |
| and aid crops and the "Wearing of the Green" thus | | | | we leap into Spring. With all this energy of beauty, |
| symbolizes the birth of springtime. It is known to | | | | renewal, healing, life, and love, it's no wonder we |
| signify witchcraft for its association with spirits of | | | | don't opt to wear, live, and breathe green all year |
| early English folklores and literatures that also | | | | round. And yet we can, because although the |
| traditionally use it to symbolize nature and its | | | | seasons change, the one thing that remains constant, |
| embodied attributes of life, fertility, and rebirth. In | | | | but ever-growing, is the emanating power of our |
| metaphysics, the Seven Rays system of Alice Bailey, | | | | hearts. I am then reminded of the English folksong, |
| which classifies different metaphysical personality | | | | "Greensleeves," which echoes green as the color of |
| types of humans, designates those of the third ray | | | | lightness in love and the anonymous Irish street |
| of creative intelligence as being "on the Green Ray," | | | | ballad, "The Wearing of the Green," published by Dion |
| while psychics who see auras refer to those with a | | | | Boucicault, from the Irish Rebellion of 1798, which |
| green aura as typically having health/healing related | | | | ends in these words: |
| occupations and being nature lovers. To me, green is | | | | "And where, please God, we'll live and die still wearin' |
| the earth and it's gardens and the caring for it. It's | | | | o' the green!" |
| the color that stimulates transformation, harmony, | | | | Through that emerald glow of love, we can create |
| fertility, abundance and prosperity, endurance, | | | | and be in that lovely energy any moment of the |
| stability, and regal presence. It represents safe | | | | eternity of our lives. And the more we share our |
| passage (like the green traffic light), balances | | | | green, we can carpet the earth with velvet lawns of |
| emotions, calms, and is also the alchemy of | | | | unconditional experience. Wearing love and life on our |
| consciousness from one realm to another through | | | | sleeves for always. Sounds good to me! Let us |
| the spiraling energies of DNA. The feeling of green is | | | | remember and reflect while we embrace the |
| earthy and yet still feels very much like liquid, with a | | | | opportunity to begin anew, by planting tomorrow |
| fluidity that is enchanting. Think enchanted forest or | | | | seeds, in the now of today. |
| Emerald Bay of our very own Lake Tahoe, Nevada. | | | | With gratitude, I am journeying to England & |
| And yet mostly, for me, green denotes love. | | | | Ireland mid-March (synchronously) for work, including |
| It is in the stories of the medieval period and in | | | | research and energy experiencing, to help complete |
| Hinduism that we come to learn how green is a true | | | | my newest painting of my series, which embodies |
| expression of the all-encompassing heart. Medieval | | | | the sacred energy of the Heart Chakra and the |
| stories portrayed it as representing love and the | | | | enchanted beauty of the Celtic, Druidic, & |
| base, natural desires of man, while the Hindu's use it | | | | Cosmic Ancients. |
| to symbolically represent the fourth or Heart Chakra. | | | | |