Colour of the Year 2018: Ultra Violet

The colour of the year 2018 is ultra violet
Ultra violet promotes healing and expression – it energises and inspires. A dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet relates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking (a favourite colour of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright) that points us toward the new future.

Ultra violet is a complex and simply contemplative colour at the same time. It’s complex “because it takes two shades that are seemingly diametrically opposed — blue and red — and brings them together to create something new.” Ultra Violet implies the mysteries of the cosmos, the support discoveries to go beyond where we are now. It is symbolic of infinite possibilities as the skies above us.

“The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today.” – Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute

This enigmatic purple has also long been symbolic of counterculture, unconventionality and artistic brilliance. For example, musical icons such as Prince, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix brought shades of ultraviolet to the forefront of western pop culture as personal expressions of individuality. Nuanced and full of emotion, the depth of ultraviolet expresses experimentation and non-conformity, encouraging individuals to imagine their unique mark on the world, pushing limits through creative outlets.

PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet
HEX #5F4B8B
CMYK 75, 81, 15, 2
RGB 95, 75, 139

Spiritual colour for your spiritual feng shui
Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attributed to ultraviolet. The colour is often connected with mediation and mindfulness practices, which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world. The use of purple-toned illumination in meditation or contemplative spaces or other gathering settings energises the communities that meet there and inspire spiritual connection. Read more about spiritual feng shui

In the past, purple has been highly valued because it’s burdensome production and its association with wealth, power and royalty. Apparently, 16th century Queen Elizabeth I of England didn’t permit anyone but close relatives of the royal family to wear purple. Prince Harry and his fiancée, Meghan Markle should take notice.

In ancient times, a coveted purple dye was made from the mucus of sea snails in the Phoenician city of Tyre, and Tyre engaged in trade with Jerusalem, that long-prized city that again finds itself in the news. Also, the biblical Lydia was a seller of purple.

Wellness and healing
Think amethyst crystals and healing. The word amethyst comes from the Greek meaning ‘without drunkenness’ and amethyst is believed to protect one from poison. It’s also known to reduce stress and help balance emotions.

Start eating purple foods such as purple grapes, eggplant, figs, passion fruit, purple sweet potatoes (molokal), raisins, plums and dried plums, new purple Asian radish ‘bluemoon’  as well as berries (blackberries, blueberries, elderberries, cranberries, chokeberries and bilberries) which count as purple foods. Purple foods are some of the richest sources of anthocyanins. Matthew Plowman, a Nutrition Adviser at Cardiff Sports Nutrition, acknowledges that purple foods are full of natural health benefits, “The benefits of antioxidants have long been discussed, but they are known to fight disease, keep you looking younger, reduce inflammation and are good for your heart – basically, why wouldn’t you eat them?”

For 2018, Ms. Eiseman of the Pantone Color Institute said, “We wanted to pick something that brings hope and an uplifting message.”

Psychology of violet colour
The colour’s name is derived from the violet flower. Violet and purple look similar, but violet is a spectral colour, with its own set of wavelengths on the spectrum of visible light, with a dominant wavelength of approximately 380-450 nanometers. Purple is a polychromatic colour, made by combining blue and red. Amethyst is a notable violet crystal, its colour arising from iron and other trace elements in quartz.
Violet blends the qualities of stability of blue and the energy of red. Violet is linked with royalty and symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It communicates wealth and extravagance. Violet connotes wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

On the other hand, while violet is the symbolic colour of humility in the Catholic Church, it has precisely the opposite meaning in the public view. A European poll in 2000 showed it was the colour commonly linked with vanity. As a rare and attention-centred colour in nature, it is seen as a colour of individualism and extravagance. Studies show that violet and purple are the colours associated with ambiguity and ambivalence.

Top feng shui tips for using ultraviolet in 2018
To benefit from the ultra violet frequency you can do several things that are easy to do and fun, such as:

• Use this colour as your screen wallpaper on your mobile devices and computer (just copy the sample on the left to your mobile screen)
• Get a towel in this colour
• Get a doormat in ultraviolet
• Buy some ultraviolet clothes
• Eat purple foods
• Get a purple glass so when you drink water it has the vibration of ultraviolet
• Paint a wall in your home or workplace
• Get some cushions in ultraviolet or purple colour
• Find a nice amethyst and keep in on your desk or wear it on you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Past Colours of the Year

 

Feng shui colour of 2018: yellow
2018 is the year of the yang earth dog. The colour of the element earth is yellow (and any other earthy colours you may prefer). So yellow is another colour that can be used in 2018 to utilise for your feng shui – at home and workplace.