July Color of the Month

Here comes July, the reds of the garden are welcomed by the hummingbirds, and fireworks will light the night sky over the 4th, and all throughout the month. I love reds of all hues and tones. There is a place in your home for one or another variation of this versatile color.

Cancer the Crab, the fourth sign of the zodiac, is ruled by the Moon. Cancer governs home life, and symbolic of emotionally intense, shy people who can be described as “homebodies.” Underneath that tough exterior shell, Cancerians are sensitive and understanding. People born under this sign are creative, and romantic with a strong love of home, family and tradition.
You are full of paradoxes, a love of travel, with a deep need for security, for example. You tend to surround yourself with sentimental objects from the past and are really good at accumulating things.

Ruby is the birthstone for July, and the emblem of love. Ruby represents passion, affection, power and majesty. Traditionally the Ruby is believed to attract and retain love, remove obstacles, ensure victory and reveal hidden treasurers. According to Sir John Mandeville who wrote in the 14th century, the owner of a fine ruby is assured of living in harmony with neighbors, and the stone will protect the home, fruit trees and vineyards from injury from tempests.

In “Colorstrology” a book by Michele Bernhardt, the color for this month is Coral Blush. This color is a cool pale pink with hints of mauve and silver. It’s gentle, soothing and inspires love, reflection and receptivity. This is a great color for a bedroom or quiet reading area. Wearing, meditating or surrounding yourself with coral blush helps open the heart and lift the spirit.

In Feng Shui, the red color family covers two areas, the south and southwest.
The red color is in the former, while the lighter tones are in the latter. South represents esteem and fame while southwest is relationship and marriage.
Reds, pinks, yellows and peaches all work together in the southwest. These colors are Yang colors. They provide enthusiasm and the positive energy required to do something or be motivated. Some of the symbols that can be added to the décor are; roses, pairs of decorative items, vases, candlesticks, lamps etc.

So what does all this tell us? Once again warm, vibrant, and sometimes soothing colors combine to harmonize and truly make our homes a restful and restorative place to be.

It’s June and summer is happily on its way. This month’s gemstone is the lovely, organic pearl. Yep, I said organic, I know that word is overused, but by strict definition, from Webster’s, organic means “derived from living organisms.” In the case of the pearl, a special type of mollusk with the ability to generate the iridescent mother of pearl lining in their shell is the living organism.

Pearls, like many gems, come in a wide variety of colors including; white, pink, cream, yellow, gold, silver, gray-blue, and black. Add the freshwater ones to this and you can run the gamut from white to peach, orange, and lavender!June born Gemini is always fascinated by something new. The twins of Gemini appreciate the never boring aspect of always changing moods.

The pearl is the primary birthstone for June, but since the whims of Gemini are always changing, there are two other gemstones for this month, Moonstone and Alexandrite. So if pearls don’t catch your fancy, look into one of the other beautiful stones.

Ancient writers called the pearl “dew from heaven” and “tears from angels.” Pearls are a symbol of chastity and purity, and were thought to alleviate stomach distress-a belief that’s not entirely unfounded. Pearls contain a significant amount of carbonate of lime that may have worked as an antacid, but I wouldn’t give up the Tums!!

In Michele Bernhardt’s book, Colorstrology, the color for June is Gold. This color and all its variations have the ability to lift our spirits and bring sunshine into our lives. Mercury moves through the heavens this month and is the planet of communication.

Wearing, meditating or surrounding yourself with colors of golds, and yellows, connects with joy, and is thought to increase memory and communication skills.

In Feng Shui, yellow is a “yang” color and is considered to be as auspicious as red. Its element is earth, and is believed to provide enthusiasm and positive energy. Earth is the second element in Feng Shui, there are five total elements. There must be a balanced presence of the five for harmony in the home.

Earth colors are light yellow, and all sandy and beige colors. Earth colors are recommended for the center of the home, as well as the northeast and southwest. But remember, a little goes a long way.
This color represents health, harmony and unity, and is used to for balance of the eight sectors.

Enhancements include turtles to symbolize protection, terra cotta planters and ceramic accessories, elephants with the trunk up to symbolize wisdom strength and power, and aloe vera.

With all the possible golds and yellows available, what a perfect combination of colors to ad interest and warmth to your home!