In the context of the meaning of colors, orange, often also referred to as “orange”, is generally associated with vitality, energy and the sun.
In fact, it is a warm color, considered intermediate between red and yellow, so much so that in the theory of colors it is a secondary color obtained from the union of the two primary colors, red and yellow.
Orange Color – Meaning and Symbolism
It is no coincidence that in crystal therapy, an alternative medicine, it seems that orange is used to treat depression because it is considered useful to make people more optimistic, spontaneous and extroverted.
Once in Christian symbolism it represented the sin of gluttony. In Hinduism even today it symbolizes the renunciation of material goods and asceticism.
In the Hebrew Kabbalah it means splendor. In some religions such as Buddhism it symbolizes the renunciation of princely pleasures and for this reason it is worn by Buddhist monks. In China it is associated with change, movement and happiness. In Japan it symbolizes love.
In India it is associated with optimism, the fighting instinct, the sexual drive, passion and the need for conquest. Orange is the second Chakra energy center. In heraldry it above all indicates strength, honor and generosity.
In addition, orange is associated with some national colors as in the case of the Netherlands and Ukraine, while in Ireland it represents the Protestants of Ulster. In road signs it is often used to indicate “attention” for example in traffic lights or life jackets.
Michel Pastoureau, the most important historian in the study of the meaning of colors, believes that in the West today orange has been abused too much, making it a symbol of vulgarity.
Orange in neuromarketing is used to arouse happiness, sociability, creativity, trust, health, vitality, advantage, renewal, dynamism and is often used for the product sectors of shops.
In advertising writings, in some brands, in the packaging of various products (albeit less than could be), in services especially in the youth sectors, for food and energy drinks, but is also used in the political and banking sectors.
It is the color symbol par excellence of savings even on the web, in fact it is often found in the icons and in the “conversion” or “call to action” buttons, as well as in the “offers boxes” and in the links to the “price pages”.
Scientists have shown that orange induces calm, awakens attention without aggression, and stimulates speaking and listening. It is advisable to use it to paint the walls of the environments in which people talk and welcome people, such as entrances, dining rooms, kitchens, meeting rooms, human resources offices.
On the other hand, it is not recommended for places such as office open spaces as it stimulates chatter with consequent disturbance to the people who work. In addition, orange, as a warm color, is used for the exterior of shops in order to attract customers.
Orange Buddhist monk it has always been difficult to reproduce beautiful shades of orange like those found in nature because they are often too artificial. Initially, saffron was used to obtain this color.
Subsequently, however, towards the end of the middle Ages it began to be obtained, after its discovery, from an exotic essence from the Indies and Ceylon called “brasile”, a name that contributed together with the brasilium wood, from which instead the color was obtained rose to give its name to the nation of Brazil.
For the same reason, wool and linen were not used for the same fabric, therefore animal and vegetable material, nor two colors to make a third. In the West, the term “orange” (and “orange”) appeared only in the fourteenth century, after the importation of the first orange trees, which produce oranges with an orange color.
Before the discovery of oranges this color was defined with the term “red”. This has remained partly in some expressions of common language such as “red cats”, “red hair” and “goldfish” although these are actually orange.
Butterfly – Meaning and Symbolism
The butterfly is perhaps the only insect associated with female beauty. Light and elegant, it is considered a symbol of freedom and positivity. Its presence is ascribed to every continent and more or less green areas. A sunny day and a little attention are enough to see a butterfly flying right next to you.
It is well known that butterflies are a positive symbol, but it is not obvious to know that their symbolism is not of recent origins: the symbolism of the butterfly is lost in the mists of time and has characterized many cultures around the world. What unites them is the indissoluble link between butterflies and man’s spirituality.
The most consistent metaphor links the metamorphosis of the caterpillar to man’s growth path in the various stages of life, which ends with his spiritual ascent.
The moth at first is a chrysalis. This first larval stage is characterized by static. Even man in his embryonic phase exists only in potentiality, his soul has yet to develop. The next step for the insect is the transformation into a caterpillar, no longer impotent but dynamic. His crawl allows him to follow a direction.
Like the caterpillar, man in life is often found anchored, unable to free himself but stubborn enough to fight against circumstances through his will. This will allow him to rise spiritually, just like a butterfly in its third stage: colorful and with wings to reach the sky.
Meaning in the Bible is that reading this phase coincides with the detachment from the earthly body. The butterfly becomes a symbol of resurrection.
The link between butterflies and psychology is not only a metaphorical but also a linguistic reality. The etymology of the term psychoanalysis derives from the Greek “psyche”, an ambiguous lemma that could mean both soul and butterfly. This gave the impetus to explain the symbolism of butterflies and the dreams relating to them.
In various cultures and historical periods, the meaning of these colorful insects changes significantly and is often linked to their color.
Some Native American tribes believed that a red butterfly represented a powerful soul who came to communicate important news. Some Mexican legends suggested drawing a red butterfly on the back of a deceased, to allow his soul to find the right way to the afterlife.
In Scotland, the golden butterflies spotted near a tomb reveal that the soul of the deceased is in a beautiful place, like heaven.
In the Japanese Okinawa Islands, a nocturnal butterfly is said to be the soul of a man murdered nearby. Legend has it that in China the soul of a beloved woman, and never married, rises to heaven in the form of a butterfly.
A green butterfly is associated with powerful change and growth that is about to happen. It is related to calm and positivity. In contrast, in the Voodoo culture, green butterflies refer to the violent spirit of Bakulu-Baka, which liberates evil.
The white butterfly is controversial: in Louisiana, USA, a white butterfly that suddenly appears in the house brings good luck with it.
In Maryland, it is a harbinger of death. In the popular tradition of Southern Italy, the white butterflies, called “palummelle” (palombelle), are considered souls of the deceased who ended up in Purgatory who must purify themselves in that form.
They often visit loved ones near important occasions, a symbol of encouragement and positive omen. To conclude, the attention paid to the flight of a butterfly is still a sign and a form of communication with nature, like a mutual greeting between creatures that belong to it.
Orange Butterfly – Meaning and Symbolism
Its grace and gracefulness, and its variegated and suggestive shapes, convey an idea of pure, almost ethereal beauty. And it is no coincidence that in its symbolic value it is often associated with a transcendent environment, where the visible and the invisible are “incorporated” into each other, time and eternity meet.
The butterfly is an enchanting creature, man has always been fascinating for its process of metamorphosis, of transformation, which sees it reach a state of higher maturity up to the last stage, when it takes off.
And in this evolutionary cycle we must see the symbol of the cycle of life itself – in which all things evolve and change – the “growth” of the soul.
In this regard, we underline that in Greek mythology Psyche was represented with butterfly wings, and this is because the word psyche in Greek means both soul and butterfly. And when a man died, the Greeks used to paint him with a butterfly that came out of his mouth to hover in the air.
For the Maya, however, the butterfly is the spirit of the deceased who returns to Earth to greet their loved ones, while for the Native Americans of the prairie, this splendid insect is capable of teaching man that the principle of metamorphosis follows a very specific order: only by following this order, he will be able to fly harmoniously from flower to flower, in the light of the sun, just like the butterfly.
It is, in different cultures, a sign of transformation, metamorphosis and rebirth: a process of reaching a higher order that requires a lot of strength and tenacity, and which represents a challenge to be born and finally take flight, free and graceful.
The butterfly teaches that every change, every change, has its own precise order, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, in fact it begins its life crawling, before finally being able to fly, dressing its wings in all the colors of the rainbow.
And it teaches to give space and voice to one’s deepest desires, to approach new realities, to realize oneself fully and consciously.
This is expressed in the various stages that are part of the metamorphosis of the splendid insect we are dealing with: egg (beginning, birth), larva (addiction, socialization), caterpillar (independence, awareness), and chrysalis (abandonment, death of a way of be), butterfly (enlightenment, rebirth, the appearance of a new phase of life).
In addition to being a symbol of transformation, of metamorphosis, the butterfly is also an emblem of freedom, that freedom longed for by every man and which can only be achieved by freeing himself from chains and beliefs of any kind, imposed by society and culture of all times.
In Christian symbolic esotericism, the butterfly symbolizes the immortality and resurrection of Christ, as well as denoting the superior, unconditional love that gives without ever asking for anything in return.
In Celtic symbolism it embodies beauty, love and honor, while in the Chinese one it is a sign of good luck, health, abundance, joy and blessing.
By far the most tattooed insect, and undoubtedly preferred by the female audience, the butterfly symbolizes femininity and freedom, independence and rebirth from difficulties.
Beyond personal or emotional motivations, those who choose to get a butterfly tattoo intend to communicate a very strong and intense message. Let’s see specifically the most important meanings behind this tattoo.
First of all a change and a rebirth, as well as the butterfly, which, to take flight, has to go through different phases undergoing different transformations. The meaning, in this case, is that of a renewal, of an “awakening”, following a battle undertaken in the course of one’s life.
The butterfly is also a symbol of lightness, understood as the ability to seize the moment, to live in the moment, a reference to the short duration of its life and its beauty.
And again, the tattoo of this splendid insect is an indication of spiritual freedom, that of the soul that “frees itself” from everything that weighs it down, to soar in flight.
Tradition has it that the butterfly represents the soul of one’s dead, so, if one enters the house, it should not be hunted or killed, because it indicates a loved one who has come to visit.
Another meaning linked to the butterfly tattoo is that associated with beauty and femininity, concepts linked respectively to the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly, and to the gracefulness and elegance of the insect.
Conclusion
Tradition has it that the butterfly represents the soul of one’s dead, so, if one enters the house, it should not be hunted or killed, because it indicates a loved one who has come to visit.
Another meaning linked to the butterfly tattoo is that associated with beauty and femininity, concepts linked respectively to the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly, and to the gracefulness and elegance of the insect.