So Long Winter, Hello Spring!

I love color! As a child, my favorite book was Color Kittens, where two rambunctious kittens, Hush and Brush, proceed to paint the world in a riot of color trying to create green. It was no wonder I grew up throwing paint on walls as my career choice, in varying artistic styles and otherwise, living my life in full color. Being surrounded by the greys and beiges of winter, we are at last on the cusp of spring, and I am aching to see spring bloom into nature’s delightful display of color.

We all need more color in our lives, especially at this time of year.  In all fairness, I do live in California where we are blessed with weather that gives us color year-round. However, we have had a very dry winter. The winter rains are what usher in spring color, and our hillsides are barren rather than lush, green and carpeted with wildflowers. The hills are not only greige, a depressing mix of grey and beige, they are frighteningly dry. I wish the Color Kittens would mix their green for us and splash it on our countryside as well.

Color can enliven our spirit, calm our anxiety, spark our creativity and warm our souls.

The psychology of color is fascinating. Reds invoke passionate and energy, where blues are cooling and relaxing. Orange tones are creative and playful, combining the energy of red with the happiness of yellow. But the wrong yellow can be disturbing or imply cowardice, rather than sunny and warm. Green is the color associated with the sea and nature, and as such green is considered healing and tranquil. My favorite color is a noble, regal purple, combining the passion of red with the stability of blue. The colors we surround ourselves with in our homes, offices, cars and clothing affect our mood, feelings and health. And any marketing guru will tell you color influences our choices daily.

What do your color choices say about you?  Are you too flamboyant combining colors that make most people cringe? Are you somber, choosing to wear mostly black and living in grey surroundings? Is your world, like your mindset, black and white?  Are you hiding behind neutrals? I think we speak our inner truth by the colors in which surround our outer selves.

Look around. Do you need more color in your life? I think we all do. In our world of cement, asphalt, dirt and steel, our souls crave color. If winter, in her final few weeks, has left you feeling dull, uninspired and dispirited, consider adding a dash of color here and there right now. The following are my favorite ways to splash color onto your life while we wait for spring to arrive.

1)      Eat a rainbow. Fill your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables. How many colors you can eat in one day? Eating fresh, colorful food is not only healthy, but a feast for your eyes, and it is guaranteed to brighten your day!

2)      Splurge on fresh flowers. Nothing uplifts a space and your outlook more than flowers! Happy, colorful tulips, daffodils and hyacinth are in season now. Not only do they smell heavenly, they come in so many delightful colors.

3)      Add a pop of color to your winter wardrobe. While it is probably going to be chilly a while longer, adding a dash of color to your drab winter wardrobe will make you feel fresh, lively and renewed.

4)      Freshen up your living spaces. Open the windows and do a deep spring cleaning. When you are finished, treat yourself to new throw pillows, luxurious sheets or towels in a fresh color, or even a new paint color. Brightening your rooms will enliven your spirit and lighten your mood.

5)      Plan a Spring Break. No matter your age, step outside your comfort zone and plan to do something a little wild and crazy in the coming weeks. Take yourself on a trip, weekend getaway or a retreat away from your usual routine and locale. We all need something to look forward to that excites our senses with anticipation!

6)      Celebrate the Rite of Spring. Many cultures celebrate the change of seasons with rituals welcoming spring. If you do not have a cultural celebration you participate in, create one of your own. Most cultures have a traditional way of saying goodbye to winter and welcoming in spring, but none do it bigger than the Hindu ceremony of Holi. During the last full moon of winter, they throw their winter grievances into a big bonfire to be symbolically burned, allowing them to move into spring free, healthy and happy. This ritual is followed the next day by an explosion of color where they throw colorful pigments and flower petals at one another with wild abandon to welcome in spring. Chaotic and colorful, joyful and wild – to me the perfect celebration of spring! As in all cultures, food and music complete the celebration.

I think we all need ritual to release winter’s colorless grip, thanking her for the time to hibernate, rest and recover. Now is the time to prepare for renewal ahead, the change of seasons, and the promise of spring.

The March full moon is the perfect time to release pent up emotions, petty jealousies, hurt feelings, disappointments, and any other angry moments we’ve acquired or experienced over these winter months. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts, write it down and then burn it to release it. It is time to lighten up, and not carry that baggage into the arriving spring. Then take a moment of gratitude for all the blessings, lessons and gifts that came this past winter because all the experiences, good and bad, are what make us the people we are today. And with this clean slate…

Only then is it time to anticipate, celebrate and welcome in the first signs of spring!  How will you create ceremony to celebrate the arrival of spring?

The March new moon and spring equinox are the perfect time to plant seeds of intention for the coming months. Like planting a spring crop, create a list of intentions for the abundance and bounty you wish to create in your life. Write down the list of all you wish to harvest this year and bury the list in the garden. With this ritual you will celebrate new growth and opportunities to be cultivated throughout the year. By all means, make your intentions, dreams and desires colorful!

Wishing you all blessings of the coming season, a spring of renewal, possibility and growth. May the canvas of your life be filled with vibrant spring colors!