Noticing Turquoise

At different times in life, different colors seem to speak to us. Sometimes we notice it immediately and at other times we only realize it in retrospect.

In 2011, I wrote a blog entitled “Trend Blue”.  I showed how Blue, representing communication, was making itself heard in various areas of daily life as the newly acquired voice of the collective, aided by technology and most importantly the rise of social media.  

During the past two weeks, I have been working on a piece entitled “Yellow Notice”. The reasons for the title could fill another blog post. I mention it because despite its title, its main color is turquoise.

Summer fashions for 2014 are being dominated by the color turquoise. As the color trends, luxury fashion brands are even bringing out handbags and shoes in this color.

Turquoise is also currently trending in home decor and design. I discovered that especially popular is a combination of turquoise and yellow mixed with gray! Said to be daring it apparently nevertheless works. The boldness of the turquoise and yellow is neutralized by the gray.

In color psychology, turquoise is said to open the lines of communication between the heart and the spoken word. It encourages inner healing as it is said to enhance empathy and caring. The color of the evolved soul, it is believed to heighten intuition and encourage spiritual growth.

In our interconnected world, these qualities are needed as we learn to embrace and acknowledge our differences, as at the same time we find our sameness. Online, in here2here space, mindful use of technology has become imperative.

The word “turquoise” dates back to the 16th century. It is derived from an old French word meaning “Turkish”, because the mineral was first brought to Europe from Turkey, from mines in a province of Iran. In Iranian architecture, domes of palaces were covered with turquoise. Its intense color symbolized heaven on earth.

The people of Turkey used the color as decoration in many of their buildings by using turquoise ceramic glazed tiles. The color is often found in Islamic art and architecture.

While in Dubai this past week, I wandered around the creek (see gallery), exploring streets I had not visited before. It was early morning and I felt surrounded by raw life as I watched pedestrians buying freshly baked bread from little sidewalk shops and groups of friends drinking tea together in the souks.

I reached the Imam Hussein Iranian mosque on Ali Bin Abi Taleb Street and stood for a while admiring its doors and beautiful mosaic tiles. As I rounded a corner I noticed a young man sitting in front of one of its doors. There was a look on his face which caught my attention. On an impulse, I asked him if I might photograph him. He nodded.

Only after posting the image on instagram, did I realize that the colors turquoise and yellow were prominently there.

Further research into turquoise revealed that the southwest United States is also a significant source of this opaque blue-to-green mineral. New Mexico is said to have some of the oldest mines. Wandering down the corridors of cyberspace, I came across a lovely blog post with this passage: (I allow it to speak for itself)

“Turquoise represents stone of sky, stone of water, stone of blessings, good fortune, protection, good health and long life. To the Native Americans, turquoise is life. There are turquoise stones medicine men keep in their sacred bundles because they possess powers of healing. Turquoise is known for its positive healing energy, an aid in mental functions, communications and expression and as a protector.

If by looking for turquoise, I see more turquoise, I wonder what would happen if I begin to be more aware of other people's acts of kindness and courage and gratitude? I am sure these acts are already there. I would hope that by looking for them, I will see more of these acts of kindness and courage and gratitude. I will start looking for them and celebrate them with a deeper awareness and appreciation.”

Trend Blue

Blue perches on the edge of her cybermobile, races down the information highway, turns the corner, and then barely screeches to a halt before shooting off again.

Accustomed in her youth to sitting still , then later travelling on horseback, ships or aeroplanes,  this kind of travel is exciting to her and she has taken to it like a duck takes to water. 

At last she has come of age and is no longer limited by the confines of distance and time. A thrill of excitement ripples through her at the very thought of the avenues of opportunity that have opened to her.

Now at last she can shout out from the rooftops and be heard by others instantaneously. 

Blue, by another name, is Communication, and in the current age has a voice unheard-of before.  Aided by technology and most importantly social media, Blue is the newly acquired voice of the collective.

Never before has the collective been so able to participate in bringing about change despite the many unhealthy structures still existing in some parts of society. The collective has in a sense, truly found its voice.

The collective has widened its embrace and individuals willing to open themselves to new perspectives and different world views, find themselves part of a much bigger We than that to be found in their family, their tribe, their town, their country, their religion, or even their species. And this We has a voice.

I have called this voice Blue for many reasons.

All colors have frequencies and when exposed to them we resonate with them in ways we are often unaware of. At the same time our evolving energy levels probably cause us to be drawn to colors existing at the same frequency. 

In the study of colors, blue is related to self expression. It symbolizes speech, and the ability to communicate our needs and requirements.  

Blue, the color of conversation, is said to absorb and release sound. In his book, “Born on a Blue Day”, Daniel Tammet, one of the very few people alive with synesthesia and autism, describes how he sees “the sound of loud voices arguing” in blue. 

When one studies the chakra system, the fifth chakra associated with the throat, is the chakra of communication, expression and creativity. The color associated with it is blue. Not only are there the seven chakras for the individual, but there are also said to be seven planetary chakras. According to some schools of thought, the fifth planetary throat chakra is said to be at the Great Pyramid of Giza located just outside of Cairo - interesting, when one considers recent events in Egypt and the action that was able to be initiated through the use of social media.

In an interconnected world, trends in one area keep popping up in others. Blue at the moment is in.

Twitter’s official logo is in blue. Blue, light blue and sky blue variations of the twitter bird, although not their official business logo, are used as style elements on their website.

The ribbon promoting freedom of online speech is blue, and it is said that blue is becoming the new green.

At the end of the Milan Fashion Week, Giorgio Armani presented his Spring/Summer Collection for 2011. Inspired by the nomadic Touaregs, known for their wearing of blue, the show, entitled La Femme Bleue, had models wandering out of a desert backdrop in shades of blue from cobalt, through navy to royal and midnight blue.

I have referred before to the rise of what I call global nomads in the current world culture we are part of. This collection was a reminder to me once again of the need for finding new and diverse ways of communicating in this century of mobility and in a world where the centre is constantly changing.

If you have the time to watch the fashion show that follows, be sure to look out for Blue. She is definitely on the catwalk!