Indigo | The Color of Mystery and Intuition

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Which is the quietest of all the colors? Indigo, the color of the sky just before it becomes dark, the color of denim, batik blue, unfathomable ocean depths.

Indigo is a color that is found rarely. When we speak of indigo foods, there are so few. It is almost impossible to write much about indigo because it is so dark and mysterious, it reveals little of itself to us.

It is the color we use to access our third eye and higher mind functions: things such as clairvoyance, clairaudience, and clairsentience. Since we are not talking about concrete objects, we cannot depend on solid concepts. This is the realm of the mysterious, the unknown, the sensed part of life.

It is also the realm of meditation, connecting to the Divine Source, to our higher selves, and transcending the realm of the brain into the realm of the sensed, the knowing beyond knowing.

 

 

It is a most glorious color full of magic and the unknown. This is indeed a place where we are called on to trust, for in indigo we cannot see, hear, feel, or taste in any corporeal way. But we CAN do these things if we are tuned in to a higher way of thinking, being, feeling, tasting, listening, and seeing.

This is the realm of those who have “second sight” and of those who guide us through gifts that are not of this world. Readers, seers, spiritualists all fall under the rule of indigo.

As I began this article, Monica told me she had fewer images of indigo than any other color. This is not surprising as there are few things that are truly indigo and those are not very ubiquitous. That color of the sky after the sun has set and before it is truly dark is hard to capture on camera. The color of denim, true denim, is rarely seen as we tend to lighten this shade for clothing. Few foods are indigo. So, it is a tough color to categorize, or write about, or capture on images.

You might want to look at my Pinterest board on Indigo to see a few images I was able to find.

 

 

For me personally, it is the color I know the least as far as facts go, but am very comfortable with. I use the indigo spray from my color collection when I want to have a deeper meditation, or when I am doing a reading for someone. It helps take me deeper into that space of connecting with my “inner tuition”, meaning connecting with that Divine Source that creates a channel for us to receive information from a trusted Source. It also enhances my yoga practice. Spraying my mat and then myself helps me connect with the yogic tradition and teachings, and allows me to practice yoga in all its aspects, from physical movement to spiritual practice.

Indigo has an interesting history as far as the dye goes. It was the most important dye in the world at one point, enhancing the British Empire and its riches, and later helping to destroy that same empire. It was used by Egyptians for dying the cloths that wrapped their mummies, and in Asia it was one of the main dyes used in their carpet making. Indigo translates as meaning “from India”.

 

 

Indigo dye probably originated in the Indus Valley over 5,000 years ago, and was always considered to be used for special people and occasions due to its scarcity and cost. In Europe, a blue dye made from the woad plant was used for dying cloth and also skin before a battle until the traders began bringing indigo back from the Orient in the 1500’s.

Later, Indigo was grown on plantations in South Carolina, and in what is now known as Belize. It was grown in West Africa as well, and valued in Japan for the dying of cotton kimonos during the period in which silk was forbidden (Edo period). The growing of indigo caused the slave trade to flourish and in 1859 there was actually a revolt called The Indigo Revolt, in Bengal, which protested the treatment of the growers of the plant.

Finally, the introduction of synthetic dyes caused the disappearance of the indigo industry and the British Empire began to crumble at the same time. And with slavery abolished in S. Carolina, that industry had collapsed in the United States long beforehand.

 

 

So indigo has a sketchy background history with its involvement with slavery, ill-treated workers, and shady business practices. But it was a color that was much desired, and when something is that important, often the darker elements appear alongside the desire.

But indigo also has a very light side, the side that helps us connect to our intuition and other higher mind functions so necessary for negotiating the world. It is often the seers, the spritualists, the gifted who are sought after for guidance and information. They are the ones who throughout history have risked their lives to assist and support others. They are true lightworkers in the midst of the mysterious part of life.

In the language of color we see indigo as being about intuition, all the higher mind functions, meditation, yoga, journeys of going within, the higher self, dreams and inspiration. In its challenge it is being inaccessible, feeling extremely isolated and alone, being deeply depressed, extreme despair, losing one’s inspiration, nightmares, and a holding back of the generosity of the spirit.

 

 

In order to bring more indigo in:

EAT: any dark blue or purple foods: plums, purple grapes, eggplant, purple potatoes, blueberries, blue/purple figs

WEAR: indigo clothing including anything denim

DRINK: grape juice, any very dark wine

DISPLAY: indigo flowers such as bachelor buttons

USE: indigo accessories in your clothing or décor

EMPLOY: indigo linens, sheets, towels, placemats, plates, napkins

CREATE: using indigo paints, crayons, pencils etc.

HOLD: indigo gems and stones in your hands

DIFFUSE essential oils that relate to indigo such as violet

DROP: indigo flower essences into your drinks or straight into your mouth under the tongue

SPRAY: Simply Color Indigo Spray around your body, on your pillowcases, in your car

 

 

The complementary color to use when you have too much indigo is Gold.

EAT: any gold foods such as Yukon gold potatoes, peaches, macaroni and cheese

WEAR: gold clothing or any clothing with gold braid on it

DRINK: apricot nectar, champagne, prosecco

DISPLAY: gold flowers such as sunflowers

USE: gold jewelry

EMPLOY: gold linens, sheets, towels, place settings, goblets

CREATE: using gold pastels, watercolors, acrylics, fabrics

HOLD: gold metal and golden gems and stones

DIFFUSE: essential oils from golden flowers such as Black Eyed Susans

DROP: gold flower essences such as sunflower

SPRAY: Simply Color Gold Spray around your body, on your pillowcases, in your car

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed your journey into Indigo. Next up is PURPLE.

 

 

Color expert Diantha Harris offers a series of tools to help you reach your life’s potential, among which are classes, personal consultations, in-depth readings, a series of color sprays she has created especially, and two wonderful books chock full of information. Her newest book, Simply Color for Everyday Living, was published just recently and is the long awaited sequel to her first, Simply Color, Second Edition. Both books and all services are available through her website, Life Potentials.

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