Ecotherapy & Colourtherapy

Pink is a Fake!
The word pink was first used to describe colour in the 1600’s to name the light red flowers in the dianthus family as ‘pinks’ a close relative of carnations. However, light red is not pink as pink has a bit less green in the colour mix, pink is a fake or more commonly called a combined colour incorporating two different wavelengths of light from the colour spectrum that the receptor cones in our eyes perceive as one colour.

The ability of our eyes to do this is based upon the varying sensitivity of different cells in the retina different wavelengths of light. The retina contains three types of colour receptor cells, or cones. The first type, relatively distinct from the other two, is most responsive to light that we perceive as violet. Cones of this type are called short-wavelength cones, S cones. The other two types are closely related genetically and chemically. One of them called long-wavelength cones, L cones, is most sensitive to light we perceive as yellowish-green; the last type called middle-wavelength cones, M cones, is most sensitive to light perceived as green.

We See Colours the Same as Televisions and Computers
Put simply we perceive colour in the same way as televisions and computers as a mix of Red Green and Blue or what is commonly referred to as RGB, where the green replaces yellow as a primary colour. Regarding computers there is another format known as CMYK which is made up of cyan magenta yellow plus black which is used for printing as the use of black is more economical than mixing other colours.

CMYK is a subtractive model in that you start with white and then darken it by subtracting wavelengths of light. RGB it is an additive model, you start with black which is no colour at all and is assigned a three digit RGB value of 0,0,0 respectively. Wavelengths of RGB are then added to lighten the colour to a maximum of 255 with RGB values of 255,255,255, respectively being white. There is a hexadecimal code which would read as FFFFFF for white but we do not need to worry about that for the purpose of this article. Because we see RGB in the same way computers are very useful in being able to analyse how colours are made up; to do this in Windows right click your screen > click properties > click desktop > click colour > click other and you get this.

Pink Is Different From Light Red
Enter the RGB values for pink of Red: 255 Green: 192 Blue: 203 then click add to custom colors > click OK > click Apply and your screen goes pink! Now try this enter RGB values for Red of 255,0,0 then using your mouse raise the slider on the right it increases G & B in equal parts set it at 203 or type the numbers in the box to get this. It takes a while to notice but there is a very slight difference, pink has less green and is therefore slightly darker.

There is a list in a pdf file of Netscape ‘named colours’ which you can download here to see how colours are made up of varying RGB values, they are called ‘named colours’ because you just type in the name when using them in web design. There is also a web site with 500 colours identified colours at cloford.com but they are not named colours and cannot use the name in HTML code but you can use the code.

Turquoise and Red/Orange Make Pink!
Research of the internet led to information that pink resonates near the base and at the higher heart chakra. Aspects of the base or root chakra are well known so I will not go into detail. What is less well known is the turquoise higher heart chakra which is located at the thymus between the heart and throat chakra which is about communication, therefore, turquoise is a bridging colour enabling communication with the heart and combining blue and green is sometimes referred to as the master healer.

We can see that combining turquoise higher heart issues together with the sexual aspects of the base chakra explains why pink is associated with sexual issues and not sex per see. It is to help resolve heart ache and maintain a sense of balance and to do this things can go up and as down to create an equilibrium. Going back to our RGB values while any combination of two different wavelengths can be used to add to the value of pink they need to be split to create colours that resonate at the respective higher heart and base chakra’s.

Lets start with turquoise the value for this named colour is R: 64 G: 224 B: 208 however for the purposes of healing and according to sources other than Netscape turquoise is half green and half blue so would have values of R: 0 Green: 255 Blue: 255 commonly named as cyan, aqua or azure.

Go back to Windows desktop and type in the values of RGB 255,192,203 respectively for pink; now subtract the values for turquoise of 0,255,255. Subtracting 0 from 255 is easy and leaves 255 for red, subtracting 255 from 192 is minus 63 but because of the 255 maximum this becomes plus 63 as you cannot have a minus value, the same applies to blue which 255 from 203 becomes 52. Enter the result of RGB 255,63,52 into the colour selector and you get this which looks like red orange and will resonate near the base chakra. The closest identified colour is on the cloford web site previously mentioned and is called firebrick 1! Red/orange values are RGB 255,69,0 which has no calming blue. Turquoise and red/orange are also complimentary colours and will reinforce the properties of the other in a combined colour of pink.

‘Solarizing’ Splits Pink Into Two Colours - Red Orange and Turquoise
Earlier this year I designed a web site on the use of healing gemstones to balance the chakra’s which I learned as part of the diploma course. Having acquired a nice rose quartz point and some double terminated clear crystals I took a picture part of which you can see on the left and just shows the rose quartz point. Rose quartz is near enough a tint as equal amounts of green and blue have been added to make it whiter.

The picture was a bit dark so I put it through Photoshop and improved the highlights. I then ‘solarized’ the picture using a filter that combines a positive and a negative image. The word solarized clearly suggests that this process involves colours being split into those of the colour spectrum of natural sunlight. The result on the right was that Photoshop split the pink into two wavelengths of light which you can see is turquoise and red orange and in my opinion as I cannot say this is a scientific fact shows these are the colour wavelengths that are being emitted when a rose quartz crystal point is being used. The colours may not be exactly true to the specified colour values as there are so many variables involved but its close enough to count and be effective. You may wish to check this out with cloford colour chart they are near enough firebrick 1 and cyan/aqua otherwise known as turquoise.

The Calming Effect of Pink Does Not Last!
With this knowledge I have set my universal pendulum between green and blue and to red/orange to balance people with the need for pink energy. It may also account for the saying of being in the pink of good health and ones physical, emotional, and sexual needs are all being met. I wear pink/light red shirts sometimes as it can tone down a masculine image. Folk-lore has it that pink in prison cells has a calming influence on aggressive personalities and in the short term it does as the turquoise has an immediate effect, however, after a short while the base instincts of red/orange seem to take over and they become more agitated and sexually frustrated than before. So perhaps full colour pink is only for short periods of time as it becomes counter productive, however, the gentler rose pink together with the cooling and calming effect of turquoise is best for long term healing.

The Pink Personality

Keywords associated with Pink are:
Peace, love, feminine, nurture, understanding, sympathy, friendship, compassion, relaxation, gentle emotions, overcoming evil,honour, morality, friendship and success.

Personality characteristics are:
People who love the colour pink either seek or already enjoy a peaceful state of grace or bliss. Pink people are very intelligent and contemplative, they study, analyse the best way to go about something before they take action. They may appear slow as a result, but are merely methodical in their thoughts and hard working. These people try to see and bring out the best in others, truly loving everyone.

Sometimes overly optimistic, these people tend to look younger than their years and view the world in such a positive light it can be dazzling. Shy, they would like to be more active but fear precipitous action, choosing not to make mistakes because they do not wish to be judged unfairly by others. Humour is a tool pink people use to make others happy or to defuse situations although they may not be ribald, instead possessing a dry wit.

They have an affectionate, loving nature, which makes you sympathetic and understanding. Harmonises and balances the polarity of red and white or the male / female aspects of the personality, a sort of gender yin and yang. Both expressive and receptive pink puts you in touch with your sexual feelings and sexuality.

Negative characteristics are:
Pink people can overly optimistic or smile constantly which can sometimes irk others when this is inappropriate and are sometimes called a ‘pollyanna’. Pink personalities can be immature, needy, emotionally unstable, cold and isolating. Pink shows a lack willpower and weakness when it comes to controlling affairs of the heart. You need a great deal of support from others and can be a bit immature. Pink is about learning to accept and love yourself for which a tint might be more appropriate. Not for the faint hearted, to wear pink you must be self-reliant to attract and give out the feelings of warmth and love you desire.

Health & Emotional Issues Associated With Pink
There is a danger of being too emotionally dependant. Pink is a very gentle healer for heartache, but healing will not happen without an emotional release.

As pink is the colour of compassion it generates feelings of softness, gentleness, kindness, affection and love. It is the colour of ‘Manifestation’ and transmutes desire into its physical equivalents. It’s subtle and refined vibration increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. Physical symptoms of blocked Pink energy are:

• Pineal Gland Dysfunction
• High Blood Pressure
• Nervous Breakdown
• Disorders of the Sympathetic Nervous System
• Chronic Tiredness
• Memory Lapses

Colour, Shades and Tints
With any colour the effect of a shade which has black added or a tint which has white added to the colour should be taken into account as shades tend to bring out the more negative aspects of the colour or can create intense feelings, whereas tints with the addition of white have a gentle effect on the process.

Pink gemstones
Diamond, Rose Quartz, Pink Tourmaline, Pink Smithsonite, Pink Topaz, Pink Coral, Pink Danburite, Kunzite, Pink Calcite, Pink Sapphire, Strawberry Quartz, Rhodonite, Rhodocrosite.

The Short Answer Is
Women like pink because the red arouses base sexual instincts and the orange stimulates the internal sexual organs while the turquoise stimulates the higher heart chakra to trigger the emotions, so its not just a need for sex but a need for sex with love and passion is the appeal. But we knew that anyway!