The color lavender has long been associated with various symbolic meanings. Throughout history, the pale purple shade has been tied to romance, femininity, spirituality, and mystery. Here’s an in-depth look at the many meanings and symbols behind the color lavender.
Spirituality
In many cultures and spiritual contexts, the color lavender represents mysticism, imagination and spirituality. Lavender fields are believed to attract fantastical spirits and magical beings in folklore. The color is also associated with the “third eye” in mysticism – the inner eye of intuition and clairvoyance.
In Christianity, lavender represents sanctity, silence, devotion and virtue. Christian priests wore lavender robes, and churches were decorated with the color. Catholic nuns traditionally wore lavender habits to show their commitment to the faith. Lavender is also sometimes used in Wiccan rituals and spiritual ceremonies.
In the Hindu religion, lavender is the color of spirituality and bhakti yoga – the yoga of devotion. It’s associated with higher energies and intuition. Some Hindu gods are depicted with lavender skin, such as Ganesha.
In Buddhism, lavender represents wisdom and purification. It’s believed to encourage contemplation, introspection and self-improvement. Lavender flowers are sometimes left as offerings on Buddhist shrines.
Femininity
Historically, lavender has been strongly associated with feminine beauty, domesticity and motherhood. Because of its calming aroma, the Victorians used lavender to scent laundry and handkerchiefs. It was seen as a wholesome, nurturing scent.
Lavender flowers and oil were also used in beauty and hygiene products reserved for women. Mothers passed down knowledge of lavender’s medicinal uses in skin care and aromatherapy to their daughters.
The herb’s delicate purple color also helped cement its feminine connections. Purple flowers in general were a symbol of delicacy and preciousness in the Victorian era. Lavender was known as a romantic, delicate bloom.
Even today, lavender remains strongly associated with female beauty. It’s commonly used in skincare, perfumes, sachets and bath products marketed to women.
Calmness
Lavender essential oil is well known for its relaxing, sedative properties. There’s evidence that lavender can decrease anxiety, improve sleep quality and promote calmness. This soothing, pacifying quality translates into lavender’s symbolic meanings.
The color lavender represents tranquility, calmness, peacefulness and bliss. It’s said to instill a sense of relaxation in people’s moods and demeanors. Light purple walls and lavender scented candles are sometimes used in spaces like spas, yoga studios and bedrooms to help create a calming environment.
Lavender also represents healing from grief, trauma or emotional pain because of its inherently comforting aura. The Victorians in particular used lavender to help ease grief after losing a loved one.
Mystery and Intuition
The pale purple shade of lavender seems to suggest a sense of mystery, imagination and even magic. It’s a color that evokes fantasy, dreams, invented worlds and childlike creativity.
Lavender blooms at twilight, a time between day and night that was thought to be filled with mysticism and supernatural forces in medieval folklore. Wild lavender fields came to symbolize a portal to realms of enchantment, myth and imagination.
This elusive, whimsical quality translates into lavender’s associations with intuition and insight. In magic and myth, lavender can represent accessing higher consciousness, tapping into one’s inner wisdom and third eye abilities. It’s a color of vision, imagination and things not fully seen or understood.
Grace and Elegance
The soft, delicate purple shade of lavender has an inherent grace about it. The color represents elegance, refinement and artistic beauty.
During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, lavender signified sophistication and dignity. Wealthy women wore lavender gowns and robes, while kings and nobles decorated their homes with lavender accents.
The color lavender conveys gentleness, delicacy and gracefulness. It’s associated with elegance in manners, style, taste and beauty. Lavender roses signify enchantment and a sense of wonder.
LGBTQ Pride
In modern times, the color lavender has become a symbol of LGBTQ pride. Along with the rainbow flag, lavender represents gay pride and the LGBTQ rights movement.
The connection began after the Stonewall riots in 1969, when LGBTQ youth wore lavender colored armbands to remember the uprising and its martyrs. Lavender came to symbolize gay resistance and empowerment.
In the 1970s, a Lavender Menace group protested exclusion within the feminist movement. Lavender became associated with LGBTQ women and feminism.
Today, the color lavender and its flower symbolize gay pride, beauty and individuality within LGBTQ culture. June is Lavender Pride Month in recognition of the Stonewall legacy.
Love and Devotion
Traditionally, lavender has many romantic connotations. The Victorians used lavender flowers to express their love feelings and court suitors without saying the explicit words. Brides often incorporated lavender accents into their weddings.
Lavender represents devotion, fidelity, grace, purity and modesty in romantic settings. The color symbolizes intimate, committed love as well as courtly, chivalrous romance.
This association continues today in Valentine’s Day gifts, bouquets, aromatherapy and wedding themes. Lavender is a popular color for dating advertisements and matchmaking services. The color paves the way for meaningful, respectful relationships.
Ambiguity
Interestingly, lavender’s varying shades and nuances have provided it with symbolic meanings that are seemingly in contrast. While it represents purity, it was also historically tied to prostitution in the Victorian era.
Lavender similarly represents both masculinity and femininity. Its soft shade evokes femininity, while its botanical name Lavandula originates from the Latin lavare, meaning ‘to wash’, associated with barbers and male grooming.
So while lavender leans feminine, it has androgynous qualities as well, making it a color of ambiguity and duality. Lavender represents a fluidity of meanings.
Conclusion
Throughout history, lavender has been a multifaceted color connected to spirituality, femininity, calmness, mystery and love. Its subtle shade provokes imagination, nostalgia, romance and LGBTQ pride. So whether you’re looking for peace or creative inspiration, lavender has a unique essence that will spur the senses and emotions.
