By the end of the war, most of these women had discovered that they liked working outside the home-they liked the money, the sense of purpose, the autonomy. Polls showed that 80 percent wanted to continue working after the war. Women also wanted to be reunited with their husbands or sweethearts, and they wanted to start families. This was a very real desire, but they didn’t want to give up everything for it. Poor, deluded souls-they wanted it all, and they didn’t quite get it. the war was over, and they were supposed to sashay back to the kitchen and learn how to make green beans baked with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup.

-Susan J. Douglas Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media

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THE most common question I am asked as the National Spokesperson for The Freshaire Choice™ paint is “what color should I paint my kitchen?” So many of us go with the color trends and what the “in” color is at the time- but more importantly- ask yourself what you want to do in your kitchen and then what your kitchen can do for you?

Color is energy and color can influence your attitude and emotions as well as your physiological being. (How many of you out there have been around a color that made you sick to your stomach, or has given you a headache?) So when I ask the question about what you want to do in your kitchen, it is really about knowing what color will best help you achieve that particular goal. Also, if there is something lacking in your life, see what is lacking in your kitchen! That is a wonderful place to introduce a shift.

While at the University of Notre Dame I began a research project on the color of kitchens and the role of women in society. It was a project I was absolutely passionate about (and still am) because it was an interesting study of how the predominant colors of the decades influenced (and reflected) what women did and who they were within society. I began looking at the 1950’s, which was a time of “Ozzy and Harriet” but was pulled back to the 1940′s as the impetus for the palette of the 50′s kitchen and why we associate the happy, content unified family unit with the proverbial 1950′s family.

What we tend to dismiss is that the 1940’s brought women out of the home and into the workforce for the first time. We equate this with the liberating 60’s and 70’s but in fact, it was the 40’s that gave women the taste of working outside the home. WWII brought on many changes, particularly AFTER the war.

What does the kitchen have to do with all of this? The kitchen is the heart of any family, at least through the late 70’s and early 80’s when eating out was the norm. (and now with the economic climate shift, current trends will be a blast to look at!)

It is amazing when I give my “kitchen presentation” how many will come up to me and be excited about the personal CONNECTIONS between the colors of their grandmother’s kitchens, their own home while growing up, and their friends’ kitchens!

There IS a connection! Think about it, if you spend a lot of time in one place, that color, that ENERGY will penetrate your own energetic system. So, you will choose what you are drawn to and then it will continue to influence your life until you shift. When you shift, you will grow tired of the color and paint. (Hopefully, it will be The Freshaire Choice™!)

Kitchens of the 50’s: “Grandma’s Kitchen”

The palette of the fifties kitchen was full of pinks, reds, black and even some turquoise and yellow thrown in. My own grandmother, whom I loved dearly, was fashionable with her pink porcelain on steel tiles. She even had the ceiling tiled. I loved her kitchen, I felt warmed, wanted and loved. I look back and I realize that I felt so connected to her, and still feel her close to me when I need comfort.

What was going on for women in the fifties? Women were pulled out of the factories, out of “the man’s world” and plopped in suburbia with (heaven forbid) CONVENIENCES! YIKES…

It really isn’t funny, it was culture shock! The men came home from the war and walked back in to their jobs, women went back home to their kitchens and their homemaking. To make it a bit more complicated, they were taken from their cities and social lives and put into neighborhoods, it was the birth of suburbia.

Please understand, I am not bashing anything or anyone, I am just putting the groundwork down for the big shift and setting the precedent for color’s role in that shift.

While in this new social setting (and the movie “Blast from the Past” is a GREAT reference!) housewives were given the conveniences of dishwashers, Frigidaire’s, garbage disposals, all of the modern conveniences which saved them time. They were removed- due to distance- from the active environment of the cities: the tea parties, committee meetings, and various social activities.This introduces a boredom factor (inviting red into their lives).

But it was time to concentrate on starting a family and running an efficient household, so those things did not matter as much, or did they? As in the quote from Susan J. Douglas, 80% wanted to keep in the workforce, and have a family, and run a household. Many had already been doing that without the husband there for added support. Now they were pulled out of it all and placed in the modern home.

Enter: COLOR PINK

Pink emerged, representing the need to nurture. Pink tempers the raw human emotions of red with the “higher qualities” of white. It softens passion to nurturing. And at this time was a dire need to invite nurturing back into the home, after years of factory, business and professional jobs. It was time to bring back the “soft side” of women.

Enter: COLOR RED

As I stated with pink, red is raw human emotions, it can promote extreme behavior (which would counter the boredom). Red is the color of martyrdom (that is why Santa Claus has his red suit). It is about sacrifice. It is also the color of survival (and struggle) and it promotes excess. So red supported the behavior brought on by feelings of martyrdom and boredom.

Enter: Black

Black is a magnifier. It absorbs all energy and takes on the qualities of what resides next to it. Roofs in the colder northern regions are shingled with black to absorb the energy, the heat, in the southern regions the roofs are lighter to repel the energy, the heat. So think of black as a sponge. It seeks direction, energy from the other colors around it.

Yellow and Turquoise:

When white (as in red/pink) is added to a color it elevates that color to a more cerebral or spiritual role. Turquoise is an intense teal, which represents healing within relationships and adds that spiritual quality withing. So the turquoise (and our kitchen growing up had turquoise appliances!) kitchen would influence the relationships in the family in a positive healing way.

Yellow was not intense in the 50′s kitchen, it too had some white elevating it to higher expectations. Yellow is about ego and intellect, but with the white and moving to the butter yellow shade it represents a need to evolve one’s sense of self. I like a light shade of yellow, as it is about your personal connection to the Source (God) it is “ego” in a good light, not oppressive.

The Fifties kitchen with its pinks, reds, and blacks reflected/influenced a society of women that were pressured to nurture due to cultural constraints (pink). They attempted to adapt to those constraints (black) through excesses (red) of food, alcohol, valium, or sex. And we thought the 60’s were fun! It doesn’t mean they ALL did, but it is something to look at as you review the cultural history and correspond the history with the predominant colors of the time. Also don’t just look at the media’s twist on the 1950’s, look at the actual history of the decade.

Before you drop your teeth, I do not say this lightly, as a former university professor, the Women’s Studies’ research backs me up. In fact, one reference (a phenomenal, insightful AND funny read) is Susan J. Douglas Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media, Times Books, 1995. She uses media/TV references in the same manner I look at color, after all, it is all connected.

I invite you to think back, or if you are too young, ask your mother about the color of the 1950’s kitchen and what was happening in the lives within the family. You will be amazed at the insight you can achieve just by knowing how color can influence our lives, or how color can reflect our lives, either way it makes color a powerful force to notice.

Next week, I will talk about the color of the 1960’s kitchen and a look into how that reflected/affected women in THAT decade…(myself included!) Have a colorful week! Blessings, Catherine, The Queen of Color

“Be in harmony with your purpose”

-from “Beyond the Secret”

“It is as if your heart and your joy were a fish net and you can sweep down and scoop up what you like, attract what you like. But it is to be AWARE of what materials you use to make your net, or perhaps be AWARE of what bait is on your hook, for these materials are directly related to what you will catch. That is the Law of Attraction.

So, therefore if you choose to fish for bluegill, and use the bait for carp, you will catch a carp, will you not”? more than likely that is so.”

-from a Client Session with Catherine

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Back in February, I was getting my children off to school and had turned on Good Morning America, I was awaiting the profile story Diane Sawyer was presenting on the Children of Appalachia. Living in Southwest, Virginia, I was curious to see what areas she would profile and what her findings would be. In her segment, she mentioned the wonderful work of a dentist in Barbourville, Kentucky (an area I know well, I travel through Barbourville on 25E on my way to Indiana). The dentist’s efforts are heartwarming, battling what he referred to as “Mt. Dew Mouth”  which is basically rotting teeth. So, feeling all warm and fuzzy as  Diane finished her segment and what was being done I was then completely taken aback, and could not believe my ears!

What got me so aggravated?  Not Diane’s story, but PepsiCo’s initial response to her story, which attacked her labeling of “Mt. Dew Mouth.”  their INITIAL response rang with insensitivity and ignorance about poverty in general and this area and my neighbors that I have come to love. This is my home. I am not talking today about the corrected -”reflect sensitivity and offer solutions for damage control” – response that came out later, but the initial response.

Ironically, I had just noticed this same week the new logo for Pepsi, it has finally trickled into the stores here in Southwest, Virginia. Twenty-five years in the design field, as a design educator and consultant for color, allows me to look at products, product placement and branding from a different perspective than most consumers. Working now as an intuitive, I see energy and the energy exchanges not only between people, but also people and products. It is a fascinating study.

Small business, large corporations, even your “mom and pop” organizations have a consciousness, an energy that is reflected in their image, and that energy, that consciousness is reflected in the branding of the product.

Branding and the Logo color and design influences the corporation, the employees, the consumers, everyone. It is a symbol for the energy of the company and everyone is touched by the color, the image, the symbols embedded within the branding materials as well as the subliminal use of color messages hidden within the logo itself. It is non-verbal communication in its essence.

I cannot keep quiet about this valuable lesson of the connectedness of image, color and message. When I was a professor at Notre Dame, students had been assigned the Pepsi logo as a research project so I have a fairly good idea of the evolution of the logo. The correlation of the logo with the company’s history and attitude can be substantiated when you understand the connection of color as symbol. For starters, I was thrown off balance by Pepsi’s insensitive remarks, and ironically, the logo is off-balance as well!

The previous logo is said to be symbolic of the global appeal of Pepsi. There is the significance of the red, white and blue representing the United States of America and its “global presence” by way of Pepsi. This previous logo contains an equal amount of red verses blue. It is balanced, and it flows hidden within it the subliminal suggestion of a yin/yang symbol for balance, but does it represent profit? No.

Red. Red is all about action. Red is raw human emotions, and red activates what is known on your body as the base energy center. (These are also referred to a chakras, but I use the more generalized term, “energy center”). Your red energy center, your base represents the energy of survival and it vibrates red and can be activated by the color red. Red can invite impulsiveness, red commands a response. The base center is all about survival and therefore quick unthinking actions. The color red creates a need to “get it” and “get it now” like your life depended upon it. That is why a little red goes a long way, you want to tease with red, too much and consumers can fight over the product. (not good, marketing people, not good.) Depending on how much and how it is used, it can be inviting creating excitement and change or it can permeate aggression, fear and impulsiveness.

In the previous logo, Pepsi has red on the top portion. This communicates energy, promotes change but does so in a gentle manner. In a sense it rocks the viewer back and forth and comforts one into thinking change is good. Before you know it you have been gently rocked into something you weren’t sure about to begin with. You want (yes, even “need”) the “pep” of Pepsi, can’t live without it.

The Blue on the bottom of the logo symbolizes naturally, the refreshing quality of Pepsi. Blue stimulates and represents the throat energy center, which is about communication. It is also about the representation of water and the refreshing aspect of drinking something cool. Blue represents honesty, loyalty, integrity. Blue is the color of business and communication. So the aspect of red being atop the blue is symbolic of being talked into something safe because you trust them. Do not discard the importance of equality within this logo. As I mentioned, the subliminal ying/yang effect comes with it, and therefore there is a balance, a trust that is instilled, not solely with the drink, but with the corporate energy that is perpetuated by the logo.

Blue activates your throat energy center which is about speaking your truth, living your truth. Blue is about opportunity and honesty. Blue can also be a healing color, depending on how and where it is used in your environment and what other colors accompany it. Whereas red can create agitation, aggression and even anger if too much is used, blue cannot be overused, it is like the blue sky on a summer’s day, you can’t get enough. It is calming and refreshing.

White is what I equate to the crown energy center, which is located at the top of your head. It is about knowing.  I often call it the “Christ Light” (with all due respect to other belief systems out there). In the previous logo, the white is balanced, and invites flow (energy flow is your friend in a logo). The previous logo symbolized a river of purity flowing through, enhancing the yin/yang balanced quality of the previous logo.

So, what I have here is an opinion of the previous logo and the corporate consciousness then, verses the new logo and the corporate consciousness now. What is the difference? The statement by Pepsi about the people of Appalachia is all summed up throughout this new image. Let me tell you why…

Energy is received from the left to the right, and although I am sure the actual thought process behind the design of this logo is upward motion (increased sales and profit). Which by the way IS the best impression for a logo to have, up and forward, not stagnant and downward. I am not COMPLETELY critical of the design…actually I not trying to be critical at all, I would just like to use them as a learning tool…

Stop for just a moment and take a look at the logo that represents your company and determine the direction of the energy flow.

Remember, the previous logo had a forward motion, but the motion was a rocking, rhythmic progression, not an aggressive push up your proverbial you-know-what.

The red invades the space, knocking everything off balance. Again, energy is read from the left to the right, we, particularly in Western culture, subconsciously “read” information from left to right. Not just words, it is generally how the majority of the population takes in their environment. I look at your energy field when I do an intuitive reading and your energy, your opportunities always approach from your left (whether you are Western Culture or not, just in case you were wondering.)

Red also is generally a warm hue, and gets our attention quickly. Another aside, the warmer the red, the more it plays on your emotions. Cooler reds evoke more thought. But again the red in the new logo is oppressive and the fact that there is more of it, communicates the feeling of taking over.

The white flows, yes, and you can equate it with a sail perhaps, particularly with the wave of blue that is introduced. But as far as the eye is concerned, the sharp linear path cuts into the white by the hard red edge again emphasizes a need for profit and sales.

Which in and of itself is not bad!

I always push branding to indicate positive energy in “up and outward” motions, which also promotes optimism. The cost is the slice taken out of the blue, which communicates the compromise of honesty, loyalty and integrity for the sake of corporate sales.

From a flat-out marketing standpoint, red prompts people to buy, so it makes sense to “up the red” but there is also the application of the color, not just the color in order to communicate fully the message of the company. So it is not just about the red, it is how it is applied, and if you look objectively at the visuals of the logo, the eye enters at the lower left side of the logo, and sweeps up and around to the red. Even the blue is not given much time when you enter and read the logo. As you enter and notice the blue, the curve of the line takes you up and whips you back to where? The red!!!!! So, it is all about the red, and all about the profits and little about the integrity of the corporation.

That being said, here is the statement Pepsi issued about their opinion of Diane’s Story. Can you understand how the consciousness is reflected in the branding directives? Amazing stuff.

Initial Statement from Pepsi to ABC News: (my comments are in green)

This is old, irresponsible news.< (They have a shiny new logo) It is preposterous to blame soft drinks or any one food for poor dental health. (Blue is the color of healing, it is compromised by the aggressive red in the shiny new logo). So many factors determine individual dental health, including the types of food consumed, the length of time foods are retained in the mouth, and the level of oral hygiene and access to professional dental care. (We don’t care, buy our product, red, red, red, up, up, up)

Sticky foods like raisins and cookies that tend to stay in the mouth longer and/or cling to teeth can be a significant source of dental cavities. In contrast, liquids, including those that contain sugar, clear the mouth quickly.

It’s about common sense, including a balanced diet and proper dental hygiene — like flossing and brushing teeth after meals and snacks.” (OK, this is just clueless, really, it screams “fire me as the spokesperson”)

My critique is over, and as Dr. Phil says, “no matter how flat the pancake, there are still two sides.” So I do understand about profit and sales and competition. It is an abundant world and I believe there should be more spirituality, more compassion in the corporate world. Color and symbol are what perpetuates the consciousness of a business or a corporation, whether you can consciously see it or subconsiously feel it. It is energy and it is there.

If you are wonderfing about your company’s image or logo,  curious about what your name communicates or perhaps trying to shift colors within your corporate or office environment- I can help, I can answer questions and help you understand what you are really communicating and offer suggestions and feedback on your marketing directions. It is what I refer to as intuitive corporate consulting, and I love it, as it takes me back to my design roots. Have a blessed week!

Catherine

There is only one time when it is essential to awaken.

That time is now.

-The Buddha

Only the soul that knows the mighty grief can know the might rapture. Sorrows come to stretch out spaces in the heart for joy.

–Edwin Markham

Often when I look at clients from a color energy standpoint, I will focus on a particular area of the body and hone in as to where they are directing their energy. Alzheimer’s is a bit different, as it is not just one particular area, it is more of a systemic, or general energy depletion.  Systemic energy depletion indicates there is a need to boost the immune system and energetically, that area is related to orange and yellow (second and third) energy centers. Ironically enough, there is a theory that Alzheimer’s may be a slow growing viral infection. Interestingly enough, if it didn’t have something to do with the immune system and was purely a “brain dis-ease” then the depletion of energy would be more from the brow center or the crown, and not systemic.

My experience with energy medicine over the years, shows that when something is systemic, the roots of the dis-ease are generally in the kidney/adrenal area of the body, and usually BOTH sides of the body. Both sides represent PROCESSING rather than issues being based on one side or the other. As I have mentioned in previous web entries,

• right side issues are masculine root and deal with release and letting go
• left side issues are feminine root and deal the acceptance and allowing
• BOTH sides are about the flow, processing of an issue

Systemic depletion, particularly the immune system need yellow to boost the energy depletion. Yellow will  stimulate self worth, enhance the sense of self and also can play a role in helping one to honor self.

Yellow is also the color that represents intellect and ego. Statistically, yellow was introduced into the workplace in the late 1940’s early 1950’s by color theorist and industry color consultant Faber Birren. Yes, he is responsible for all the yellow caution lines and hard hats, even yellow school buses. The studies proved that introducing yellow reduced injuries significantly. In part it is because yellow is the longest wavelength and can be seen at a distance. (Hence, the school buses).

I also believe yellow reduced accidents because it stimulates thought by stimulating the brain’s natural abilities. It also is about self, so on a whole different level, yellow helps you keep your mind on your work.

It makes sense that yellow would be the color to introduce in the environment of someone learning from Alzheimer’s. It promotes a cheery outlook and helps with depression as well. If you know of someone experiencing the lessons of Alzheimer’s, see if they have any yellow in their environment. You don’t have to introduce a boat load, perhaps just starting out with a cup or a place mat when they eat. A yellow afghan or throw blanket is also a nice accent. Orange, or perhaps a yellow pushing to orange (pumpkin color) can also help with depression, so introducing these colors sparingly at first, may help cognition and mood.

If you yourself are having some issues with cognition, introduce some yellow into your life! If you have trouble with reading retention (and this can be anyone, including myself at times) try putting a yellow transparency over the information you are trying to retain and see if that helps.

Yellow helps boost the immune system, and also helps in stimulating thought, so introducing it within the environment of someone with Alzheimer’s is a good thing. Allow the person to choose their shade, some may prefer a more lemon yellow, whereas other’s may push to a gold, they will know what they need. But remember, with aging eyes, pale yellows may appear brown, pastels tend to be in shades of browns and beige’s to those with cataracts, so be aware of what your loved ones are drawn to.

Please visit my entry about the metaphysical aspects of Alzheimer’s and what you can learn from this lesson. Thank you, I hope this offers some sound direction.

Blessings and have a great week!

Catherine

“It is much more sensible to be an optimist instead of a pessimist, for if one is doomed to disappointment, why experience it in advance?”

~ Elizabeth Peters

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow;

it empties tomorrow of its strength.

~ Corrie Ten Boom

This is a continuation of my entry at www.CatherinePoole.com which addresses the metaphysical aspects of infertility. As I mentioned in this week’s Kick! I can usually count on two questions through presentations, e-mails, and in readings. The first is “why do I keep attracting jerks” (answer: Mirror, Mirror”) and the second, I answered in this week’s Kick!

“Am I ever going to get pregnant?”

Well, to contradict myself in my own Thursday Kick! I do use the term: “infertility”. As I explained in my Kick!, there are many couples out there that experience what is termed “infertility”. In fact this term should be shifted as it provides a script for failure. But, for the sake of clarity,

I will use the term “infertility” here in the “Queendom”. lol

Let’s look at the energetic logistics of infertility, which can be manifested by a number of tissue issues, all separate issues, but still interrelated due to the area of depletion: the second or sacral center. This center dictates our area of creativity and emotion. This area is also associated with the element of water, so depletion in this area may be reflected in tissues/organs that relate to fluid.

When reading my entry “The Birth of a Dis-ease” I explain how we will dole out energy to a person or a situation and when there is no longer any energy in that particular center, then the universe will begin “robbing” from corresponding organs to that center.

Fertility and infertility reside in the sacral plexus, the second center which is located just below your belly button. This energy is orange energy. This second, sacral center represents creativity and emotions. First and foremost, this is person-to-person energy.

Meaning, that when there is a depletion in this area it is because you are giving your energy away to another person. Base (red) energy deals with a group of people, your foundation, such as family, church, even political parties, overall organization or company you work for, groups that you consider your foundation for life or survival. Second, (orange) is about person to person and then your third center (yellow) is about self.

When there is depletion in this second or orange energy center, then there can be difficulty in conceiving.

It is one thing to be told that “stress plays a part” and another to identify who or what is the source of the stress. If you recognize the source, you can begin to correct the energy directed toward that source.

• Stress with a partner
• stress with a mother
• sister
• co-worker
• boss

can exacerbate the effort of conceiving. Interesting enough, I have found that it is usually female energy that pulls the energy from this center! So, often it is about a predominant female in your life and you are choosing to send your energy (waste your energy) by sending it in her direction. It can also be a partner that has feminine energy, but may be male in gender.

Person-to-person stress will deplete this sacral center.

When you have given away all the energy in this center because of a particular individual that you find frustrating or you tend to worry about, then corresponding organs with that center can be affected.

Which organs depend on the tissue issue…reproductive “energy” would be tissue issues regarding the power of creation. Please, understand that this “ power of creation” has many levels of meaning beyond the actual manifestation of a baby! So look at your life and how you create your own life, your home, all that is sacred. After all, it is the “sacral” plexus.

AND remember you have a partner in this, so it isn’t just about you! You may be “balanced” but they may not be as balanced as they appear, or vice versa.

When there is depletion, it is important to stop the leak before you try to “fill it back up”. So take a moment to examine where you may be sending your energy. I equate doling out your sacral energy like a huge ball of orange yarn, so the “orange yarn ball” in your second center is all unraveled and wrapped around whom?

Just relax and imagine you are pulling it back and winding it back up, create this nice orange ball of yarn, all wrapped up and then quietly place it back in your sacral position. Shifting your worried thoughts to something more positive can help to achieve that balance. If you notice yourself getting “pissed” (that is a “fluid” reference -verbal or mental- to your orange energy leaking!) then take a deep breath and visualize yourself “pulling” your energy back!

Integrating orange into your life can help produce what I call a “vibratory trigger” or subtle hypnotic script. In Thursday’s Kick! I talk about words and their power, so affirmations coupled with the color orange are a wonderful way to help you relax and be aware of what may be holding you back.

Do you have much orange in your life? Take a quick survey of the color orange and find ways to integrate it in your wardrobe or décor. I had to put orange sheets on my bed because I didn’t have a chance to get my regular sheets washed. I had to get up to go to the bathroom twice, so be careful with that! Kidneys and bladder are also associated with orange energy.

• Drink your water out of an orange cup,
• use an orange placemat,
• put on an orange scarf.
• Drink orange juice!
• Look into orange foods (no, not the Cheetos, people, I mean real food)…

First and foremost, examine the role of orange in your life and see how it correlates to your current lessons.

Knowing where your energy is going is the first major step in managing it and getting balanced. Examine your person-to person relationships and release what no longer serves you! (Cut that yarn!)  Put yourself in the now and use the color orange as an anchor to help you stay balanced. Find an affirmation that works for you, and please! share affirmations here if you have some you really resonate with we appreciate the info.

Have a blessed week! Thank you so much for all your support. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Catherine, The Queen of Color!