Green is more than just a colour. It’s a heartbeat. A breath of wind through the forest. A whisper of spring after a long winter. Across cultures and centuries, the colour green has carried deep meanings—of life, balance, hope, and sometimes danger.
Green in Folklore and Myth
In Slavic pagan traditions, green is the colour of Mokosh, the earth goddess and protector of women and fertility. Forest spirits like the Leshy are often cloaked in green moss and leaves—symbols of the wild, untamed power of nature. Green marks the in-between, the space where humans meet the unknown, and life renews itself again and again.
In Celtic myths, the Green Man represents rebirth and the cycle of seasons, appearing in carvings and stories as a face emerging from leaves. He is a wild force—neither good nor evil, but necessary, like growth itself.
Healing, Growth, and Balance
Green sits at the centre of the colour wheel—it balances warm and cool, just as it balances emotion and logic. In many traditions, it’s the colour of the heart chakra (Anahata), associated with love, healing, and harmony. It invites emotional renewal, making it a powerful colour in both art and ritual.
People are naturally drawn to green spaces because they reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and ease the nervous system. This primal connection to green has roots in ancient times, when green landscapes meant food, water, and survival.
Green as a Warning
But green has its shadows, too. In medieval Europe, green could represent jealousy, poison, or the supernatural. Witches, fairies, and forest spirits were often described wearing green—otherworldly beings who might lure humans away from their paths. In folklore, green was not always safe—it was beautiful, but not to be trusted.
This duality makes green all the more powerful. It’s alive, dynamic, layered—just like the stories it carries.
Using Green in Art and Symbolism
In your art work, green can be a bridge—between old and new, human and natural, light and shadow. Whether it's soft olive, deep forest, or bright spring green, the shade you choose tells its own tale:
Olive green: wisdom, age, and peace
Emerald green: vitality, enchantment, royalty
Sage green: calmness, groundedness, introspection
Neon green: modernity, rebellion, aliveness
Green is never static. It grows, changes, creeps, blooms. In folklore and colour theory, it carries the message: you are part of nature’s cycle—always dying, always becoming.
