What is the meaning of purple?

The meaning of purple most often refers to nobility, abundance, and dignity. Purple is also very soothing and calming and is related to intuition and spirituality. Some common properties of the color purple include:

• Abundance
• Calming / Soothing / Tranquil
• Dignity
• Exclusive / Expensive / Nobility
• Intuition / Mystical / Spiritual

Purple is a hue combining both blue and red; therefore it has the integrity of the color blue with the strength of the color red.

When lighter in color, purple is very sensual, seductive, and intimate. Lighter purples like lavender and violet help to create a very romantic feng shui bedroom.

Dark purples, on the other hand, invoke feelings of dignity, wealth, mysticism and magic. Deep, rich purples are very regal and noble and are a wonderful enhancement to the abundance and prosperity area of the feng shui bagua.

In a negative sense, dark purple in excess can be strict, foreboding, lonely, mournful or even pompous.

The meaning of purple (and violet) as described in “The Herder Dictionary of Symbols: symbols from art, archaeology, literature and religion” is as follows:

“Purple is a color associated symbolically with red. Genuine purple, derived from the porphura, a shellfish yielding purple die, was reserved for the clothing of kings and priests due to its costliness; hence it was a symbol of power and honor. Later it was generally regarded, especially among the Romans, as a sign of luxury and prosperity.

Violet is a hue combining red and blue, it often symbolizes mediation; balance between heaven and earth, spirit and body, love and wisdom; and moderation.

In Christian art, violet is often the color of Christ’s passion (as symbolic reference to God’s complete union with humans through Christ’s life and death); in the Catholic liturgy, violet symbolizes seriousness and mindfulness of penitence and is consequently the color of Advent and Easter.

In folk imagery and custom, violet sometimes symbolizes fidelity.”

What is the meaning of purple in graphic design and fashion?