When the sun shines at last and the sky is that deep blue that cheers the soul there can be few pleasures that beat taking time out to lie on a rug on the grass and gaze up at the eternal expanse of sky high above…
Early civilisations thought that the sky was a dome. When it rained the water came through small holes in the dome – a bit like a colander or strainer you might use for draining water from cooked vegetables.
Scientific research into the evolution of sight reveals that humans probably first started making blue pigment about 4,000 BC. Though cave paintings date to about 20,000 years ago, none contain blue pigment, probably due to the lack of available blue colorants in plants, rocks, and other natural materials.
But Egyptians are thought to have developed blue pigment using lapis stone in about 2200 BC.
The rare nature of the ingredients needed to create blue meant the color was reserved for the rich, royal and elites. This may have also caused blue to be associated with divinity, as it is in several Eastern cultures.
Traditionally, blue is a symbol of calm, serenity and peace, perhaps because of its associations with water and the sky. To Hindus, blue is the color of Krishna. Blue flowers symbolize the divine, as well as joy and love. In Judaism, blue hyacinths stand for constancy and sincerity. Blue roses stand for the impossible. For Buddhists, the blue lotus symbolizes intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, and the dominance of spirit over the senses. It’s often depicted as a partly opened bud. To Catholics, blue flowers are often associated with the Virgin Mary. Blue columbines are used in art to represent the Virgin’s sorrow in childbirth and connections with the Holy Spirit.
Turning your gaze earthwards – and see just how many blue flowers there are… Early spring will bring hyacinths and forget-me-nots. Later, delphiniums, hyssop and iris.
Lofty blooms of agapanthus create a dramatic show..
A field of blue flax., gently waving in the breeze.
But one of my all-time favourites is Anagelis Sky Lover (what a name!). It overflows its pot and cascades in a fall of serene, intense blue and is simple to grow in a container and enjoy throughout the summer. It drops its seeds as autumn arrives and you may well find self-sown seedlings appearing the following spring in unexpected places. A joyful happenstance.
The rich intense shades of blue may present us with an image of ‘heavenly blue’ but we need to keep ourselves grounded. The priest and author Angela Tilby writes,
‘Do not try to anticipate heaven in this life, but keep attending to the beauty that is here, with all its promise and its limitations.’
There is so much beauty around us – let us keep our eyes open and our senses alert…