God Color

A huge part of thinking ritually is taking the time to stop and notice. Sometimes noticing something will stop me in my tracks, snap me into the present moment, and reground me in identity and purpose.

A decade ago, after a lifetime of claiming cool non-intrusive shades of blue as my favorite color, I suddenly started being drawn to the color orange. I just loved it. I wanted everything to be orange. I bought orange curtains, orange earrings, and knit more orange scarves than I care to admit.

Then a spiritual director introduced the idea of a “God color,” a color we are drawn to for no particular reason that can act as a reminder of the presence of God. That’s what orange has become for me: a color I notice and love, that reminds me I am not alone every time I see it.

Last year, on a hike, my brain was in a bad place. I was actively working to try to get myself out of it; and as we all know, thinking our way out of feelings works oh-so-not-at-all. I was stuck in my miserable head.

Then I looked down and saw a bright orange salamander, an Eft. I was in awe. It was love at first sight. I spent many minutes ogling and photographing it. When I walked on, I realized my head had cleared. My eyes could see the beauty around me, and my heart could believe in it.
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With rituals, I seek to create space that accomplishes this grounding and reorienting. And the first step is to notice.

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