The 5 colors of grief

Grief comes whenever something ends.

The dictionary definition of “grief” is: deep sorrow, especially that caused by someone’s death.

We experience deep sorrow due to the death of many things. Not just someone’s death. Deep sorrow due to the death of a relationship. The death of a dream. The death of a perceived reality. Death of a pet. We experience many moments of grief over our lifetimes.

Currently experiencing grief of my own, I decided to lightly research it so I might understand it better. I came upon a list of the 5 stages of grief, first proposed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her 1969 book “On Death and Dying.” As I read, I decided that each stage surely has a color associated with it, just as each Chakra in our energy.

Stage 1 is denial and isolation. Blocking out what is truly happening and trying to hide from the reality. This color is “Purple”… the color of analgesia.

Stage 2 is anger. Anger with what has happened. Anger at the loss. Anger at the Universe for allowing us to be put in a situation where loss was the result. Anger at the thing or person that was lost. Anger at ourselves for feeling angry. This color is definitely “Red”… color of fire and rage.

Stage 3 is bargaining. We make up scenarios in our mind of how we could have avoided the loss, what we could have done different. We beg God or the Universe, or both, to make it all okay again. This color is “blue”… the color of peace and order.

Stage 4 is depression. In my opinion, we probably stay in this stage the longest of all. Depression is an individual expression. We all move through it differently. The depression stage more than likely encompasses all five stages of grief. Although black is not a color, I see this stage as “Black”… we put ourselves into the dark so we see nothing yet see it all on a very deep level. Black is the culmination of all color.

Stage 5 is acceptance. Having finally digested the loss, we move into the reality of it. The reality that it has happened and that it cannot be changed. Resolving ourselves to the fact that it is indeed a part of our past, yet still holding onto the memory. This color is “green”. Green is the color of healing and growth.

It would be nice if we could move through each of these steps one at a time, ticking each one off the list as we complete it. The reality of it is that we do not. We skip back and forth between colors. Some days are easier than others. These are the colors of our lives. The energetic motions we take on in order to assimilate this life we have chosen to live.