Spiritual Meaning of Blue

Spiritual Meaning of

Blue

Blue signifies the celestial love of truth. That "blue" has this signification, is because it belongs to the color of the sky, and because by this color is signified truth from a celestial origin, which is truth from the good of love to the Lord. This good reigns in the inmost heaven, and in the middle or second heaven it is presented to view as crimson and blue; the good itself as crimson, and the derivative truth as blue. For in the other life, and in heaven itself, there appear most beautiful colors, all deriving their origin from good and truth. For the sphere of the affections of good and truth is sensibly presented before the eyes of angels and spirits by means of colors, and specific things by variously colored objects. They are presented to the nostrils also by means of odors. For everything celestial, which is of good, and everything spiritual, which is of truth, is represented in the lower heavens by such things as appear in nature, thus to the very senses of the spirits and angels there. The reason why the spheres of the affection of good and truth are visibly presented by means of colors, is that the colors are modifications of heavenly light, thus of intelligence and wisdom (AC 4530, 4677, 4742, 4922).

By blue is signified the celestial love of truth, and by garments of blue, the knowledges of truth from this love, in Ezekiel:--

Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was thy spread, that it might be to thee for a sign; blue and crimson from the isles of Elishah were thy covering. These were thy traders with perfect things, with bales of blue and broidered work, and with treasures of precious garments (Ezek. 27:7, 24);

speaking of Tyre, by which are signified the knowledges of truth and good (AC 1201); knowledge and the derivative intelligence are described by broidered work from Egypt, and by blue and crimson from the isles of Elishah; broidered work from Egypt being the memory-knowledge of truth; blue and crimson from the isles of Elishah being the intelligence of truth and good.

[4] In the same:--

Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredoms in Egypt in their youth, Oholah and Oholibah. Oholah committed whoredom under Me; and doted on the Assyrians her neighbors, clothed in blue, commanders and leaders; horsemen riding on horses (Ezek. 23:2-6);

Oholah is Samaria, Oholibah is Jerusalem (Ezek. 23:4). Samaria here denotes the spiritual church perverted; committing whoredom in Egypt denotes falsifying truths by means of memory-knowledges; doting on the Assyrians her neighbors denotes to love the consequent reasonings; clothed with blue denotes the appearances of the truth that is from good, because from the literal sense of the Word wrongly unfolded.

from AC 9466

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Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.