Green
Benedicta viriditas
The blessed greenness of living things.
Green: what does it mean in analytical psychology?
The alchemists spoke of the benedicta viriditas, the blessed greenness, and Jung read it as the state of life and growth, hope and the spirit of nature, that may appear even in the dark of the nigredo. Centuries earlier Hildegard of Bingen had made viriditas, greenness, her word for the living power of God in creation.
Green: where does it appear in myth and tradition?
The Green Man of the churches, Khidr the Green One, green-skinned Osiris, the Green Knight, the green lion of the alchemists.
From the Sources
In a passage Silberer quotes from Hohler (after Michael Maier), the green lion, a usual symbol for the material at the beginning, encloses the raw seeds; Silberer's bracketed comment adds that green is the colour of hope and of growth.
“The green lion [a usual symbol for the material at the beginning] encloses the raw seeds, yellow hairs adorn his head [this detail is not lacking in the parable], i.e., when the projection on the metals takes place, they turn yellow, golden. [Green is the color of hope, of growth.”
Dr. Herbert Silberer, Problems of Mysticism and its Symbolism, Part II, Section II, 'Alchemy'. Translated by Smith Ely Jelliffe, M.D., Ph.D.; New York: Moffat, Yard and Company, 1917 (Internet Archive OCR text). The text, read in part
Morrisroe explains that green, the hue of plants and trees, bespeaks in the liturgy the hope of life eternal.
“…red, the language of fire and blood, indicates burning charity and the martyrs' generous sacrifice; green, the hue of plants and trees, bespeaks the hope of life eternal”
Patrick Morrisroe, Liturgical Colours, Section 'Symbolism'. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 4; New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908 (New Advent online text). The text, read in full
Each passage is quoted from the text named, which the press fetched and read, and was checked word for word against a fresh copy of it; the link opens that copy. Passages are given as printed, without the editors’ footnote numbers, and with words broken across lines joined.
Where to Read
- Mysterium Coniunctionis, CW 14
- Hildegard of Bingen, Scivias (1151)
Jung’s writings are cited by the volume of the Collected Works (CW), Bollingen Series / Princeton, 1953–79.
Related Symbols
Also among The Colours of the Work
“Learn as much as you can about symbolism; then forget it all when you are analysing a dream.”
Cite This Entry
“Green.” In Symbols of the Psyche, the Symbolarium. The Thinking Press, 2026. https://thethinkingpress.org/symbolarium/psyche/green.
Nearby in the alphabet: The Grail: The vessel found by the one who asks the right question. The Great Mother: The mother behind every mother, who gives life and takes it back. Hair: Strength and vitality, and what grows unbidden. The Hand: Making, taking, blessing, and giving.