Handfasting Colour Meanings

In traditional Celtic handfasting, the colours of the cords and ribbons that bind the couple’s wrists all have special meaning. The Handfasting cords themselves can be several colours twisted into one cord and then used for a single cord ceremony, or each colour can be draped individually as in the six cord handfasting. The couple may choose four to six colours representing what they feel are the most important to them in their marriage. Here are some of the meanings attached to the colours:

Red – will, love, strength, fertility, courage, health, vigour, passion
Orange – encouragement, adaptability, stimulation, attraction, plenty, kindness
Yellow – attraction, charm, confidence, balance, harmony
Green – fertility, luck, prosperity, nurturing, beauty, health, love
Dark Blue -for a safe journey, longevity & strength
Light Blue – tranquillity, understanding, patience, health
Purple – healing, health, strength, power, progress
Black – strength, empowerment, wisdom/vision, success, pure love
White – spiritual purity, truth, peace, serenity and devotion
Gray – balance, neutrality, used in erasing, cancelling, neutralizing, and return to the universe without repercussion
Pink – love, unity, honour, truth, romance, happiness
Brown – for healing, skills & talent, nurturing, home & hearth, the earth