55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Intriguing Premise--But Doesn't Deliver the Metaphysical Goods, December 29, 2005
This review is from: Colorstrology: What Your Birthday Color Says About You (Paperback)
"There is a world of possibility contained in each day of birth. You were born during a particular season, under a particular sun sign. You have a ruling planet and belong to a particular element-fire, earth, air or water. Each day carries a numerological vibration that has a very specific value and meaning. All these factors shape your personality and life experiences-and when combined, create your personal birth color." - From the Book
The idea behind Colorstrology is an intriguing one: assigning a birth color to every day of the year using astrology and numerology. By aligning with these energies, an individual can reach his or her highest potential.
Colorstrology by Michele Bernhardt is a thick, square book that is smaller than the picture suggests. The pages are filled with a dizzying array of beautiful colors. The back of the book features perforated color swatches for each day so you can take your personal daily or monthly colors with you when traveling or shopping.
But how are the personality profiles? Very sketchy, unfortunately. Here are but a few samples from the book:
Nov. 18th: Amaranth
Majestic
Insightful
Determined
"Dramatic and perceptive, you are interesting to watch and be around. You strive for greatness, and you have a lot of talent. Partnerships are important to you. Try not to judge yourself or others harshly. Creative development takes time. It is the journey towards your greatness that should be reveled in and enjoyed."
Sept. 29: Dream Blue
Intelligent
Resourceful
Colorful
"You have a creative mind and an adventurous spirit. It may be a challenge for you to keep your equilibrium due to your sensitive nature. Partnerships are very important to you, and you should surround yourself with people who are kind and loving. It is essential for you to be creative and express your childlike spirit. Don't allow the responsibilities of life to weigh on your spirit."
Jan. 8: Canyon Rose
Sexy
Musical
Grand
"Provocative and daring, you are larger than life. Born to perform and to change the status quo, you need an outlet for your creativity and gregarious personality. Your sensuality and appeal is a 10 on the Richter scale. The need to find a balance between your home life and your professional life requires both work and trust."
My profile (November 6) was very general, but accurate. So was my son's (September 26). My husband's wasn't that accurate (October 27). In fact, the profile of his mother was the exact *opposite* from how she really is!
So I thought I'd test the book by canvassing over 20 people, asking if the Colorstrology profile for their birth date fit them. Some felt the description was uncannily accurate and some felt that it was mostly inaccurate. The vast majority felt that the descriptions were 50/50.
Interestingly, I turned to the colors that I wear most often (May 12 and September 19), and they were very accurate.
While Colorstrology is an attractive and well-made book (not to mention handy if you want to redecorate your house or paint a room!), it just doesn't pass muster as a metaphysical resource. For example, although the Colorstrology system is touted to be a mesh of astrology and numerology, there is NO information about how these systems were employed to arrive at a particular color. No basic information on astrology, the elements, or numerology-but we're supposed to take a new system at face value without an explanation of how it works?
I don't think so.
With the glut of New Age and personality books on the market-and many of us "Now Agers" on the web-there is more metaphysical information at our fingertips than ever before. We're savvy-and smart-individuals. We want to know how an author arrived at his/her conclusions. More importantly, most of us want solid information that is USABLE and accurate. Unfortunately, Colorstrology fails on all of these levels.
However, if you're the type that reads your horoscope every day but have little interest in the nuts and bolts of metaphysical topics, you may enjoy this book. It's an interesting premise, and may be a good icebreaker for parties as individuals get to know one another. It would likely be a fun book to take to family gatherings as everyone looks up their birth date and color. Then, the rest of the family can discuss how right-or how wrong-the Colorstrology profile is.
If you want to know more about the connection between color and numerology, try Colors and Numbers by Louise Hay. If you want to know more about your personality (and those of others), try books like Please Understand Me II, 3 Sides of You, What Color is Your Aura?, or Discover Your Personality Type (Enneagram).
While Colorstrology is a handsome novelty book, you won't get a lot out of it in terms of learning more about yourself or others in my opinion.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beneath the Surface, March 28, 2006
This review is from: Colorstrology: What Your Birthday Color Says About You (Paperback)
The first thing I did, upon receiving Colorstrology as a gift, was to look up my birthday color, my son's birthday color, and so on. But after reading the introduction and spending more time with the colors themselves, I realized that the book is not just about particular birthdays and their colors, but it's about the relationship between colors and using color as a route into our inner world. Of course, at the most superficial level, it's a fun book to have, a fun book to give, but like anything great it is evocative of much more.
It's useful like any dictionary or encyclopedia. It doesn't tell you everything you want to know (though maybe she'll elaborate in another book one day) but it sets in motion an inner dialogue, a play of feelings inside, about color and colors affect on us.
I open it to a color I like and I read the qualities associated with that color. When I shop, I think of what color I am attracted to and what that might say about what is going on in my life. It's a whimsical, poetic, and suggestive little book -- this Colorstrology -- and I recommend it!
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