I H’aint Blue
The first time I heard of this shade of blue was when I pulled a card from Marcella Kroll’s Sacred Symbols Deck. (I purchased it at the end of 2022 and it has been in regular use since then.)
The card I pulled was the Guides card (see picture above). I loved that the symbol alluded to water and that the card number was 7. When I read more in the booklet about it’s full meaning, I learned that the blue color was a shade called Haint blue. If you know me, I love color and I usually name color shades by their Crayola name. That was all I needed to spark my curiosity. I immediately did an internet search and I learned that it was connected to the Gullah Geechee people, Hoodoo traditions, and, most importantly, their knowledge and use of the indigo plant.* I also learned that it is a color often found on porch ceilings (doors and window shutters too) to help protect the house and its inhabitants from “haints”, or unwanted evil spirits. That made me love it even more.
I tend to have moments when I am drawn to certain colors and it’s like, I can’t get enough of it. Needless to say, I started seeing it everywhere. I was shopping for some sweats and guess what, they had them in “Haint Blue”, though they called it “Celestial Blue”. It has become my favorite sweatsuit (see me rockin it above😇). I can’t help but think that the color will help negative energy (bka haters) to pass me by 😆.
Then, I was inspired to make myself some earrings in this color (see pic above). That’s usually how it starts. I get drawn to the color and then I am inspired to create something in that color. I pulled out my beads and started to play. There are so many shades that could qualify as Haint Blue, but I know which is mine. I finally settled on some beautiful delica beads that had an AB (aurora borealis) finish. In my opinion, it really added to the etheral look. I added some glass crystals to the ends but I know they would be stunning with some faceted aquamarine beads too. What do you think - should I make them again? 🤔
*In my internet search, it also became really apparent that there has been a lot of cultural appropriation of the “woo woo” part of Haint Blue, without much speaking to the true history of the Gullah Geechee and the connection to the transatlantic trade that led to the enslavement of African people in America. I did find lots of blog posts showing the perfect shades of haint blue painted on houses with barely any credit to how it even became a thing in the South (I even found products being sold with the name Haint Blue).🙄 That part did not excite me. There is a rich cultural and complex background that needs to be remembered and honored. While this is an ode to my love of color and my newfound enjoyment of Haint Blue, it is enhanced by learning it is tied to the contribution that the enslaved made just by preserving what they knew. #tellthewholestory #teachthechildrenthetruth #365blackhistory