Green in its degraded sense gives us “the green-eyed monster jealousy,” which is the direct opposite of celestial wisdom, for jealousy is always due to the intrusion of the desires of the self, while celestial wisdom wishes to give rather than to receive. The colour green is often said to forebode death. This idea may be a survival of the ancient worship of Mercury, and even of St Michael[12] in Christian times, both of whom were messengers of death. [12] See picture of St Michael presenting taper of death to the Virgin (Fra Filippo Lippi). CHAPTER V THE OLD LANGUAGE OF BLUE “Blue, ’tis the colour of heaven!”--KEATS. In the spectrum we ought to be able to recognise both blue and indigo, though many people find difficulty in recognising the indigo ray. Blue belongs to the cooling end of the spectrum, and thus it is right and fitting that symbolically it should be the colour of Truth, which is the result of calm reflection and never of heated argument. Even in everyday language we speak of “true-blue.” Blue is the colour of the heavens--that is, blue is the colour of the abode of God:-- “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, and Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were the very heaven for clearness.”[13] [13] Exodus xxiv. 9-11. Ezekiel has very much the same vision, not because he copied from an older version, but because it is given to every great seer to realise for himself any real basic truth, such as that God dwells in Truth. Clairvoyant visions often repeat themselves to different people in different countries and in different ages. “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber.”[14] [14] Ezekiel i. 26. A wonderful vision truly that within Truth dwells the amber of unity and the divine Spirit. The Egyptian judges wore a breastplate of blue covered with symbolic figures. The blue was to show that they would reverence truth in their judgments and not stoop to bribery. Moses was commanded to make the robe of the ephod of blue, and on the skirts of it were to be pomegranates of blue. This was to symbolise that the true priest of God was to abound in Truth--not in mere facts and formalities. Truth is ever greater than mere facts. Facts may sometimes give the appearance of an untruth, but Truth is ever one and indivisible. As said previously, it contains unity. Again Moses was commanded to-- “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments, throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue ... that ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.”[15]