Anchored Libra violet

The past participle of anchor, used since the late nineteenth century as a metaphor for secured in place. As a color word, anchored implies a deep saturated tone that grounds a palette — the dark blues, deep greens, and browns that hold a composition together. Sits in the bold-and-deep corner of the grid alongside solid.

Latin libra, scales-of-the-zodiac. As a color modifier, libra implies a scales-and-air-sign-and-Venus-ruled-cardinal-air quality, the visual register of Roman-Libra-and-scales-of-justice hand-scales-and-air-sign-and-Venus-ruled-cardinal-air Roman-Libra-and-scales-of-justice-and-Themis-Astraea libra-and-scales-and-air-sign surfaces under Roman-Libra-and-scales-of-justice-and-Themis-Astraea autumn-equinox-and-September-and-October cardinal-air-sign-light. Sits at the modifier-and-zodiac end of the grid, parallel to virgo and scorpio in usage.

Viola odorata, the European sweet violet — small, fragrant, and the original meaning of the color name in English (the Violet of the rainbow). The color refers to a fresh sweet violet blossom in late winter: a saturated, slightly red-shifted deep blue-purple with the matte finish of small five-petaled flower. Cooler than amethyst, warmer than indigo, with the perfumed weight of a flower used in Roman garlands and Victorian eau de toilette.