Every Month Has a Pantone Colour — What's Your Birth Month's?

You've probably heard of birth flowers — the bloom that supposedly mirrors your personality month by month. Far fewer people know that every month also has its own official colour. This idea comes straight out of colour theory: not only does each month carry a signature shade, so does every single day. Michele Bernhardt lays it all out in her book Colorstrology: What Your Birthday Color Says About You.

Colorstrology: What Your Birthday Color Says About You was first published in 2005, and the colour system inside it was developed by Michele Bernhardt together with Pantone. The book gives each colour a meaning, helping us understand colour on a deeper level.

For each month below we've matched the official colour to the nearest Pantone shade you can actually print with — and given both the C and the U value. U is for uncoated paper, while C is for coated paper.

January: Caramel

January's official colour is Caramel, which you can print as PANTONE 7591 C or PANTONE 471 U. It's a soft, earthy light brown. As Michele Bernhardt puts it: "This is a wonderful earthy colour. It draws inspiration from the sign of Capricorn, and it is disciplined, responsible, deliberate, and steady yet loyal."

February: Pure Lilac

February's colour is a light purple called Pure Lilac, printable as PANTONE 522 C and PANTONE 7439 U. This soft violet is inspired by the sign of Aquarius, so it taps into Aquarian themes of humanitarianism, community, and friendship. Michele Bernhardt notes that it also helps cultivate a detached kind of love — rather than a stubborn, clinging "love" — along with a higher level of psychological awareness.

March: Fair Aqua

March's colour is called Fair Aqua (print it as Pantone 317 C and Pantone 573 U). Much like the sign of Pisces, Fair Aqua has a watery, fluid quality and is tied to imagination and intuition. It's also a great colour for strengthening dreams and psychic ability (very Pisces indeed), and it helps foster trust, spark inspiration, and it's perfect for meditation.

April: Cayenne

What colour could represent fiery April better than the hot red of Cayenne (print it as Pantone 198 C and Pantone 199 U)? As Michele Bernhardt says: "This colour represents the passion and vitality of the month, as well as Aries, which is ruled by Mars. It can inspire courage, confidence, self-assurance, and energy."

May: Bud Green

May's colour, Bud Green (print it as Pantone 7489 C and Pantone 7737 U), suits the month perfectly and is the shade for Taurus (and its ruling planet, Venus). Taurus is sensual, abundant, and powerful in the way it expresses itself — which is exactly what this shade of green is all about. It's a great colour for healing your relationship with money, and for bringing your ideas into the physical realm (in other words, manifestation).

June: Aspen Gold

Sunny and bright, June's colour is Aspen Gold (print it as Pantone 121 C and Pantone 113 U). This golden shade is linked to Gemini, an air sign ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication. The colour can spark the intellect, help stimulate the brain, and sharpen mental agility, while also aiding every kind of communication — written or spoken.

July: Coral Blush

July's official colour is soft and receptive, just like the energy of Cancer that falls in this month. It's called Coral Blush (print it as Pantone 508 C and Pantone 502 U), and Michele Bernhardt says it is gentle and soothing, helping to attract love and sweetness. Cancer is also ruled by the Moon, and this colour reflects the lunar theme of receiving comfort and love — especially useful for Cancers, who tend to overextend themselves for others.

August: Sun Orange

August's colour is Sun Orange (print it as Pantone 715 C and Pantone 144 U), a warm — you guessed it — sunny shade that's perfect for a month with so many Leo birthdays. Leo itself is ruled by the Sun, and Michele Bernhardt points out that this is a powerful colour, ideal for optimism, happiness, expression, and creativity. You can't be too shy while wearing orange; it's a colour that helps you see the bright side of life.

September: Baja Blue

September's official colour is Baja Blue (print it as Pantone 7456 C and Pantone 2133 U). According to Michele Bernhardt, it's a superb colour for spiritual discernment (in other words, good judgement) and for blending intelligence and peace with wisdom. Tied to Virgo, which is ruled by Mercury, this blue is ultimately about organising and balancing your thoughts.

October: Cerulean

Another blue, but very different from Baja Blue, October's colour is Cerulean (print it as Pantone 644 C and Pantone 644 U). This blue takes its inspiration from Libra, ruled by Venus, and it's connected to themes of peace, balance, and beauty. "It's also good for relationships," Michele Bernhardt notes, adding that it's a shade that's very hard to shout in. So when you're trying to bring more calm and serenity, reach for Cerulean.

November: Claret Red

Rolling into November, we have Claret Red (print it as Pantone 7418 C or Pantone 193 U). This colour is inspired by the influence of Scorpio, which is co-ruled by Pluto and Mars. It's a deep red that reflects the depth of Scorpio, connected to themes of passion, intensity, and power. "It's a good colour for transformation and for increasing passion and conviction," says Michele Bernhardt, adding that it can also help improve your life.

December: Pagoda Blue

Last but not least, we have Pagoda Blue (print it as Pantone 2221 C and Pantone 7713 U) as the official colour of December. Michele Bernhardt says this icy blue is wonderful for improving vision, which ties it to Sagittarius. Just as Sagittarians love to travel and ponder philosophy, this colour is associated with travel too — whether physical or of the mind — and it's about combining truth with wisdom, and conveying those truths in a thoughtful way.

What month colours have to do with us

Drawing on her own intuition and her understanding of colour and astrology, Michele Bernhardt came up with a colour for every month — and every day — folding in the signs of the zodiac, psychology, and numerology. If you've ever looked into divination, you'll notice how strongly each month's colour correlates with its zodiac sign. As she puts it: "When people wear a certain colour, they aren't always aware that it's affecting them, but once they become aware, they can direct it — and that makes it far more powerful."

Once we understand the power of colour, we can use it to express exactly what we set out to design.