It’s already a well known fact that colour has an amazing capacity to act on the subconscious mind. Experiences that were shared by the early people and communities have created instinctive reactions that we are still experiencing today. Many children are afraid of the dark and when you put them in a darkly coloured room they become subdued; in the same way a brightly coloured room encourages happiness and hopefulness. Moreover, it has a deep-seated reaction in the human psyche, and it is for this reason that it has so much potential within the craft. – Read more about Colours Magic here.
Applications for Colour in the Craft
When you are working with spells and magic, it is always wise to consider the colour of the tools you will be using. I’ve put a little list together where colour may have a specific or significant role to play in the spell casting, and in the setting of the right kind of mood for your ritual work.
∞ Altar cloths
∞ Candles
∞ Decorative items around/inside the circle
∞ Post-working foods and drinks
∞ Light bulbs for the sacred space (you can use coloured lights at the 4 quarters)
∞ Decoration of the walls in your working space
∞ Robes and Clothing worn
∞ Spell Components
∞ Visualisations (especially if you are using light energy imagery)
The key to being able to incorporate colour into your cedar is to balance their traditional correspondences with your own personal preferences. Overall; you have to listen to your intuition when you see a certain colour, or shade as this is more important to the individual than the customary meanings. We all have a favourite colour, and colours we don’t like so much. You are the one wielding the magic energy and therefore the colours you will be using have to make sense to you, and feel right if the spell is to work for you. It’s also important to remember that the intensity of colour can alter the mood of a ritual space. For example a bright yellow has strong associations with the Sun and fire, where as a pale yellow is associated with the Air element and has a far gentler energy.
Colour Associations
Black: It is associated with things that are hidden, the secretive. the mysterious and the unknown. It’s a colour, by it’s nature, that keeps things hidden, but also protects from external emotional stresses and traumas. Black is in essence the absorption of all colours, and the absence of any light. It’s the opposing force to white, and while we wear white to stand out, while we wear black to hide ourselves. From a psychological stand point, black is a very powerful colour, and at times the power of the colour makes it an intimidating, unapproachable and downright unfriendly at times. Witches use black in their magical workings when they are working with banishing magic, or as a way of representing death. It is also used to represent a metaphorical death, so something new can be born.
Grey: Grey is a very unemotional colour, it is the ‘sitting in the fence’ colour. Grey is a very detached colour, neutral and impartial. It’s a colour that is associated with indecisiveness as well. Grey is a mixture of black and white, themselves being ‘non-colours’ and depending on which is the more dominant of those colours, the meaning shifts…. Closer to black, more mysterious. Closer to white, more illuminating. Grey is a colour associated with stability, calm and composure. It is also a colour that is associated with wise Sage-hood and Crone-hood.
White: White is an exceptional colour, and represents purity, unity and perfection. White is a colour of new beginnings, a clean slate, but at the same time represents wholeness and completion. White isn’t stimulating to the senses to say the least, but has a profound effect on the psyche, but it can create a state of creation, and what your mind can conceive, you can create. White is an all-purpose hue. It is magically neutral, because it can represent any type of energy due to it’s purity. It is a colour that is closely related to the Goddess. White is often best suited to magical workings for safety, sincerity, the divine self, enlightenment and for making oaths to others and to the divine.
Brown: The colour brown is a very serious, and very down to earth colour. It is the colour if the earth beneath your feet, and it’s because of this that brown is a very protective and supportive colour. Even though Brown is a serious colour, it is also a very friendly and very approachable colour. It’s a colour of loyalty, trustworthiness, and is very practical. Brown is an honest colour, and is also genuine and sincere. Witches use the colour brown to represent the Element of Earth, and for to aid in the grounding process.
Ivory: The colour Ivory is a variation of very light brown heading toward white. Ivory had a calming yet encouraging energy that has a reserved and simple sophistication. Ivory is used a lot in candle making, I found that pillar candles are more often Ivory coloured rather than White, so it is important that a Witch takes this into consideration when planning rituals and spells.
Gold: Gold is the colour most associated with wealth and success, achievements and triumph. The Olympics use Gold to represent the Winner of any specific event.When you look at gold you associate with abundance and prosperity. It can also imply material wealth and extravagance. Gold is the colour of masculine energy, and the power of the Sun, and denotes warmth. Gold is an optimistic and positive colour, and is linked to the higher most chakras – The God’s Head Chakra. Gold is known to be a part of many healing rites, because of this, it has been kinked to health and recovery. In addiction to this many witches use gold to connect to the masculine energies. It is always associated with leadership, logical thinking, and conscious awareness.
Silver: Silver has a very feminine energy, and is closely associated with the Moon and the flow of the tides. Silver is also a colour that is closely associated with the Goddess, and if often used to represent Goddess energy in spells and rituals. It is a fluid, emotional, mysterious and sensitive colour that has an innate calmness to it that can soothe the most irate of souls. Silver can cast reflection to help you illuminate a way forward in difficult times. It’s a colour that is good for releasing and cleansing of negative energy, and once these have been freed ,you could find new paths that were hidden before. Silver is a very intuitive colour, and is great when you are wanting to expand your intuition and other psychic gifts. It can act like a mirror, and reflect any energy that is given out, regardless of what kind of energy it is.
Red: Red is a very powerful, warm and positive, and can be associated with most of our physical needs, and our ability and will to survive. Red is a exceedingly masculine colour. Red is a motivating colour, it inspires us to action. It is also a strong-willed colour can give those who are a little shy the confidence, it the colour that awakens our life force. Red is the colour of sexuality, passion and lust. It can stir deeper and intimate feelings such as love, but it is also a colour that can also indicate anger. It can be agitating, and if you are surrounded by too much red you may find you become easily irritated with this around you. In folklore, certain faeries and ghosts are afraid of red because it symbolises life, and blood. With this in mind, witches use the colour red for protection as well as energy, health, love, stamina, motivation and desire.
Orange: Orange is a colour that effortlessly combines the physical energy of red with the joy and cheer of yellow. It’s a colour that exudes warmth. Orange is a colour that is closely tied to the ‘gut feeling’ of your instincts, which moves away from the physicality of red and the intellect of yellow. Orange is an uplifting colour that has rejuvenating properties, which can help recover from grief, disappointment and despair. It can being a positive outlook even on the dreariest of days. Orange is extroverted, uninhibited and a social colour, it helps with communication in social situations. When you are using orange in magic it is typically used for understanding theories, the direction of your will. It is also associated with kindness and harvesting the fruits of your labour. Orange can also be used as a softer colour than gold for mental alertness.
Amber: Amber is a variation of the colour orange. Amber helps to inspire, helps increase confidence and self-esteem, but too much of the colour Amber can lead to a degree of arrogance. It is a colour that encourages you to look at the brighter side of life.
Yellow: Yellow is the brightest colour on the spectrum, and in a psychological sense it is a very uplifting colour that often inspires hope, joy, happiness, fun, and is basically a very cheery colour all round. Yellow is a colour that is largely associated with the logical side of the brain, and because of it’s uplifting qualities it also helps to stimulate the mental faculties. Yellow is a colour that inspires the curious nature and inquisitiveness. Yellow is such an enthusiastic colour that pulls out optimism and confidence from the dark parts of the psyche. Yellow is the most visible colour all the colours, and this is why is it used for warnings and pedestrian crossings, because it is so visible over all other colours. In a magical sense, many witches rely on the colour yellow when they want to improve communication, inventiveness, charm, and to attract general blessings.
Green: Green is a colour of balance and harmony. Green works with the heart chakra and the emotions and helps to create equilibrium between your head and your heart. Green is a colour of renewal, rebirth and growth, a colour that epitomises Spring. Green is a powerfully positive colour, it is the mediator between parties, the peace maker. Green possesses a strong sense of right and wrong. Green will look at all sides of situation and will take the moral path, and do what it best for the most people. Green can be possessive and materialistic. In the magical working space, the various shades of green can be applied to support maturity, steady progress, healing, hopefulness, and ultimately transformation.
Turquoise: Turquoise is the colour that helps to open the lines of communication between the heart and the voice, and helps you to communicate what you are feeling to those around you. It’s a happy and friendly colour. Turquoise sits between green and blue on the visible spectrum and related to the Thymus Chakra – this is the one between the heart and the throat chakras. It’s a colour that effortlessly radiates calm and tranquillity of the colour blue with the uplifting energy of yellow – as turquoise is a mixture of blue and a tiny bit of yellow.
Blue: Blue is the colour of trust, honest and loyalty. It exudes confidence, and always does the time thing in hard times. Blue seeks peace and tranquillity, but also helps those around to feel the peace and calm that it seeks. It promotes relaxation for the mind and the body. Blue is the helper, the one who rescues the damsel in distress, and will always be there for those in need. Blue is always the giver, and always like to build lasting friendships and relationships. Blue is associated with speaking the truth through the throat chakra. Among the Druids, blue is a sacred colour, especially for those that had attained the rank of Bard. In a magical sense blue is used to encourage wisdom, insight, happiness, peace, patience and truthfulness.
Indigo: Indigo is a deep midnight blue, it is a combination of deep blue and violet and holds the attributes of both. Indigo is the colour of intuition, and is associated with the Brow (Third Eye) Chakra, and it helps to open the third eye. Working with Indigo while meditating helps you achieve deeper levels of consciousness. …In ‘New Age’ terms it is the ability to use your higher mind, and higher consciousness, to go beyond the five physical senses. Indigo also means a deep devotion and wisdom.
Purple: Purple is deeply spiritual and throughout history it has been associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, mystery and magic. While purple is a mixture of red and blue, however the violet ray is the highest vibration of the visible spectrum. It can assist in exploration of the “meaning of life stuff”. Both purple and violet can aid in dream recall, and psychic gifts and awareness. When meditating, purple inspires an awareness of Spirit and deep and ancient knowledge. Magically, it supports all forms of spiritual undertaking, centring, psychic awareness and wisdom.
Lavender: Lavender is a light variation of Violet that has a bluish hue. It has many of the properties of Purple/Violet, but it has a fragile sensitivity to it. It is a vulnerability to it.
Pink: Pink represents love, compassion and the understanding of self-love and the love of others. Pink is a feminine colour which is romantic, affectionate and kind. Pink is a mixture of red and white, and depending of the amount of the dominant colour, the meaning will change. More red, action, passion and power. More white, insight and sensitivity. Pink is a very loving energy, and is a non-threatening colour, but don’t take it for granted. It can still pack a punch when it has to.
Colour is a way to give extra depth to your magic, and I hope this list helps you to incorporate colour into your own practices.
*)O(* Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings *)O(*
