Magickal Definitions of Colour 

To understand how colour can influence magick, think how it influences your emotions. In a similar way, colour reflects the focus of the ritual we want to perform. This effect can be from the clothes we wear, the candles we use, the crystal we work with to the colour of the Altar cloth we use to assist in the focusing. But before I go into the definitions of colour, this story is a good one to read and understand!

Happy Workings!

Once upon a time the colors of the world
started to quarrel: all claimed that they
were the best, the most important, the
most useful, the favorite.

GREEN said: "Clearly I am the most
important. I am the sign of life and of hope.
I was chosen for grass, leaves, trees. Without
me, all animals would die. Look out over the
countryside and you will see that I am
in the majority."

BLUE interrupted: "You only think about
the Earth, but consider the sky and sea.
It is the water that is the basis of life
and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea.
The sky gives space and peace and serenity.
Without my peace, you would all be nothing."

YELLOW chuckled: "You are all so serious.
I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth to
the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is
yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you
look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to
smile. Without me, there would be no fun."

ORANGE started next to blow her temper.
"I am the color of health and strength.
I may be scarce but I am precious for I
serve the needs of human life. I carry the
most important vitamins. Think of carrots,
pumpkins, oranges, mangos, and pawpaws.
I don't hang around all the time, but when
I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my
beauty is so striking that no one gives
another thought to any of you".

RED could stand it no longer.
He shouted out: "I am the ruler of all of you!
I am blood! Life's blood! I am the color of
danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight
for a cause. I bring fire to the blood! I am
the color of passion and of love, the red rose,
the poppy and the poinsettia. Without me,
the earth would be as empty as the moon!"

PURPLE rose up to his full height.
He was very tall and spoke with great pomp:
"I am the color of royalty and power. Kings,
chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me for
I am a sign of authority and wisdom.
People do not question me, they
listen and obey".

Finally, INDIGO spoke, much more
quietly than all the others, but with just
as much determination: "Think of me. I am
the color of silence. You hardly notice me,
but without me you all become superficial.
I represent thought and reflection, twilight
and deep water. You need me for balance and
contrast, for prayer and inner peace."

And so all the colors went on boasting and
quarreling, each convinced of their own
superiority. Soon, their quarreling became
louder and louder. Suddenly there was a
startling flash of bright lightning! Thunder
rolled and boomed! Rain started to pour
down relentlessly. The colors crouched
down in fear drawing close to one another
for comfort. In the midst of the clamor,
RAIN began to speak: "You foolish colors,
fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to
dominate the rest. Don't you know you were
each made for a special purpose, unique
and different? Join hands with one
another and come to me."

Doing as they were told, the colors united
and joined hands. The rain continued:
"From now on, when it rains, each of you
will stretch across the sky in a great bow
of colors as a reminder that you can all
live in peace.
The rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow".

And so, whenever a good rain washes the
world, and a rainbow appears in the sky,
let us remember to appreciate one another.

Author Unknown
Based on a Native American Legend

So with this in mind, what do the magickal colours represent? Personally, I think that most of the stuff you will find on the internet regarding the in depth analysis of colour is a load of hot air! Having trawled the sites for hours to see if they could come up with a simple definition or explanation, I feel is near impossible! So what I am going to write here is a simple guide to colours and magick. The explanations you find on this site in the candle magick section and auras has been proven time and again so I am happy with those. The following descriptions include elements, planets and god/dess aspects where appropriate with a list of magickal uses and what wearing that colour will help you with. The list in white is the main properties of each colour when appropriate.

Black  - Is used to invoke the power of Saturn.  Contrary to popular belief, black does not indicate evil.  Far from it, black is the absence of colour.  It is protective and symbolizes the night, the universe and the lack of falsehood.  Black is symbolic of the blackness of outer space and considered the ultimate source of divine energy. Use black when wanting to call on Hecate or the Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess.

Black is used for dealing with such matters as:  Binding, Patience, Stability, Neutralization, Material Gain, Protection, Karma, Death, Manifestation, Structure’s, Reality, Limits, Obstacles, Tests, Handwork, Sacrifice, Separation, Wisdom, Justice, Discoveries, Transformation and Relations with Older People.

Wear Black to deter others from gossiping, meddling or interfering in your life

Blue  - Is used to induce the power of Jupiter.  Blue is a Goddess colour and the colour most associated with the elements of water. 

Blue is used for dealing with such matter as:  Calmness, Peace, Healing, Pleasant Dreams, Wealth, Joy, Opportunity, Abundance, Elevation, Tranquilizing, Aligning, Business, Logic, Gambling, Social matters, Material wealth, Long distance travel, Foreign interests, Philosophy, Forecasting, Expansion, Luck, Growth, Legal matters,  Self-improvement, Also used to attune to the Goddess in her Oceanic aspect. Turquoise: rituals that include Stress Relief, Study, Knowledge Retention, and Finding Logical Solutions

Wear Pale Blue when you feel confused or out of control and need to clear your mind. Alternately, wear Dark Blue when you need to get organized or ass structure to your life. Turquoise should be worn when work is taking over your life and you need perspective. 

HEALING, SLEEP, PEACE

Brown  - Is the element of Earth and is symbolic of endurance and animal health. 

Brown it a good colour for Grounding, Solidifying and Strengthening.  It is also used for matters dealing with Common Sense,  Stability, Material Increases, Eliminating Indecisiveness, Improving Concentration, Study, Telepathy, Increasing Financial Success, to Diffuse a Potentially Harmful Situation, Locating Lost Property and anything to do with Animal matters.

Wear Brown when you have excess energy and need to ground or centre yourself.

HEALING ANIMALS, THE HOME

Green  - Induces the power of Venus and is symbolic of the Earth’s elements. 

It is used to influence such matters as: Herbal Magick, Luck, Fertility, Physical Healing, Growth, Balance, Prosperity, Courage, Change, Material Things, Peace, Harmony, Relationships and Success. 

Wear Green to increase ambition, better accept challenges and to achieve independence.  

HEALING, MONEY, PROSPERITY, LUCK, FERTILITY, BEAUTY, EMPLOYMENT, YOUTH,

Teal - This is the colour of balance and is used to balance the practical with the spiritual

Use this when you need Assistance in Handling a Situation, Decision Making, Achieving Balance, or Gaining Trust

Gold  - Induces the power of the Sun and is used to attune with the God.  It brings Self-realization and Inner-strength. 

Gold is used for such matters as: Health, Success, Careers, Goals, Ambition, Personnel Finances, Advancement, , Crops, Totem Animals,  Promotion, Men’s Mysteries, Children, Buying, Selling and Speculation.  Also used for Physical Strength, Achievement, Healing Energy and Divination.   

Pink  - Induces the power of Venus but can be used to influence Mars. 

Pink represents:  Love, Friendship and Harmony.  Pink is also used for such matters as:  Passion, Partnerships, Swift Movement, Action, Energy, Sex, Physical Energy, Buying and Selling Animals, Gardening, Woodworking and New Beginnings.  Also Honour, Morality and the Emotions.

Wear pink to help stimulate self-love and to like yourself

EMOTIONAL LOVE, FIDELITY, FRIENDSHIPS

Purple  - Induces the power of Mercury and influences Occult Forces, Hidden Aspects and Secret Dealings and for invoking the Akasha Element.  Purple is used by those who work with pure divine power (Magicians, Priests and Priestesses) and those who wish to deepen their spiritual awareness of the God and Goddess. 

It is also used for such matters as:  Wisdom, Healing, Communication, Intelligence, Memory, Education, Correspondences, Contracts, Family, Neighbours and Astrology.  Also used for Spiritual Development, Intuition, Ambition, Progress, Occult Wisdom, Psychic Ability and the Third Eye (Divination).

POWER, EXORCISM, HEALING

Red - Induces the power of Mars and can be used to influence Saturn.  Use for invoking the Fire Element or for the Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess

It is used when attuning with the God in his fiery aspect.  Red is the colour of Vitality, Power, Strength and Courage and is Invigorating, Motivating and Passionate.  It is used to influence such matters as:  Passion, Partnerships, Courage, Action, Physical Energy, Aggression, Sex, Physical Energy, Tools, Metals, Confrontation, Business Deals, Buying and Selling, Repairs and Hunting.

Wear red to increase confidence and take control of a situation especially if shy.

LUST, STRENGTH, COURAGE, POWER, SEXUAL POTENCY

Silver  - Induces the power of the Moon and can be used with Mercury influences. 

It is used to attune to the Goddess while bringing the ability to respond to life’s energies.  Also used for such matters as:  Wisdom, Healing, Communication, Intelligence, Memory, Education, Correspondences,  Signing Contracts, Legal Matters, Family, Neighbours, Astrology.  Also used for Spiritual Development, Intuition, Ambition, Progress, Occult Wisdom, Psychic Ability and the Third Eye (Divination). When attuned to the Goddess, silver is used for such matters as:  Lunar Magick, Meditation, Psychic Development, Success, Balance, Warding off Negativity, Intuition, Dreams, and Astral Energy.

Wear silver to attain when calm when experiencing inner turmoil.

Yellow  - Induces the power of the Sun and can be used to attune with the God. 

Also used to influence such matters as:  Health, Success, Careers, Goals, Ambition, Personnel Finances, Advancement, Totem Animals, Promotion, Men’s Mysteries, Children, Buying, Selling and Speculation.  Also used for Physical Strength, Achievement and Healing Energy. Yellow is also representative of the Elements of Air, and as such is used for such matters as:  Divination, Clairvoyance, Mental Alertness, Intellectual Growth, Prosperity, Harmony, Energizing and Creativity.

Wear yellow to get your message across when you feel like your needs or what you have to say is being ignored.

DIVINATION, PSYCHIC POWERS, MENTAL POWERS, WISDOM, VISIONS

White  - Induces the power of the Moon and is used to attune with the Goddess.  Can also be used with Venus and Saturn.  Use it for invoking the Maiden aspect of the Triple Moon Goddess. White can be used as a substitute for all other colours in Magick.

Pure dazzling white light can be called upon to bring about:  Realization, Intention, Clarity, Spiritual Guidance, Insight and power itself.  It is also used to influence:  Psychic Pursuits, Psychology, Dreams, Astral Travel, Imagination, Women’s Mysteries, Re-incarnation, Short Trip’s, Spirituality, Full moon magic, Purity, Protection, Truth, Meditation, Peace, Sincerity, Justice, Warding off Doubts and Fears.  

Wear white to relieve tension and to achieve focus.

PROTECTION, PEACE, PURIFICATION, CHASTITY, HAPPINESS, HALTING GOSSIP, SPIRITUALITY

Peach - It is used for rituals that need Kindness, Gentleness, Sympathy, Empathy and Well Wishing. Use for Emotional Healing

Wear Peach when you need to project a non-threatening aura as this colour is unobtrusive, reassuring and safe.

Orange  - Induces the power of Mercury and is sometimes used for solar energy.  Representative of the God, it can be used and combined with other candles to simulate their actions. 

Also used to influence such matters as:  Health, Strength, Luck, Vitality, Business Goals, Justice, Success, Ambition, Personal Finances, Buying, Selling, Speculating and Authority Figures.

Wear orange to increase motivation

LEGAL MATTERS, SUCCESS

Violet - Induces the power of Jupiter. 

Can be use to influence such matters as: Intuition, Self-improvement, Wealth, Joy, Opportunity, Abundance, Elevation, Business, Logic, Gambling, Social matters, Philosophy, Forecasting, Expansion, Luck, Growth, Legal matters, Research, Reading and Studying. 

Indigo - Induces the power of Saturn.  Indigo is the colour of inertia and is used to stop situations or people.  Use in rituals that require a deep meditational state. 

It can also be used to influence such matters as:  Binding, Patience, Stability, Neutralization, Material Gain, Protection, Karma, Death, Manifestation, Structure’s, Reality, Limits, Obstacles, Sacrifice, Separation, Justice, Discoveries, Transformation, Relations with Older People and for Warding off slander.  

Lavender  - Induces the power of Mercury to influence Occult Forces, Spiritual Development, Psychic Growth and Divination. 

Also used for such matters as:  Wisdom, Healing, Communication, to Calm Erratic Energy Intelligence, Memory, Education, to cause Inner Beauty to Radiate Outwards Correspondences, Signing Contracts, Intuition, Ambition, Progress and Occult Wisdom.

Wear Lavender to relax and focus in high stress situations

Mauve - Use for efforts that deal with intuition, self-trust and self confidence.

Wear Mauve to gain co-operation from those around you

For further reading on Colour Magick you could try Dragonstar's Candle Magick Divination, Dorothy Morrison's Everyday Magick, Scott Cunningham's Wicca, A guide for the Solitary Practitioner, Silver Ravenwolf's  To Stir a Magick Cauldron, Raven Grimassi's Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft, or Phillip Cooper's Candle Magic,