Radiant Red

RED
Key words: Life, energy, enthusiasm, vitality, passionate, intense, desire, anger, danger.

Red is the color of roses … and the color of apples … and the color of … blood! Yikes! But while our initial vision of blood might be the gore we see in the movies, when you think about it, all of these things have something in common: they all represent life, in one way or another.

When interpreting red in a card, we really are seeing life in all of glory and gory. Red represents everything from enthusiasm to danger, from passion to anger, from vitality to aggression. Probably no other color swings the pendulum quite so broadly across positive and negative meanings.

And we see it everywhere. Red adds life to anything where it resides. It makes pictures pop, people look powerful & confident, it calls attention to stop signs and fire engines.

With red, we couldn’t get any farther than ‘cool, soothing, blue.’ And whereas purple is a highly complex combination of both blue and red, red is simple and straight-forward. Red is hot. It’s element is fire. It’s ruling planet is Mars. Mars energy indicates ‘action,’ ‘drive’ and “will.” Red is Mana, or Life Force. Red commands attention. It’s strong, it’s passionate. The hearts and roses we get (or give) on Valentine’s Day make a dramatic statement of our love.

Red is also the color of the root chakra. It represents our base instinct for security and survival … ie: to live. And to live means living both sides of the spectrum. Being surrounded by too much red makes us stressful and tense. And while as passionate and enthusiastic as red can be in certain circumstances, taken to the extreme, red can also represent the evil & danger associated with that “red guy:” The Devil.

As far as learning the symbolism of red, it’s a walk in the park. Think about all the things that are red. No need to struggle, it’s everywhere you turn. Remember? It’s Life.

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To interpret red in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive & Neutral Connotations:
— Energy, enthusiasm, vitality
— Strength, power, confidence
— Motivation, action, will/willpower
— Ambition, drive, goal oriented
— Love, passion, intensity

Negative Connotations
— Danger, aggression
— Anger, Emotional outbursts
— Controlling, Impulsive
— Evil, destruction

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Sample Interpretation with Red:

Deck: Universal Waite, Pocket Edition
Card: Temperance

Here we have an angel. This angel stands tall in a beautiful wetlands with one foot in the water and the other on the earth, pouring water from one cup to another, in perfect harmony and balance.

Indeed, much in this card connotes balance, and the red in the wings, infused with purple (spirituality) and crowned by orange (compassion) is no different. The message of this card, if the color of the wings are standing out to you, may be that through compassion, non-judgement, and the channeling our energies into more spiritual realms, one might be more easily capable of expressing anger appropriately, keeping emotional outbursts, or controlling and/or destructive behaviors, in check.

Alternatively, we might look at the red in the wings as that of love, compassion and spirituality: ie. that divine love that most who are on a spiritual journey seek. There is a spiritual & emotional serenity in this card in that we have not only the purple in the wings, but a lot of blues and the water in the foreground. But the red in the wings commands our attention to understand the power, passion and energy of tapping into the life force (mana) of listening to the messages that are communicated to us via our guardian angels.

As always, meanings change with every reading for every querent. Choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.

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References:
— Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary by Sandra A. Thomson
— Color Magic for Beginners by Richard Webster
— A. Venefica’s Tarot Teachings

Beautiful Blue

BLUE
Key words: Cool, dispassionate, peace, contentment, heaven, truth, loyalty, sincerity, harmony, ‘as above, so below.’

There is no greater calming force than to sit on a beach and gaze at the vastness of the ocean meeting the freedom of the the sky. Even though there appears to be a dividing line of color at the horizon, it’s as though it all becomes one.

Such an image encompasses the epitome of what blue represents. Delving our gaze into the depth of the water inspires meditation, peacefulness & tranquility allowing us to align our three selves into oneness.

Three selves:
• Low-self (subconscious, or “Ku” in Huna teachings)
• Middle-self (conscious mind, or “Lono”)
• High-self (super-conscious, universal spirit, or “Kane”)

Water represents emotion and the sky is the element of air, which represents thought and intellect. Put those two together and we are able to use our emotional being to look within ourselves in an introspective and self-reflective manner.

If you keep in mind the sky/water image, it will help you remember in that this connection also represents the idea of “as above, so below.” This saying means that all things are one. And when you close your eyes and imagine blue, doesn’t it give you that sense of peace which would allow you to feel that oneness within yourself?

Once you feel that oneness, it is an easy jump to understand how blue symbolizes truth, honesty, loyalty, sincerity and devotion. It would be hard not to be those things when all of our once fragmented selves are perfectly aligned with each other and the universe.

But just as fire warms, water cools. We look to blue when we want someone to ‘cool down’. When blue is overactive, someone might give us ‘the cold shoulder,’ or we might be ‘feeling blue.’ Remember that colors, like everything else in life, have both positive and negative connotations. How we use them, or how we interpret them in a reading is what makes the difference.

Similarly, not only is there positive and negative of the colors, but the depth of the color is significant, as well. While Jupiter rules the darker blues, with it’s spiritual overtones, the Moon rules not only white, but light blue, linked to intuition and insight.

Lastly, blue is the color of the throat chakra where we communicate. One very important method of communication is through our creativity, the other is to understand that not only do we communicate interpersonally with others, but we communicate intra-personally. Blue reminds us that we need to listen to our inner voice. It may have something very important to say!
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To interpret blue in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive & Neutral Connotations
— Cool, Introverted
— Creativity, Emotion
— Intuition, Meditation, Dreams
— Honesty, Truth, Integrity
— Fidelity, Devotion
— Heaven, Connection with the Divine
— Harmony, Balance, Peace, Contentment, Stability

Negative Connotations
— Cold, Aloof, Dispassionate
— Depression, Sadness

Sample Interpretation with Blue:

Deck: Universal Waite, Pocket Edition
Card: King of Pentacles

Here is a man, separated from his home (wall between him and the castle) holding an earthly possession (pentacle) and cloaked in a garment with purple grapes & green leaves. This is an example of how small use of color in a card can be very meaningful if that is what sticks out to you in a reading. At first glance, we don’t notice much blue here. But on closer inspection we see not only the grapes and leaves, but that his garment has blue trimmings and one of the steeple roofs on the castle is blue.

Traditionally, this might be a man of finance, trustworthy & honest (blue in the garment), but I drew this card asking to give me not only a card with blue, but one which tells me something I, personally, need to know.

Remember that when you read, book meanings go only so far. You have to read from your intuition for the person you’re reading for. So what blue in this card represents for me, at this point in my life, is this: This is a person who is currently bogged down with earthly material matters. But in being so, there is emotional (blue) fruitfulness and growth (grapes and leaves) if I am willing to accept it as such. This emotional growth, however, still seems to be under the surface (blue) – not something I am yet carrying — or ‘shouldering’ (the blue is only on the robe below the shoulders). I seem still more to be stuck in the morass of earthbound matters.

The wall between me and my ‘castle’, along with the blue and red roofs, tell me that I am still removed from feeling as though I have a the secure home (blue) that I so desperately desire (red).

There is also a bit of blue in the background, but we can’t really tell if it’s an ocean, or blue hills. Because it doesn’t look completely level to me, I am seeing it as blue rolling hills. I see this as an fluid (blue) wisdom (blue and hills) that I have yet to turn around and ‘see’ or ‘look at’ which, in turn, might give me some of the security that I am seeking.

As always, choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.

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References:

"Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary” by Sandra A. Thomson

"Color Magic for Beginners" by Richard Webster

Peaceful Purple

PURPLE
Key words: Spirituality, insight, intuitiveness, royalty, sacred connection to the divine.

Visualize a rainbow. At the far end of the spectrum is purple. It’s also the color that is least seen when the rainbow is weak and incomplete.

We can equate this with our own spirituality. When our own energy field is weak, we are least in touch with our spiritual, intuitive side, and we feel incomplete.

Don’t we all want to be all the colors of the rainbow? To complete ourselves, most of us need to feel, in a sense, a sacred connection with the divine whatever that divine may be for that individual. To do that, we need to seek that which is most mysterious and elusive. That which is unseen to us, but can be divined by us through our own intuition & introspection. With that, we can become truly inspired to bring the magic into our lives that we deserve.

Purple is ruled by Jupiter, whose astrological symbol is a “…lunar crescent rising above the cross of the four elements and becoming receptive to the light of Spirit.” Jupiter is a planet which represents expanding social awareness and insight through knowledge. To seek that knowledge takes courage inspired by red combined with the serenity inspired by blue, the two primary colors which make purple.

Purple is the color of the third-eye chakra which we use for our intuitive insight & introspection. (Some people consider purple to be that of the crown chakra. I and others see the crown chakra as being the pure white universal white.) By meditating and being in balance with purple, we gain a sense of direction, creativity & universal love without judgement.

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To interpret purple in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive & Neutral Connotations
— Inspiration & Devotion
— Spiritual & Intuitive
— Tolerance and Peace
— Authority
— Creativity
— Royalty & Sophistication
— High ideals, connection with the divine
— Sense of direction

Negative Connotations
— Lonely
— Isolated
— Lack of responsibility

Sample Interpretation with Purple:

Deck: “Universal Waite Pocket Edition”
Card: Several

Usually I choose one card to analyze for it’s color, but in choosing for purple, I realized how relatively few cards have purple in them. I am using the pocket edition of the “Universal Waite” deck, so I will analyze in general terms and address specific differences.

To begin, let me say that the shade of a color indicates different things. Pictures from the Heart by Thomson states, “In general, lighter colors symbolize the conscious mind, while darker colors symbolize the workings of the unconscious.” (I will revise that to say the “sub-conscious,” as I feel they are two different things, in keeping with Jung’s theories.)

The 3 of pentacles; 4 of wands; 6 and king of swords, The Lovers and The World all have purple garments in them. Think of a person being ‘cloaked’ in something. This garment or article of clothing may represent an attitude the figure is ‘wearing’ or an outward representation of what they really feel or who they really are.

For instance, the child in the 6 of swords is cloaked in a light purple garment. Depending on the reading, this may represent the idea that within our inner child lies our most intuitive thoughts, actions and reactions. And if we want to head to calmer times, we need to follow that intuition or “gut” feeling using a strong sense of direction. In other cards the purple garment may represent authority, sophistication or a good sense of judgement &/or tolerance.

The ace, 2, 3, and 9 of wands; the ace, 5, and 8 of swords; the 7 of pentacles and The Star all have purple mountains. Many times, mountains represent attainment. In many of these cards, what we want to attain is spiritual enlightenment, or perhaps inspiration to attain our goals.

In the case of The Moon, we also have a purple crab, the sign of Cancer. What does a crab do? Think about it. Where does it live? Answer: within it’s own protective shell. It has pinchers to further protect itself. But this crab is purple and it’s emerging from the water (emotion.) Perhaps it is emerging from it’s protective shell to risk change (towers in the background) by seeking higher knowledge & spirituality.

The Devil, and the 9 and king of pentacles, all have purple grapes in them. Grapes, in and of themselves, may mean abundance and fruitfulness. But some grapes are green in real life, why purple here? Perhaps the abundance that we seek is the abundance of inner peace bunched with a connection to a higher source.

In all of these cards we see the purple grapes together with green (healing, growth, renewal.) And isn’t it a renewal of our soul to grow into our own spiritual reality?

Additionally, there are other various depiction of purple throughout the cards: backdrops & sky (Justice & The Hanged Man), one a veil waiting to reveal psychic secrets of the subconscious, or perhaps projecting a sense of royalty; the other the sky, maybe a representation of the collective unconscious.

The ground (Knight of Pentacles) and a mattress (9 of Swords) give us sure footing, emboldening our sense of direction, and a place to become introspective when out-of-balance, lonely or isolated. It may also represent a place to reduce worry and stress.

And, of course, we find purple on the wings of the archangels in both The Lovers and the Judgement cards. These are entities which represent a spiritual authority to us. They are magical and mystical by nature, but faith in their existence allows us to receive their divine guidance.

Purple is a fascinating color. Some may lean blue, some may lean red. Which of those you see in a reading, and how you interpret them within the context of the rest of the cards are what makes you unique in your abilities as a tarot advisor.

As always, choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.

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References:
Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary? by Sandra A. Thomson
“Color Magic for Beginners”? by Richard Webster
A. Venefica’s Tarot Teachings
http://www.hedgewytchery.com/signs_and_symbols.html
http://www.cafeastrology.com/jupiter.html

Outstanding Orange

Key words: Warm, determined, authoritative, energtic, action; Compassion, harmony, sociability, harvest

Imagine yourself on a beach at sunset. An orange ball of flames sits on the horizon, it’s dominance in nature allows it to fill the sky with color. This majestic sight, all at once, inspires awe at the determination with which it presents itself, and warms us in it’s presence. Orange is ruled by the sun, it’s symbol is fire and flames.

Yet as the sun warms, it can also burn. The sun represents our ego. While orange can represent our creative energy, it can also make us forget our need to be humble, making us overly prideful, restless and impatient with those around us.

As fire warms, it can also burn. The energy of flames is mesmerizing and meditative but, out of control, it can move impulsively and recklessly.

Sitting between red (Mars) and yellow (Mercury) on the color scale, orange doesn’t have the passion or aggression of red, but has a fiery, authoritative, determined, energy, giving us ambition, moving us to take action. Not quite reaching the airy happiness of yellow, it has a calm joy: a harvesting of the fulfillment we seek.

In that vein, orange is the color of the second chakra, which sits between the red root chakra and the yellow solar plexis chakra. The orange sacral chakra controls our sense of well-being & contentment.

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To interpret orange in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive & Neutral Connotations:
— Warmth
— Energy, action
— Sociability
— Authority
— Creativity
— Harvest, fulfullment
— Encouraged by new ideas

Negative Connotations:
— Lack of humbleness
— Restlessness
— Impatience
— Impulsive action

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Sample Interpretation with Orange

Deck: “Albano Mini”
Card: Ace of Wands

A hand, holding a wand, emerges from a cloud in front of an orange sky. There is an excitement in the air (orange) about the growth (wands, green landscape) of a new venture (ace.) The (hypothetical) person this reading is for, is encouraged at the prospect of the venture and has the drive and determination to put any plan into action which will ultimately lead to the harvest of the fruits of their labor.

As always, choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.

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References:
“Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary” by Sandra A. Thomson
“Color Magic for Beginners” by Richard Webster
A. Venefica’s Tarot Teachings
Diva Botanicals
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Gracious Green

Keywords: Growth, abundance, renewal.

Look around you. Green is growing. Trees are growing. Plants are growing. They grow as a part of the cycle of life.

After a drought, or after a long hot summer, and a long windter to supply the earth with nourashment (water = emotion) we see the sprouting of new growth, with all of it’s hope and potential.

It’s a fertile renewal of our faith that from the darkness springs light, from despair emerges hope, from famine flourishes abundance. It is a natural healer for the scorched earth. This gives us a feeling of peace and restfulness, releasing our tensions and healing our soul. On a physical level, this could mean financial growth or renewal.

Green is the color of the 4th, or heart, chakra. Four is the number of manifestation and stability. Guiding our heart, green presents us with not only the positive emotions of compassion and empathy, but negative ones, as well, (dingy green) of envy, greed, jealousy and suspicion.

Green corresponds with the planets of Mercury (communication) and Venus (love and relationships.) This, in relation to the heart chakra, represents communication in our relationships, which if properly conducted creates in those relationships all the things green represents: growth, harmony, and abundance of love.

Green also corresponds with Taurus, which supports the idea of stability, and the tarot card “Temperance” which indicates balance and tolerance.
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To interpret green in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive &/or Neutral Connotations:
— Growth, Cycle of Life, Regeneration
— Abundance
— Harmony, Balance
— Hope, Healing
— Finances, Potential
— Reliability, Longevity

Negative Connotations
— Greed
— Jealousy
— Stubborness
— Envy
— Suspicion

As always, choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.

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Sample Interpretation with Green:

Deck: Universal Waite (Pocket Edition)
Card: Queen of Wands

This is a woman who has seen her share of hardship (queen=maturity, grey cloak=depression) but has had the courage and determination (lions) to learn from it (yellow=intellect) and is now in the process of growing (green spouts on the wand and sunflower stem) spiritually (wands) even if that’s all she has to hold on to.

The black cat at her feet represents the mystery of what is to come, her psychic ability in sorting out that mystery, and is her spiritual guide and companion on her journey.

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References:

“Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary” by Sandra A. Thomson
“Color Magic for Beginners” by Richard Webster

Yummy Yellow

Yellow is the color of the 3rd (solar plexus) chakra. This chakra allows us to direct our personal power. The symbol (and tarot card) associated with yellow is “The Sun.” So, think about how you feel when the sun soaks into your skin on a beautiful day. It’s warm and inviting, making you feel light-hearted, energetic and cheerful: ready to enjoy life.

You can see how the solar plexus chakra and the symbol of the sun go together. When we feel light-hearted and cheerful, and we are more optimistic, which increases our personal power.

However, when the sun is too hot, it can betray us. We can become so lulled by it’s warmth that we don’t realize we are being burned. It can be deceiving. Yellow is ruled by Mercury, God of communication and manipulation.

Yellow represents intellect, awareness and quick thinking. (Also associated with Mercury.)

When interpreting yellow in a card, consider not only the aspect or item that is yellow, but that all things in the tarot are capable of representing both positive and negative, depending on the card, on the reader, on the position of the card.
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To interpret yellow in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive Connotations:

• Carefree, light-hearted, joy for life
• Warm, bright & cheerful
• Strives for knowledge and wisdom
• Helps with sense of direction
• Radiant solar energy

Negative Connotations:

• Cowardly
• Deceit
• Treachery
• Dishonor
• Relying on logic without consideration of emotion or intuition

As always, choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.

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Sample Interpretation with Yellow:

Deck: Universal Waite (Pocket Edition)
Card: King of pentacles

Much of the background is yellow, as well as the pentacle, crown and specter. The preponderance of yellow stood out to me.

In an otherwise negative interpretation of separating from the people who provide safety and security (city separated by a wall), the yellow told me that if the person were to become mentally aware and seek out direction, knowledge and wisdom, they might be able to repair a damaged relationship.

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References:
“Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary” by Sandra A. Thomson
“Color Magic for Beginners” by Richard Webster
Colour Power

Beauty of Black

Black is not a color, it’s the absence of color. Black absorbs light, light creates color. Black is ruled by Saturn. Saturn is ruled by the element of earth and is structured, disciplined and responsible. It can also be limiting.

When interpreting black in a card, consider not only the aspect or item that is black, but that all things in the tarot are capable of representing both positive and negative, depending on the card, on the reader, and on the position of the card.

To interpret black in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive Connotations:

• Protection (absorbs negative energy)
• Mysterious, Hidden knowledge
• Receptivity
• Sophisticated
• Powerful

Negative Connotations:

• Absence of insight
• Ignorance
• Sorrow, depression
• Draining (may absorb too much energy)

Sample Interpretation with Black:

Deck: “Tarot of the New Vision”
Card: Two of Pentacles

There is a black bird in the card. I’m not sure if it is a hawk, or a raven. At this point it is immaterial to me because the black presents me with the option to interpret the symbol as: I am free (‘as a bird’) to make the choices (the number two) I need to make and through those choices I will be protected (black.)

In a different reading in a different time I might recognize the bird as a specific type of bird, and that would be significant, as well. But, today, it’s the black that stands out to me.

In a reading, always note the element that is standing out to you at that moment. As always, choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.

Tarot of the New Vision © Lo Scarabeo