Color Symbolism in Tarot

Color can offer a lot of psychic clues in tarot cards. For example, you look at the Fool and notice the sky is yellow. What does yellow mean to you? Does it evoke sunshine? Or, do you think more of chakras and the connection of yellow to the solar plexus chakra? Your personal connection to color holds a lot of weight, so don’t be scared to lean on it.

There are infinite possibilities when interpreting colors, if you want to get into systems of study. In particular, you may want to look at the Golden Dawn color scales.

I became interested in the colors a few years ago, so I made some color studies in my sketchbook that evoked certain cards:

The High Priestess shows her royal psychic powers by presenting herself in deep blues and purple; her starry wisdom connects her to the crown chakra and the indigo color of the third eye (the psychic window of insight).

And let’s not forget the obvious connections. Water is blue, the color we connect to water, tears, and oceans. In them we hold the well of feeling, the psyche underneath, and the sky to which we ascend. Sounds about right for the suit of cups!

I’m a big believer in creating personal psychic systems. When looking at a tarot card, note your reaction to the colors. Are they warm? Blindingly bright? Or muted? Taking note of your reaction (perhaps yellow represents shock for you) can reveal a great deal about what the color in the card signifies.

It can be a helpful exercise to write what each of the colors in the rainbow (howdy, Roy G Biv!) means to you. It’s helpful to think of a variety of things. You can write that yellow is the sun, but maybe it’s also a dandelion weed, crowding out the rest of the flowers. Try to write down whatever comes to mind for each color association. Get out your tarot journal, and ready, set, go!

There are other color systems you might consider if it feels right.

The Golden Dawn system:

These colors are not always aligned with suits in tarot card depictions, but can be a helpful guide:

Green = Earth

Yellow = Air

Blue = Water

Red = Fire

This comes in handy when you’re drawn to a color in a card, and where it appears. For example, in the Queen of Pentacles, her red robe suggests passion (fire), but the green cloak suggests groundedness (earth). This suggests that the queen knows how to harness her fire, spirit, and interests and turn them into something tangible. She also knows how to keep her brightness anchored.

 

If you’re interested in using chakra color association, consider the color connections to the below chakras and what it may mean.

If you are focused on the red tunic worn by the queen, you could connect her to the Root Chakra, which signifies a focus on safety, groundedness, and the body.

Chakras:

 

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this exploration of color in the tarot!