THE MAGICK OF COLOR · LESSON 3
Color Meanings, Part 2: Neutrals and Metals
These colors set the stage for the others. They are traditional meanings, common in modern sources, and they vary by person and tradition.
White. Purity, new beginnings, peace, and clarity. White is used for cleansing, meditation, healing intentions, and the full moon. Many practitioners treat white as a stand-in: if you do not have the color you want, white can take its place.
Black. Protection, rest, endings, and absorbing what you want gone. Black is used to banish unwanted energy, break a habit, mark the close of a chapter, and shield a space. It is a color of transition and rest, not of evil. Many protective workings include black.
Gray. Balance and neutrality. Gray is used when you want to calm things down, neutralize an unwanted influence, or step back and see clearly without taking a side.
Brown. The earth. Grounding, steadiness, and trust. Brown is used for stability, for work with animals, for trees and soil, and for finding lost things.
Gold. The sun. Confidence, success, generosity, and optimism. Gold is used for wealth, willpower, and anything where you want to shine. It is also traditionally the stand-in for any color when you want the strongest effect.
Silver. The moon. Intuition, dreams, receptivity, and rest. Silver is used for moon work, dream work, and gentle intuitive practice.
Quick reference
| Color | Traditional uses | Planet | Day | Element | Zodiac sign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | Purity, new beginnings, peace, clarity | Moon | Monday | Air or spirit | Cancer |
| Black | Protection, rest, endings, banishing, breaking habits | Saturn | Saturday | Earth | Scorpio, Capricorn |
| Gray | Balance, neutrality, neutralizing | Moon (some sources: Mercury) | Monday | Varies | Virgo |
| Brown | Grounding, steadiness, trust, animals | Venus, Saturn, or Moon (by shade) | Friday, Saturday, or Monday | Earth | Capricorn |
| Gold | Confidence, success, generosity, optimism | Sun | Sunday | Fire | Leo |
| Silver | Intuition, dreams, receptivity, rest | Moon | Monday | Water | Gemini or Cancer (sources differ) |
Planet and day links connect to Planetary Magick. Candle uses for each color are in Candle Magick.
Try this now: notice the neutrals
For a day, notice the neutral colors around you: white walls, black clothes, gray sky, brown wood, gold and silver jewelry. Pick one and ask what it adds to the room or to you. Write down what you notice.
Journal prompts
Take your time. Write as much or as little as you like.
- When have you used black, white, or gray to protect, rest, or reset?
- What does gold mean to you, and when do you want to shine?
- What does silver or the moon bring up for you?
- Where do you want more grounding, and what brown things could you place around you?
- Which neutral or metal do you most want to explore this month?
All 7 lessons in The Magick of Color
- How Color Works in Magick
- Color Meanings, Part 1: The Main Colors
- Color Meanings, Part 2: Neutrals and Metals (you are here)
- Color and Culture
- Using Color in Practice
- Choosing and Combining Colors
- Color in Your Space and Wardrobe