After watching my GRH PDF overview, a viewer asked about the Qabalistic color scales in Magick. Particularly why the Golden Dawn‘s King and Queen scales get all the attention in such rites, whereas the Prince and Princess are seldom discussed. Due to this, I decided to cover a few basics regarding the Qabalistic color scales to hopefully bring clarity.

Color Scales in Magick

There are four color scales:

Reflecting YHVH’s fourfold nature, they map to the Qabalistic worlds, the Tarot suits, the elements, the aspects of the soul, etc.

Dual Nature

Understanding why GRH uses the first two requires understanding the forces it works with. Namely, the planets and Zodiac signs, both of which have a dual nature, i.e., a practical and mystical aspect.

Planets

The paths (or the practical aspect) are attributed to Atziluth and the King scale. The Sephiroth (or the mystical aspect) is attributed to Briah and the Queen scale.

Examples

When working with a planet’s practical aspect, you employ those colors for its hexagrams and sigils.

  • For Jupiter, that’s the deep violet of the 21st path King scale;
  • For Mercury, it is the yellow of the 12th in the same colors;

On the other hand, these examples change colors when for the mystical aspect:

  • Chessed’s Briatic color is Deep Blue;
  • Whereas Hod’s is orange;

Identical Colors

In some cases, there isn’t a change in colors for both scales. Or at least not a significant like with:

  • The Path of Peh and Geburah for Mars (and);
  • The Path of Teth and Netzach for Venus

Zodiac Signs

The Zodiac signs follow a (somewhat) similar dynamic. For their practical aspects, i.e., the Zodiac paths, they use Atziluthic colors for the hexagrams but complementary ones for the Sigil. This is a reflective color pattern on which the so-called GD Flashing Colors are built.

Chokmah

Unlike the planets, which have different spheres, all signs are attributed to Chokmah, the sephirah of the Zodiac. This means that for their mystical aspects, all of them use Chokmah’s grey, barely differing in both King and Queen scales.

Names

While many planetary names match for practical and mystical, there are differences. The most apparent is that the planetary paths go with the spirit names, whereas Sephiroth — with those of intelligences. In some instances, there are also differences in the higher names like:

  • Jupiter | Chessed’ EL’ and ‘ALLA AL AB’ (ABBA)
  • Raphael and Michael for Tiphereth and Hod.

Raphael and Michael

Besides Tiphereth’s archangel, Raphael is that of Mercury, the 12 Path, the practical aspect of Hod’s.

Besides Hod’s archangel, Michael is that of the Sun, the 30th Path, or the practical aspect of Tiphereth.

This may be one of the reasons many swap out their places in Pentagram rituals, adopting the density model. By doing so, one may find that the active elements are grouped with the active, fiery tree, whereas the passive ones — with the watery one. Let me know your thoughts.

Flexibility

While that may not be the most optimal, the previous doesn’t mean you cannot use mystical names for practical work and vice versa. Or, for instance, EL for Jupiter. Actually, that’s how most books are written and how many do it.

777

The best place to look for those names is 777, in the column ‘GodNames in Assiah.’ In addition to the more popular Sephiroth names, the table includes Agrippa‘s path (or planet) names.

Permutations

For the Atziluth, the signs utilize what are called the twelve permutations of YHVH found in the Golden Dawn. For Briah, they employ the name Chokmah.

Fire and Water

As you can see, the King and Queen colors perfectly handle this duality: the first attribute to causing external change and outward projection, whereas the second — to receptivity and internal processes, like acquiring information, arriving at a conclusion, etc.

Prince

Air is the product of Fire and Water clashing (or having sex). While I have never used it in rites like GRH and (its predecessor) SRH, there are claims it provides clear emotional and intellectual energy, which actually makes sense given that the Prince scale attributes to Yetzirah, including Netzach and Hod. Consider one is fiery, mirroring Geburah, whereas the other — is watery, emanating from Chessed.

Princess

Earth is a by-product of Fire and Water having Air as a child. Hence, the Princess‘ colors are scattered and incoherent. Some say they are also very irrational and deprived of logic, which may or may not allude to the Qliphoth, considering that the Princess actually touches the shells. Think that half of Malkuth in the rites, like the Middle Pillar and the Three Pillars, is (actually) in the ground.

Mixture of Elements

Sandra Tabatha Cicero hypothesizes the Princess Scale is very haphazard due to this mixture of elements and likely comes from scrying. Hence the inconsistencies in its colors. It may be worth meditating on its colors next to the lowest square of the Rose Cross.

Muddied Colors

IMHO, the Princess scale expresses the same as the mentioned part of the Rose Cross. Being a synthesis of everything, the same includes all elements, yet they are muddied, mixed, and similarly inconsistent, representing the denser material energies.

Suggestions

All this doesn’t mean you cannot use the lower two scales. A way to do so is by employing them for the Three Pillars or perhaps even the Middle Pillar rites. Another is by doing the first with all four scales consecutively to enter deeper meditative states.

But that’s just my opinion. Let me know if you agree, subscribe for more, and buy my products and books. And Thank you for your time!

Peteonthebeat
Latest posts by Peteonthebeat (see all)