Re: [BardonPraxis] Colour Correspondences in the Tree of Life

["Rawn Clark" <rawnclark@...>]

Dear Peter,

>> Recently I have been trying to delve into a greater understanding of
the Tree of Life in preperation for working on The Key to the True
Quaballah at a future point in time, probably years down the road in
fact. What I'm wondering is: due to the fact that Bardon places a great
influence upon colour, as such, it should go to reason that a great
influence should be placed upon the colouration of the sepheroth within
the tree of life. Or should the core essential meaning of the sepheroth
take presendence over colour? <<

The color attributed to a Sephirot is one of the many "voices" that the
Sephiroth possess which express their inherent essential meaning. It is
one doorway by which you can penetrate to a *direct* perception of a
Sephirot's essential meaning. The only importance or value that the
color has, is due to this fact that it expresses essential meaning. So
it's not really a matter of 'precedence' exactly, so much as it is one
of recognizing that EVERY form communicates essential meaning, including
the color of the Sephirot. In other words, the color IS important
*because it is an expression of the essential meaning*.

For the kabbalist, the Sephirotic colors are tools, again *because they
express essential meaning*. But it is always the essential meaning that
the kabbalist wields when s/he is using color. For example, just
'condensing a brilliant blue colored light' is NOT the same as
'condensing the essential meaning of Chesed/Gedulah *as* a condensation
of brilliant blue light'. Do you see what I'm trying to get at?

With practice very similar to creating the "finger ritual", the
condensation of a brilliant blue light and the condensation of the
essential meaning of Chesed/Gedulah, become simultaneous and thereafter
they are inseparable.

So, yes!. Color is an important tool. It is also something unique to
each individual's perceptual abilities. For example, take the color
blue. To my mind's eye 'blue' evokes a very specific shade which is
most likely different than the shade of blue that your mind's eye
evokes. So when we say "brilliant blue" for Chesed/Gedulah, it sort of
points the way, sort of gives you the general idea of where to begin to
look for 'The Correct Color'. The key to recognizing when you've come
upon 'The Correct Color' is when the color suddenly communicates its
essential meaning to you very clearly; or rather, when it is suddenly
very easy for you to perceive the essential meaning of Chesed/Gedulah
within the brilliant blue color, for example.

Studying the origins of the color attributions may prove interesting as
well. :) The most commonly used set in the Western Tradition owes its
origin to Alchemy. They are the colors of the metals which are
attributed to the planets, which in turn, have been attributed to the
planetary Sephirot in the Western Tradition (and much of the later
Hebrew Tradition). For example, the color of Netzach is green --
because this is the color of Venus -- because this is the color of
oxidizing copper (verdigris, copper's patina or rust) and copper is the
metal of Venus. Gebruah is red -- because this is the color of Mars --
because this is the color of oxidizing iron (rust) and iron is the metal
of Mars. Tiphareth is yellow -- because this is the color of Sol --
because this is the color of Gold, the perfect metal which never
oxidizes, and Gold is the metal of Sol. Etc.

My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
07 May 2003
rawnclark@...
rawn@...
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