Pantheon of Colors: Orange
Colors and Astrology, Mercury, and the Eights of the Minor Arcana
A Rainbow of Energies
“What is a god? A god is a personification of a motivating power of a value system that functions in human life and in the universe.”
― Joseph Campbell
The gods have been personified in many ways by the various cultures of the world. Some know these same powers as “archangels” or “planetary spirits”. In Western astrology, we associate them with the planets and call them by the names of Roman gods. But what they are essentially is invisible energies — energies that do things, each with its own frequency and its own type of influence. The most universal and meaningful associations with these life powers that I know of is their correspondences with colors.
"Colors express the main psychic functions of man." ~ Carl Jung
Colors and Astrology
The above illustration shows how the colors fit into astrology. The model is the traditional RYB color wheel used for paint and design. This is the kind of diagram that can yield almost endless insight with continual contemplation over time.
The Circle around the perimeter represents Time. There we see the qualities of Time in colors associated with the 12 signs of the Zodiac.
The hexagon within the Circle represents the life energies from which half of the signs derive their qualities, in terms of color and planet.
The Center of the Circle represents the ultimate Source of All Things in absolute Timelessness. It belongs to no point in Time more or less than any other. The Center’s absoluteness makes White (all of the colors combined) and Black (no color at all) its equivalents in terms of color. They are extreme opposites, yet they are one, like the two sides of a single coin. As planets, these energies are Pluto and Neptune respectively.
The Primary Colors = Fire
The triangle around the Center represents the 3 Primary Colors: Red, Yellow, and Blue, which are fundamental and cannot be created by mixing other colors together. As the spectrum colors ‘closest’ to White, they correspond to the spontaneous motivational impulses of the Fire element, or intuition. If Fire were a section of an orchestra, it would be the brass.
As planets, the Primaries are Mars, the Sun, and Jupiter. The points of the triangle indicate each planet’s rulership (reflected qualities) of the 3 Fire signs in the Zodiac, which share their colors.
The Secondary Colors = Air
A hexagon is formed with the addition of the 3 Secondary Colors, which are blends (‘offspring’) of the Primaries: Orange, Green, and Purple. They correspond to the mental functions of the Air element, or thinking. If Air were a section of an orchestra, it would be the woodwinds.
As planets, the Secondaries are Mercury, Venus, and Uranus. Their points indicate their rulerships of the 3 Air signs in the Zodiac, which share their colors.
In the Zodiac, every other sign is either a Fire sign or an Air sign, sharing the Primary or Secondary Color of its ruling planet, and reflecting its qualities. These 6 signs are the “positive” or “masculine” signs.
The Tertiary Colors = Water & Earth
"Since psyche and matter are contained in one and the same world, and moreover are in continuous contact with one another and ultimately rest on irrepresentable, transcendental factors, it is not only possible but fairly probable, even, that psyche and matter are two different aspects of the same thing." — Carl Jung
The 6 signs in between the masculine ones are the Water (psyche; nonphysical form & feeling) and Earth (matter; physical object & sensation) signs. Theirs are the 6 Tertiary Colors, each a blend of its adjacent neighbors (as though joining with them to form a Circle). If Water were a section of an orchestra, it would be the strings. If Earth were a section of an orchestra, it would be the percussion.
These 6 in-between signs are “negative” or “feminine”, because in them the formless masculine planetary energies take form. Here the term “negative” doesn’t mean inherently “bad”, but refers simply to the impermanent nature of forms.
Forms serve purposes and are neither bad nor good in themselves. But as solid and permanent as many forms seem to be, ultimately none of them really is. Eventually we outgrow, consume, or abandon them, and they dissolve or morph into something else. We can have bad experiences with the feminine signs if we overvalue forms in the mistaken belief that they won’t ever change. Good comes from those bad experiences when we learn from them and get our perspectives better centered.
4 of the feminine signs are ruled by planets in the hexagon whose colors don’t match them, apparently connected with them through their orbit patterns (a different diagram) rather than through color. The other 2 feminine signs are ruled by planets not part of the inner hexagon at all: Saturn and the Moon.
Life ‘Breathes’ Out and In
Life ‘descends’ from the Source into physical manifestation from the Center out, like a blooming flower. Then, as it develops awareness, it ‘ascends’ back to the Central Source.
As human spirits traveling through Time in physical bodies, each of us is continuously developing awareness of all the life energies within. But how can our awareness take us back to the mysterious, ineffable Source?
The color model shows us that we are naturally aligned with the Source when we express all of the ‘colors’ within us clearly and in balance. In the orchestra model, the ‘conductor’ is the Source, and we’re aligned with the ‘Conductor’ when we’re ‘playing all of our instruments’ well and in harmony.
In this series, we’ll take a close look at the planet that rules the sign of the month. We’ll observe its associated color, its legitimate influence in life, and symptoms typically experienced when it’s somehow out of balance. We’ll also see an expression of its basic influence in music and in tarot, as cards of the minor arcana.
Orange
Orange is one of the 3 Secondary Colors, a blend of Yellow and Red, and the complementary opposite of Blue. As a connection between Yellow’s bright awareness and Red’s fast action, Orange stimulates alertness to the surrounding environment, comparisons and connections of observed details, quick adaptability, intellectual growth, and accumulation of knowledge.
Along with experience, accumulated knowledge contributes to the development of practical skills. Appropriately, Orange is often associated with occupations that require specialized knowledge and skills, as in communications, commerce, and medicine.
On the negative side, unclear, muddy shades of orange are associated with counterproductive verbal aggression or superficiality.
Mercury
The astrological counterpart of Orange is the planet Mercury, which is associated with alertness to details, quick connections, communication, and anything that can be done with clever thinking and/or nimble fingers.
Mercury energy is Airy energy, one of the 3 types of thinking. This one is the “left-brained” type of thinking similar to that described in triarchic theory as analytical intelligence. This way of thinking involves separating a problem into its smaller components to discover its solution using logic. It’s the form of intelligence most often tested, and the one that best lends itself to academic skills.
Rather than evaluating qualities, as in the subjective “right-brained” contextual thinking of Venus, the thinking of Mercury is objective and oriented to measurements and quantities. Mercury signifies awareness of objects, events, and processes, in support of efficient function. It’s a practical way of interaction with life that makes for smooth operation of complex systems, and lends itself well to a variety of activities involving small details. Like Venus, Mercury is a mental faculty that we can cultivate and develop.
Mercury is the mental ‘tool’ we use for information gathering and communication. It’s our curiosity, our variety of interests, our awareness of details, our contacts, and our facility with languages and codes. With Mercury we can read, write, speak, listen, and explore our surroundings to increase awareness of whatever is going on. One piece of information leads to another, and maybe to another contact or something new to be curious about. The trail can be endless and endlessly interesting. With Mercury we can establish a network of connections and a store of knowledge that could be useful for both problem solving and problem prevention.
Mercury is reflected directly in Gemini, the learning sign of his rulership, where we can encounter a variety of views and voices as we discover and share information on a variety of subjects. In this social Air sign, Mercury is especially mobile, often finding expression in fields of transportation as well as communication.
The applied power of Mercury is the power of the critical mind and the skillful hand at work in Virgo, the practical Earth sign he rules. Mercury knows methods, analyzes conditions, and acts with quick efficiency, either to maintain functions or to repair malfunctions and prevent serious trouble. Science and medicine are among the most notable fields for Virgoan application of Mercury’s accuracy and clever techniques.
Mercury has its darkest side in the misuse of knowledge or skills for questionable purposes, as in lying, cheating, and theft. More usual and less dark are harmless but irritating expressions of Mercury that are either annoyingly superficial or mischievous, or inappropriately inquisitive and critical.
The composer of the piece below, Gustav Holst, was also a brilliantly insightful astrologer. He composed The Planets, a suite of pieces for each of 7 planets. All of them sound exactly like the planetary influences they express feel. This one, expressing the nimble mobility of Mercury, is no exception. There’s informative text, but the sound is more important.
Mercury, The Winged Messenger - Gustav Holst
Mercury Rules Gemini and Virgo
Gemini and Virgo have Mercury’s knowledge in common.
In Gemini, it’s the gathering of knowledge; the emphasis is on making connections of all kinds in the social world.
In Virgo, it’s the application of knowledge; the emphasis is on practical use of what one has learned in the material world.
Read about Gemini (Orange) here:
Read about Virgo (Chartreuse) here:
Tarot and the Planets
In tarot, the planets have their correspondences in the cards of the Minor Arcana. Each of the 10 numbers corresponds to a planet. There are 4 cards to a number, one for each of the 4 elements:
Wands = Fire
Swords = Air
Cups = Water
Pentacles = Earth
I’ll give you descriptions of the cards in my deck, along with the interpretations I generally use for them in divination (adapted to context as needed). If you read tarot, the meanings you use may be different from mine, which is fine.
The Eights of the Minor Arcana
The tarot Eights are the Mercury cards, and they all represent engagement in work or adjustments for correction of malfunction.
Reversed, an Eight indicates a reversal or resolution of the upright meaning.
Below are the meanings I use for the Eights in divination.
Eight of Wands
Eight parallel wants fly swiftly through the air.
Upright - Busy. Swift, efficient function.
Reversed - Delay. Progress temporarily suspended.
Eight of Swords
In shallow water stands a woman, blindfolded and tightly bound. Swords are stuck in the mud on either side of her: 3 (necessity or duty) on one side and 5 (pain or loss) on the other, for a total of 8. In the background, a grey castle atop a mountain is seen, perhaps that of an authority who imposes the woman’s situation.
Upright - Dilemma. Something must be done, but no option seems acceptable.
Reversed - A dilemma is resolved or no longer applies.
Eight of Cups
Having crossed a river, a man retreats from the far shore toward a mountain in the background. He has left 8 cups behind on the near shore; they are in groups of 5 (pain or loss), 2 (possibility), and 1 (imagination). Maybe he will find his ideal elsewhere.
Upright - Giving up on a possible emotional attachment that seems to promise only trouble.
Reversed - Returning to consider a previously abandoned emotional attachment.
Eight of Pentacles
A man sits on a work bench, carefully engraving pentacles with his hammer and chisel. On a nearby tree trunk are 5 pentacles (pain or loss) which he has completed or repaired; 3 more pentacles (necessity or duty) remain for him to work on, for a total of 8.
Upright - Working at a task that is not yet complete or needs further adjustment.
Reversed - A task is completed, with nothing further to be done.
The Gemini Files
More to enjoy whenever the Sun is in Gemini
