Color Thesis Overview

1.  Overview and Basic Assumptions  

1. Overview

1.1. Intent and Scope

The intention of this thesis is to:

1. Further the study of color from a perspective of meaning, building upon that which has been laid out primarily in the so-called "Ageless Wisdom" teachings, such as provided through the writings of A. A. Bailey and H. P. Blavatsky.

2.  Offer original charts and tables, plus charts of correspondences and conjectured relationships, as well as offer comprehensive references and compilations of the major quotes on color in AAB’s and HPB’s books for other researchers.

3.  Suggest ways in which meditation with color (esoterically used via the creative imagination or exoterically used via external aids) may be effectively incorporated for consciousness transformation, healing, or other uses.
 
 

1.2. Assumptions and Foundational References
 
The following references hope to elucidate a secondary set of goals to that listed under Scope and Intent, 1.1, above:

1.  That the inquirer can more effectively utilize color (and creative imagination and visualisation, and archetypes) as an additional tool in understanding quality, ray, or (relative) identity.
2.  That the student can grasp another aspect of divinity.
3.  That the creator can more effectively wield another mechanism in bringing forth the promise of the New Age.

1.  Identity
It should be noted here, therefore, that there are, literally, two points of identification in the long experience of the soul.  One marks the stage wherein form, matter, substance, time and space are controlling factors, and imprison the soul [Page 30] within their types of consciousness.  This connotes identification with form life.  The other connotes identification with all that lies outside of form expression and is released from it.  What that may be lies beyond the grasp of our present advanced humanity, and is only known in its true significance by such great Existences as the Christ, the Buddha and Those of analogous rank in the Hierarchy of Lives.  The qualities generated and developed through the first of these identifications persist and colour the conscious realisation, and it must be remembered that the final identification is the result of the experience gained through the medium of the first.  These qualities will vary according to the dominance of one or other of the ray energies, but there will be—in the final stages—no consciousness of quality or ray type, but simply a state of Being or of livingness that realises identification with the Whole and which, at the same time, holds in solution (if one may use so unsatisfactory a term) all the results of the lesser identifications, the various differentiations and distinctions, and the many ray instincts, impulses, and intuitions. p. 29-30 R&I

2.  Recognition of Divinity
Divinity (using the word in its separative sense) connotes the expression of the qualities of the second or building aspect of God,—magnetism, love, inclusiveness, non-separativeness, sacrifice for the good of the world, unselfishness, intuitive understanding, cooperation with the Plan of God, and many [Page 61] other such qualitative phrases.  Mechanism, after all, implies the creation of a form out of matter and the infusing of that form with a life principle which will show itself in the power to grow, to reproduce, to preserve identity of some kind, to flower forth into certain instinctual reactions, and to preserve its own specific qualitative nature.  Life resembles the fuel which, in conjunction with the mechanism, provides the motivating principle and makes activity and the needed movement possible.  But there is more to manifestation than forms which possess a life principle.  There is a diversity running through nature and a qualifying principle which differentiates the mechanisms; there is a general synthesis and purpose, which defies the powers of man to emulate it creatively, and which is outstandingly the major characteristic of divinity.  It expresses itself through colour and beauty, through reason and love, through idealism and wisdom, and through those many qualities and that purpose which, for instance, animate the aspirant.  This is—briefly and inadequately expressed—Divinity.  It is, however, a relative expression of Divinity. p. 60-61 R&I

3.  arts and imagination
Much is heard today of the New Age, of the coming revelation, of the imminent leap forward into an intuitive recognition of that which has hitherto been only dimly sensed by the mystics, the seer, the inspired poet, the intuitive scientist and the occult investigator who is not too preoccupied with the technicalities and the academic activities of the lower mind.  But one thing is oft forgotten in the great expectancy.  There is no need for too great an upward straining or too intense an outward looking, to use terms which the usual limited point of view can grasp.  That which is to be revealed lies all around us, and within us.  It is the significance of all that is embodied in form, the meaning behind the appearance, the reality veiled by the symbol, the truth expressed in substance.

Only two things will enable man to penetrate into this inner realm of causes and of revelation.
These are:

First, the constant effort, based on a subjective impulse, to create those forms which will express some sensed truth; for thereby and through this effort, the emphasis is constantly shifted from the outer world of seeming to the inner side of phenomena.  By this means, a focussing of consciousness is produced which eventually becomes stable and withdrawn from its present intense exteriorisation.  An initiate is essentially one whose sense of awareness is occupied with subjective contacts and impacts and is not predominantly preoccupied with the world of outer sense perceptions.  This cultivated interest in the inner world of meaning will produce not only a pronounced effect upon the spiritual seeker himself but will eventually bring about the emphasis, recognised in the brain consciousness of the race, that the world of meaning is the sole world of reality for humanity.  This realisation will, in its turn, bring about two subsequent effects:

1. A close adaptation of the form to the significant factors which have brought it into being on the outer plane.

2. The production of a truer beauty in the world and, therefore, a closer approximation in the world of created forms to the inner emerging truth.  It might be said that divinity is veiled and hidden in the multiplicity of forms with their infinite detail, and that in the simplicity of forms which eventually will be seen, we shall arrive at a newer beauty, a greater sense of truth and at the revelation of God's meaning and purpose in all that He has accomplished from age to age.

Secondly, the constant effort to render oneself sensitive to the world of significant realities and to produce, therefore, those forms on the outer plane which will run true to the hidden impulse.  This is brought about by the cultivation of the creative imagination.  As yet, humanity knows little about this faculty, latent in all men.  A flash of light breaks through to the aspiring mind; a sense of unveiled splendour for a moment sweeps through the aspirant, tensed for revelation; a sudden realisation of a colour, a beauty, a wisdom and a glory beyond words breaks out before the attuned consciousness of the artist, in a high moment of applied attention, and life is then seen for a second as it essentially is.  p. 246-248, R&I

Central to these intents is the overriding context of the purpose of our ‘God’, Sanat Kumara, and how color is related most intimately to His 7th purpose, and how these purposes are becoming more defined to Hierarchy and to the NGWS.

“These seven types of purpose embody the seven energies which will reorganise and redefine the hierarchical undertakings, and thus inaugurate the New Age.  …

g. The final phase of the divine purpose is the most difficult of all to indicate, and when I say indicate, I mean exactly that, and nothing more definite and clear.  Does it mean anything to you when I say that the ceremonial ritual of the daily life of Sanat Kumara, implemented by music and sound and carried on the waves of colour which break upon the shores of the three worlds of human evolution, reveal—in the clearest notes and tones and shades—the deepest secret behind His purpose?  It scarcely makes sense to you and is dismissed as a piece of symbolic writing, used by me in order to convey the unconveyable.  Yet I am not here writing in symbols, but am making an exact statement of fact.  As beauty in any of its greater forms breaks upon the human consciousness, a dim sense is thereby conveyed of the ritual of Sanat Kumara's daily living. p. 241 and 246
 

In the early stages of his invocative work, the instrument used is the creative imagination.  This enables him at the very beginning to act as if he were capable of thus creating; then, when the as if imaginative consciousness is no longer

444          A TREATISE ON THE SEVEN RAYS

useful, he becomes consciously aware of that which he has-with hope and spiritual expectancy-sought to create; he discovers this as an existent fact and knows past all controversy that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
 
 
  With these references in place, we move into some background specifics in order to lay a foundation for supposition and suggestion.

Esoterics in general:
Basic fundamentals - blinking blip
Planes and rays, form and consciousness
Correspondence and analogy - 1,2,3: red, blue, green
Esoteric and exoteric: reality and illusion:
 
 
 

1.3. Esoteric and Exoteric Colors (charts)

1.3.1. Contradictions and Blinds (chart)

V Assumption:

Like the various codes/levels for
aspirant, disciple, initiate -
or like astrologically exoteric, esoteric and hierarchical.

check the various three levels in compilation.
true color, illusion, appearance ... etc.

thus, with these three plus blinds for each (assume we seldom if ever are given the 'true color' -- we have 5 or 6 'colors' for any one -- energy.
e.g. ...

depends upon point of view, medium through which it is seen through which it 'descends', contigous colors, etc.
 
 
 
 

color has three levels of application
green and indigo only ones the same:
physical and astral …,
7 and 6, personality and soul

those two only are attainable:.

blind used on what level?
Complement (2 = trine?)
Opposite  - "alter ego"?  (earth/venus)
antagonistic or antipathetic (

red 1 impacting green 3, = 4 yellow (overlap is yellow) - if 'evolved', in pigment, red on green is ucky … dark in the personality.

Blue and red in pigment is dark purple, in light is magenta.
Blue and green in pigment is dark turquoise, in light is cyan.

Yellow 4 buddhi son, - created through spirit red 1 father impacting matter green 3 mother, is needed to create 'orange', manas.

That is the way of light. In pigment, it is red, blue, yellow, as the primaries, blue/soul + yellow/personality = green healthy matter. Orange/mind created through personality + spirit. Soul and spirit = violet.

Clothing tf's in astrality, magenta requires 'circling' of the spectrum, optics, which turn the 'real' world upside down and backwards.

Esoteric Colors are higher correspondences to the color as describable to physical sight. Like astrological signs have exoteric, esoteric, and hierarchical rulers, so are the colors possible of multiple application. For example, Mercury is exoteric ruler of Gemini and Virgo, whilst esoteric ruler of Aries. Thus, green may apply to one level of entity, whilst on another level, red may apply. Hence another layer of 'confusion' is possible (or likely … well, inevitable?!).

In this example of Mercury therefore, if on the personality level, Mercury may be best represented by orange. Esoteric orange ("more of a yellow, where the red is scarcely seen at all") may be the more accurate correspondence to Mercury energy.

Essentially, I believe the esoteric colors to be lighter and more luminous or radiant than the exoteric colors. (The apparent exceptions may be blinds, as a chart shows, below.)

For example, even whilst DK says (LOM) that the exoteric names and application of Indigo and Green (only) correspond to their esoteric application, we note the descriptions of the esoteric colors (as might be or become visible), are much 'lighter'.

V Assumption: As exoteric Ray III has been given as black, its esoteric version as green, I submit that exoteric green's esoteric version is a lighter green, more of a lime or 'spring' green. Similarly, as the exoteric color for Ray II is indigo (or indigo tinged with purple), and its esoteric color is 'blue', I submit that esoteric blue is light blue. Similar application and definition of name, but the esoteric version is lighter. In pigment, black and yellow creates the olive green.

That I have given their exoteric names and application, and that of all I have given only two correspond with their esoteric application,—indigo and green.  The Synthetic Ray and the Activity Ray are at this stage the only two of which you can be absolutely assured.  One is the goal of endeavour, and the other is the foundation colour of Nature.

That the other five colours with which our fivefold evolution is concerned, change, intermingle, blend, and are not esoterically understood in the same sense as you might imagine from the use of the words, red, yellow, orange, blue and violet.  Esoterically they scarcely resemble their names, and the names themselves are intended to blind and mislead.

That each of these three colours and the other two are only understood as yet through four of their lesser sub-rays.  This is the fourth round and only four sub-rays of these colours have as yet been glimpsed.  p. 214, LOM

Eso and Exo blinds
1  orange   red   (lighter)
2  indigo   blue  (lighter)
3  black    green (lighter   *)
4  cream  yellow
5   yellow   indigo  (blind - complementary)
6   red   rose (lighter)
4 violet/white  white/violet (lighter  *)

black and white, corresponding to green and violet
(sort of like moon and sun veil other planets?), e.g., black veils moon, lunar, 3rd ray …
 
 
 

 
1.3.2. Radiance and Translucence
 

1.3.3. Antagonistic, Complementary, Opposite, Analogous

1.4. Exoteric Colors: Science and Psychology

While this thesis primarily relies on subjective analysis, I have tried to the greatest extent possible to incorporate the knowledge and correlations of objective science into my assumptions.

Sound and color ... correlations are analogous and not direct and beyond scope of this paper.

Clairvoyance: no clairvoyance or other senses that could be considered supernormal have been used. I do not possess sensitivities of such a nature. I believe the cooperation of clairvoyants and scientists in analysing their 'sight' could be very useful; however other than that some of the material that I reference may have come from such sources, the significance of color in terms of meaning and use does not rely on the author, reader, or meditative practioner to have any such abilities.

The bulk of my assumptions come, therefore, from the mental plane, concrete and abstract, with perhaps a hint here and there of buddhic impression and likely too colored by my own astrality. So the reader is aware of the level of phenomenal registration that I do have in my vehicles, I can visualize quite clearly; however often do not have a sense of 'seeing' colors or shapes, rather than just 'sensing they are there'. I have registered on a couple of meditative times smell and taste, in conjunction with color and number, and have had on one occasion the very clear registration of the 'light in the head', large and diffuse though it was and other registrable phenomenon as result of meditation and breath work. Mostly, I'm fairly lucid.