Colors are one of the simplest and most powerful forms of magic. Each color fuels and is representative of a magical outcome or intention. Learn the 10 basic color magic properties and how to weave them into your magical practice and daily life. Plus view our helpful color guide to crystals and herbs.

Color Magic Basics

Not only is color effective in magic, it permeates daily life. Certain colors lift our mood, help us relax, energize us. Other colors fuel our fire or can even create a negative effect. For example, if you’re feeling depressed, being in a room of blue or gray walls won’t help lift your mood. You need an uplifting color like yellow or orange. If you’re feeling anxious, avoid the color red. And so on.

But, as we typically find in magic, it’s not just the color it’s how YOU use it. Here we provide the basic color magic properties, and you can use them as stated. But keep in mind, color magic is also an individual practice. While I might use red for protection, you might find white is best. If I use purple for healing, you might prefer blue. And so on.

10 Colors and Their Magical Properties

1. Black

Black is a color that polarizes people from different cultures. Some cultures associate black with death and mourning (think what we wear to funerals in America), while still others associate black with evil and the darkness. Yet those who practice magic know the real power of black. It is mystery and wisdom in one. Black reflects negativity and prompts us to go deeper.

2. White

White is another polarizing color. In America, we see white as a symbol of purity which is why most brides wear white to their wedding. Yet in other Eastern cultures, white is associated with death. For example, in Vietnam white is worn to funerals not weddings. How you use white in your practice is up to you! The color white’s magic properties are: purity, protection, connecting with the divine, Healing, and enlightenment.

3. Brown

Brown might not be everyone’s favorite color but it is as powerful as the rest. It is a color of Mother Earth. It represents the soil we walk on and where things grow. Use brown in your magic when working with the element earth. Brown is also useful for: animal magic, grounding, environmentalism, and Earth protection.

4. Blue

Nearly everyone in my house loves the color blue. It’s a fan favorite, but why? Blue is the color of the sky, flowers, fruits, and of the water. This color’s magic properties are: healing, peace and harmony, communication (verbal, nonverbal and written), and truth. It’s linked to the throat chakra, which also links it to one’s ears and listening.

5. Purple

Purple is the color of modern metaphysics. You might have noticed metaphysical stores using purple in their logo, decor, etc. This isn’t a coincidence – purple is the color of magic. Purple also represents royalty, intuition, and psychic abilities *all the clairs: clairvoyance, clairsentience, clairsalience, clairaudience and clairgustance*. I see it as an extravagant color and therefore think of all things rich, powerful and elegant when I use purple in my magic.

6. Pink

When I was young, I hated the color pink. Now that I’m an adult, it’s one of my favorite colors for one particular reason – it represents femininity. As a young person I avoided being in tune with my feminine self – including self-love, sexual empowerment and honoring my emotions. But pink represents more than just this. It also represents friendship, soft, romantic love, and empathy. It’s linked to female sexuality because of the color of female genitalia.

7. Red

Red invokes strong emotional reactions from nearly everyone on the planet. It’s another polarizing color. It’s an energizing color, igniting one’s passions. OR in a state of anxiety or anger, it might push those emotions out of control. Use red wisely and how you prefer. Red’s magical properties include: Active protection, passion, anger, Blood, ancestor work, love, lust, and motivation.

8. Orange

Orange is a magical color linked to the sacral chakra and therefore a powerful color for creativity of all kinds. I don’t use orange a lot, but when I do…it gets the job done. It helps with energy and vitality. It’s also useful to boost your inspiration and drive for long term projects and new opportunities. Orange color magic properties also include attraction, vitality, fertility and adaptability.

9. Yellow

Yellow is a bright color that is linked to the Sun and also our solar plexus. It brings energy, confidence and self esteem. Yellow color magic properties are: wisdom, intellect, imagination, inspiration, confidence, self esteem, immortality, growth, joy and career success. It can be helpful when breaking through old negative thought patterns of oneself.

10. Green

What witch or pagan doesn’t love the color green? It’s the color of the earth: plants, trees, herbs, etc. It’s also the color of the heart chakra (that’s right, the heart chakra is green not red). Therefore green magic properties include: unconditional love, Mother Earth, abundance, growth, resurrection, youth, good luck, health, connection to fae and the old gods, and balance.

How to Cast SIMPLE Color Magic

There are so many ways to use color in your magical practice. Let’s talk about the fact that color is in literally everything we do. It’s all around us. It’s a part of us. So what not think about the colors you use in your spells and rituals? Here’s some ways to incorporate color magic into your practice:

• Wear certain colors to match your intentions for that day (red for drive, green for money, yellow for growth, white for spirituality, etc.)
• Match your candle colors to your spell or ritual intentions
• Decorate your altar in the colors of the season, sabbat, or to honor your gods’ and ancestors’ favorite colors
• Paint the rooms of your house to match whatever mood you’d like to set (red in the kitchen for hunger and ancestor work, blue in the bedroom for peace/rest, etc.)
• Flowers, herbs, and other spell materials – be mindful of the colors you use (for instance for money spells, try to use gold and green materials)
• Consider the chakra colors when you need to work on yourself
• When disposing or keeping spell remnants, choose a specific colored bag or sachet for storage
• Choose a grimoire of a certain color to match your intention: green for green witchery, red for hearth-craft, purple for dreaming, etc.

Crystals and Herbs By Color for Color Magic:

If you’d like to correspond spell ingredients like herbs and crystals by color, here’s quick guide:

1. Black

Herbs/Flowers: black dahlia, black magic hollyhocks, black calla lily, blackberry, pepper

Crystals: obsidian, hematite, Apache tear, black onyx, zebra jasper

2. White

Herbs/Plants: chamomile, daisy, chrysanthemum, yarrow, feverfew, watercress, moonflower, garlic chives, heliotrope, white rose, magnolia, rosemary, jasmine, elder flower, hawthorn

Crystals: selenite, moonstone, calcite, white beryl, topaz, lepidolite, clear quartz, diamond

3. Brown

Herbs/plants: mare’s tail, pineapple lily, sea buckthorn, pine cones (part of tree), coconut, potato, cinnamon, pipe vine

Crystals: tiger’s eye, cat eye, butterscotch jasper

4. Blue

Herbs/Plants: forget me not, morning glory, hydrangea, aster, delphinium, columbine, clematis, cornflower, blueberry, lotus

Crystals: lace agate, sodalite, lapis lazuli, angelite, Amazonite, Celestine, blue calcite, sapphire

5. Purple

Herbs/Plants: verbena, catmint, basil, wisteria, clematis, viola, violet, lavender, belladonna, salvia, iris, monkshood (aconite), heather, indigo, morning glory, spearmint, beautyberry, eggplant, beet, passion flower, echinacea

Crystals: amethyst, lepidolite, sugilite, jasper, tanzanite, charoite, ametrine, fluorite

6. Pink

Herbs/Plants: penta, rose, hibiscus, camellia, begonia, carnation, rosemary, hyacinth, dahlia, peony, petunia, rhododendron, yarrow, chives, echinacea, heather, raspberry

Crystals: rose quartz, agate, aventurine, mangano calcite, chalcedony, morganite, pink opal, rhodochrosite, thulite, marsh mallow

7. Red

Herbs/Plants: rose, penta, pineapple sage, firecracker, strawberry, watermelon, red rooibos, chili pepper, paprika, dragon’s blood, red sweet pepper, tomato, roselle / hibiscus, eclipse sunflower

Crystals: ruby, jasper, cinnabar, morganite, garnet, red carnelian, red calcite, topaz

8. Orange

Herbs/Plants: orange, tangerine, poppy, zinnia, lantana, marigold, gerbera daisy, lilium, cosmo, aloe vera, canna, red hot poker, butterfly weed, carrot, sweet potato

Crystals: carnelian, orange calcite, aragonite, peach selenite, sunstone, fire quartz

9. Yellow

Herbs/Plants: sunflower, black eyed susan, buttercup, hibiscus, rose, daffodil, blanket flower, tulip, goldenrod, primrose, coreopsis, carolina jessamine, carnation

Crystals: citrine, lemon quartz, yellow jasper, goldstone

10. Green

Herbs/Plants: rosemary, mint, catnip, bay, oak, pine, grass, ivy, holly, chives, succulents, basil, literally every plant!

Crystals: emerald, moss agate, bloodstone, green calcite, green fluorite, aventurine, jade, malachite, chrysocolla, turquoise, peridot, Amazonite

More on Color Magic: SPRING Colors!