Black

[Bluefish]

I've read things saying you should never use black as the colour for your psychic shield, or for your robe etc because it is the absence of colour and will absorb and negate energy around it.
 
But I've always thought of black more as the black as fertility thing, the space that gives of the old to begin the seed of the new. It does seem to be a very still place to me, reminiscent of the space between breathing out and the next breath, cradling both the fading touch of the old and the germ of the new. It doesn't feel to me that using black cloth has sucked the energy out of my tools, and I always have felt that black was the colour I should be storing them in.  It certainly seems to harbour/store/hold power to me, but not in the "empty" way stuff I've read makes it sound.
Or maybe that's just the goth side of me coming out
 
I was wondering how other people felt about black?

[Gryphon]

I would be interested in the places you read about not using black and the context the authors' advice was used in.

I, too, have an infinity for black as a color in many of my workings, and any one who knows me will tell you that I am definately anything but Goth!

[TheBriarRose]

I'm more of the school that a symbol means precicely and exactly whatever definitions you give it...certainly there are scientific and psychological properties to colors - Green is calming, White deflects light...

Personally, Black to me is a grounding color.  It absorbs so much and gives back so little.

I think, in the beginning, we need the color correspondances to give ourselves framework, but for me...like with my tarot...once I got comfortable with my tools and what they meant, I could assign my own values to things.

[Lark]

I've never heard that said about the color, black.  

Black is typically associated with the Element of Earth.  Since it is associated with Earth it could, I suppose, be seen as grounding out energies.  Of course, grounding your psychic shields would not be a bad thing.  And Earth is not only a way of grounding energies, the Earth is also the source of much of the energy that we draw upon in our workings.  So it is really more like an electrical circuit..not a bad thing at all.

I also associate the color black with the dark of the moon, the fourth face of the Goddess and other things.  None of those things would tend to suck energy out of your tools, etc.  

As Gryphon said, color correspondences are simply a tool that we use to help us.  They aren't something that are totally fixed in stone.  But I'm not sure that I would hold with the particular correspondence of black that you have asked about.

In fact, if it were true, then why is it that so many Witches over the centuries have traditionally worn black??

-Lark-

[Zenon]

I know a few people who actually use black for shielding, in fact, I know a witch (who is not a goth) who tries to wear nothing but black for this reason.  But then there are other people who are not witches who agree that white is better for shielding.  I guess it's a matter of tradition and belief.

[NachtSorcier]

I use black as a shield when practicing psionics to make an "invisibility cloak."  

As they said, color correspondences aren't set in stone, it all depends on what the colors mean to you.  In my mind, black is a power color that can be used for almost anything, especially spirituality, drawing energy for magic, and protection.  But to a lot of people, black is a psychologically depressing color and don't like it at all.  But in my case, bright colors make me uncomfortable, so I never wear them and rarely use them in magic and ritual.  In short, use black if it is constructive to you; if it isn't, don't.

[TheBriarRose]

Of course I wear a lot of black, and I'm not goth..I just look good in black..it's a minimizing color..hides multitudes of middle aged flaws!  :wink:

[dragonfly]

I like to wear black,just not so much during summer(it does absorb heat).
 I agree with TheBriarRose black hides a mulitude of middle age flaws-it's very slimming.
*from a mom of 3 who put on weight having kids*

[Bluefish]

The places I've seen black described as a colour that negates was mainly fluffy bunny witchcraft sites, the kind that say you should never work with darker or destructive magic. The 'white witch' thing.
I'm afraid I don't remember any specific sites, it was at the start of my searching that I found them.
I always wondered about witches traditionally wearing black if it was not a good colour for it, but since these websites were some of the very first I found it took me ages to realise they were sugar coating things.  :?

[Anonymous]

I too look Mah-velous in Black!

Your query reminds me of a conversation I had with my (then) New Age sister years ago.  At the time I drove a bright red Jeep CJ-7 and absolutely loved that car.  She came into town and said (in a very snotty tone), "Why ever did you choose Red?"
Me - "Why not red? I like it!"  Her - "Well, it's just that it's such a LOW color...I prefer to surround myself with colors that vibrate at a much higher frequency!"

So, according to her belief system, she should have been driving a violet toyota....

People find the silliest things to judge each other about.  It's about their own stuff, not yours.

[Zenon]

I too look Mah-velous in Black!

Your query reminds me of a conversation I had with my (then) New Age sister years ago.  At the time I drove a bright red Jeep CJ-7 and absolutely loved that car.  She came into town and said (in a very snotty tone), "Why ever did you choose Red?"
Me - "Why not red? I like it!"  Her - "Well, it's just that it's such a LOW color...I prefer to surround myself with colors that vibrate at a much higher frequency!"

So, according to her belief system, she should have been driving a violet toyota....

People find the silliest things to judge each other about.  It's about their own stuff, not yours.

After some reasoning, I think it's bad for her... it she uses colors that EMIT vibrations then her aura will be emitting too, therefore opening up.  If you use low wavelength colors, or black even, that does not emit, you get a neutral or magnetic aura that will stay put.

[Shadow]

Me - "Why not red? I like it!"

The only reason I can think of is that it attracts the wrong kind of attention when I'm driving.  There's a reason they call it "Hello Officer Red".

As for any bad corrispondences with black, or any other color, I think color corispondence is a subjective thing.  If black feels bad to you don't use it.  

I had someone who was crying on my shoulder that none of the magic she and her husband were using to attract wealth into their home was working.  They were burning green candles by the bushel full, they were writing their desires for increase on green paper, etc...  They were doing this because some book had told them that green was the color for such workings because it was the color of money.  However, to them green was the color of growing things.  So, not only were they not getting more money they were spending extra in time and gas because their lawn had started growing at such a rate that they were having to mow it twice a week.

I suggested they switch their "magic color" to gold.  Her first response was, "but Cunningham (I'm pretty sure it was Cunningham) says green is the color of money".  It seems that since he was a "well respected pagan author" he should be believed and his corispondences used.  Once they finally did switch their business picked up and they were able to afford a chiropractor for her husband who had thrown his back out pushing the lawn mower.

[Zenon]

I think it definitely has to do with personal beliefs, cultural perspectives, or traditions.

From a cross cultural perspective, you get chinese people who associate red with happiness and good vibes, and you get south americans that associate purple with death and mourning.

Then in a traditional perspective, there are wiccans who believe green is the color of prosperity and chaos magicians who see blue as the color of prosperity.  Then there were egyptians who would associate black with fertility and the earth.

[Anonymous]

Maybe it all depends on how the person feels about the color (?)