Color Psychology + Storytelling

with the MST Card Back Reveal!

I absolutely LOVE color. My entire life is a kaleidoscopic maximalist magpie’s rainbow dream.

Ever since I was a baby, surrounded by my circus-themed nursery bedding, I have been fascinated by color. From rainbow sprinkles (on everything) to hoarding crayons, markers, and colored pencils, to arranging my bookshelves in the order of Roy G. Biv, color is a tremendously important part of my world.

Color has such an impact on emotions and mood that there is an entire branch of psychology dedicated to the subject. Understanding how and why color affects human perception can provide insight on motivation and behavior, two important considerations for the fiction writer.

Fiction writers are encouraged to show their stories, rather than just telling them. Showing a story allows the reader to understand more details so they might imagine themselves as a particular character or immersed in the book’s world. Adding color to a story is an excellent way of showing it.

Across various cultures, different colors have diverse meanings and connotations, and personal preferences can also inform the significance of color. As you explore the tarot, whether pulling single cards or setting out multiple in a spread, pay attention to which colors catch your eye most prominently, and then answer the following questions:

1. How do the colors make you feel?

2. Are they forming repetitive patterns?

3. Which colors are your favorites?

In this post, I will provide some insight around the most common colors—listed alphabetically—in the tarot paired with their psychological and symbolic meanings. And what more perfect timing than Pride Month to explore the color spectrum!

The next time you shuffle your cards for inspiration while writing, cast your eyes on the first color that jumps out at you, consider how it makes you feel, and then check the following interpretations for how the color might paint your work.

Black

Black informs authority, beginnings, calmness, endings, fear, mystery, the occult, and seduction. Historically, the color has been associated with darkness, grief, and shadow; however, these negative connotations can be problematic and reductive. On a positive note, black is the color of power, protection, sophistication, and strength. In the tarot, the cards that include a large amount of this color call attention to what’s unknown. If one of these cards lands on your writer’s desk, how can you draw strength from its messaging?

Blue

One of the three primary colors, blue is the color of atmosphere, harmony, life, peace, spirituality, tranquility, and water. While lighter shades of blue promote calmness and trust, darker shades can evoke feelings of loneliness, despair, detachment, or solitude. On a lower polarity, blue directly relates to “having the blues” or “feeling blue.” In the tarot, blue is predominantly featured on cards that lean towards imagination and inspiration. How does the color blue inspire you?

Personally, my favorite color is haint blue, a color popularized by the Gullah and Geechee peoples of the Coastal Georgia and Florida communities. The light bluish-green hue is thought to protect homes and other establishments from “haints,” or trickster spirits hellbent on causing mayhem. When painted on the underside of a front porch, the color also helps deter wasps!

Brown

Because it’s an earthy tone, the color brown is associated with comfort, dedication, endurance, loyalty, reliability, resilience, safety, security, simplicity, stability, and trust. The color is considered neutral and can therefore serve as a grounding influence, reminding one of the basics, their roots, and core values. In the tarot, brown is associated with material success and practicality. If this color stands out on a card in a reading, perhaps you or your character(s) are being called to ground yourselves and/or return to the basics.

Gray

The most neutral of all colors, gray is austere, conventional, even, moderate, monotonous, and standard. It can suggest depression, intellect, modesty, mystery, neutrality, sadness, and uncertainty. Fun fact: To see another color in its true, pure form, surround it with gray. For example, museum walls are painted variations of gray (most of which lean closer to white) because the color is best for showcasing artwork without any color influence or interference. In the tarot, gray leans toward mystery and/or uncertainty.

Green

Like the color brown, green is a dominant color in nature. Green influences balance, calm, endurance, harmony, hope, good luck, growth, happiness, optimism, peace, relaxation, stability, and tranquility. On a lower polarity, green can represent envy and sickness. In the tarot, green is a symbol of a fresh start, optimal health, money, and stability. If this color catches your attention in a card or reading, how does it make you feel?

Orange

A warm color, evoking thoughts of citrus fruit, fire, and summertime, orange can have a similar effect on mood and feeling. The color can represent optimism, energy, flamboyance, confidence. On a lower polarity, orange can represent aggression, arrogance, and caution. In the tarot, orange can convey healing powers and happiness. If this color resonates with you in a reading, consider it an invitation to turn up the volume, add more fuel to your fire, or any idiom related to injecting your writing practice with an extra dose of vivacity.

Pink

Warm and soothing, pink is a color that has been traditionally associated with innocence, femininity, love, and romance. Pink can also represent sweetness and optimism, hence the saying “seeing the world through rose-colored glasses.” In the tarot, pink can indicate unconditional and nurturing love. If this color catches your eye in a card or a reading, how might you or your character(s) express love or compassion? Alternatively, have these sensations blinded you/them from seeing things clearly?

Purple / Violet

The color purple is associated with spirituality, enlightenment, and like Alice Walker’s book of the same title, The Color Purple represents freedom. Additionally, because the earliest purple fabric dyes were costly, only the wealthy could afford them. Therefore, purple came to be associated with royalty, luxury, and opulence. In the tarot, this color informs deep-thinking and spiritual truth-seeking, and I would be remiss if I did not mention Prince in connection with this color. According to his family, purple was his favorite color because it was associated with royalty and made him feel “Princely.”

Red

Red is a color of extremes. One of the three primary colors, red symbolizes passion, love, anger, rage, desire, and power. In Renaissance era paintings, figures wearing the color red were meant to stand out in importance and significance. Similarly, in the tarot, the color red is prominently featured on cards that inform action, confidence, strength, and vitality. If this color pops out on a card or in a reading, consider your immediate feelings and thoughts about it. What messaging is the color trying to convey?

Yellow

One of the three primary colors, yellow is universally associated with the sun. This color highlights creativity, happiness, honor, hunger, intellect, and joy. Yellow is a color of clarity and positive energy, and in the tarot, the cards that feature a heavy amount of yellow are associated with intellect, positivity, and vitality. When this color resonates with you in a card or reading, you are encouraged to pause and reflect on how the energy and messaging it reflects or highlights.

White

Like black and gray, white is a neutral color. It symbolizes hope, peace, and purity. Historically, white has represented healing and protection, and in the tarot, it informs faith and innocence.

We chose RED to inspire action, confidence, strength, and vitality in your storytelling craft. Save the date so that you can get your hands on this deck!

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Save the date! Tuesday, August 6: MYSTIC STORYTELLER comes to BackerKit! Read more here.

In case you missed it… I’ve designed a free gift for you… Read more here.