Sefirotic Colours (2)

Many thanks to all who have taken the trouble to reply to my previous post on Sefirotic colours. I am aware of the western colours -white-grey-black-blue-red-yellow-green-orange-purple- black. I believe that the Golden dawn used these correspondences.

However, there is i think an older symbolism (and perhaps more authoritative, if we accept that Kabbalah is originally a Jewish mystical tradition) .. which throws up a few different schemes .. for example Binah can be Green. Scholem in his article .. Colours and their Symbolism in Jewish Tradition and Mysticism says ... 'According to Azriel (and to many other kabbalists) the third sefira, Binah, corresponds to green: this goes back to the Talmudic passage which has never received satisfactory interpretation. Thus the Tohu, the void in genesis 1:2, [suitable numbers for a Binah correspondence-sean], is designated as a green strip encircling the earth.'

Chesed is also in some correspondences given as white.

Malkuth, a four fold combination of the colours derived from Moses getting instructions from God on Sinai (Exodus 25:40) to build a dwelling place for Shekinah (a definite Malkuthian correspondence). The colours are generally (in Judaism) held to be red, green, black and white.

So these are a;ll quite different from our familiar Western tradition, of course over thousands of years, the Jewish correspondences have changed too... but I would be interested in hearing explanations of *why* such colour correspondences come about. (But please .. not along the lines of 'Netzach is sefira of nature .. and nature is green'. Any reasonable comments or indeed questions gratefully received.

Many thanks

The kabalah is indeed supposed to replect nature in its symbolism,as this is a reflection of the macrocosm,if you understand the 13 inferior and the nine superior beards.Also reflect upon the nature of the prism and the 7 types of light it produces,this is surely more important to understand,hence light in this case immediately takes on another meaning,as it is only seen in terms of its colours relected from the idea of the prismatic.So consistency,and understanding the true nature of things(not speculative old and venerable)...is the point. I would like to know what you mean by western,as all of our tradition comes from egyptian greek and generally from the middle eastern part of the world,and in our dark ages such knowledge was lost,and kept by the muslims and sufis until we developed links with these people and learnt it again.If by west you mean the usa uk australia and northern europe,are traditions are all inherited!Also remember that the hebrew system is gaudy and lost(as is the word?)hence if you are have not inherited the corner stone of truth how can you build your new temple?Even malkuth?Ever so was the foundation in change!So the colours in the easiest sense are reflected in nature,go out and observe,and learn how the ancients saw things,and perhaps shekinah(wisdom)will dawn in your house(sarah?)...ho hum!