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Original fileKey to the Meanings of Colours
Colorchart
Annie Besant & C.W. Leadbeater
About This Work
The image consists of a 5x5 grid of colored swatches, with row and column numbers 1 through 5 indicated on the left. Below the grid, a text-based legend maps these specific colors to psychological states or spiritual qualities, such as 'High Spirituality,' 'Jealousy,' 'Intellect,' and 'Malice.' The colors range from light pastels and primary hues to muddy browns, deep crimsons, and solid black, reflecting the Theosophical effort to categorize human emotions and consciousness through visual spectral equivalents.
This chart is a foundational diagram from the Theosophical Society's investigation into human consciousness, published in Besant and Leadbeater's 'Thought-Forms' (1901). It illustrates the belief that thoughts and emotions project distinct colors within the 'astral body' or aura, influencing the development of modern occult color theory.
Inscriptions(English)
1 2 3 4 5 1. High Spirituality. 1. Devotion mixed with Affection. 1. Devotion to a Noble Ideal. 1. Pure Religious Feeling. 1. Selfish Religious Feeling. -- -- -- -- -- 2. Religious Feeling, tinged with Fear. 2. Highest Intellect. 2. Strong Intellect. 2. Low type of Intellect. 2. Pride. -- -- -- -- -- 3. Sympathy. 3. Love for Humanity. 3. Unselfish Affection. 3. Selfish Affection. 3. Pure Affection. -- -- -- -- -- 4. Adaptability. 4. Jealousy. 4. Deceit. 4. Fear. 4. Depression -- -- -- -- -- 5. Selfishness. 5. Avarice. 5. Anger. 5. Sensuality. 5. Malice. KEY TO THE MEANINGS OF COLOURS.
Connected Texts
Besant, Annie and Leadbeater, C.W., 'Thought-Forms'
This image serves as the primary illustrative key for the authors' analysis of color manifestations in the human aura.
Provenance & Source
Object
lithography
paper
Modern
British
scientific
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
1030 × 1561 px
Linked Data
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