I was thinking...according to both magic and spirituality, colors has clear meanings, each color represents a certain thing. And I don't argue with that.

I do, however have a hard time understanding why the meaning of colors should be generalized, each color should mean excactly the same to everyone. Perception of color is subjective, as is the association of color. If you were to explain the color red to a blind person, how would you do it? The scent of roses? The warmth of fire?

Just as with dream interpretation, you should look to what it means to you, what each color symbolizes. What do you think of when you see red? It could be love, anger, marriage, hate, sex, fire, passion, happiness, warmth, destruction...all depending on the eyes who see.

Serious magic practitioners advices us to create our own spells, instead of using prewritten things, because magic is personal. So why should the use of colors, with candles, flowers, energies, chakras, be any different?

Colors represent a vibration, a waveform our eyes are capable of percieving. You can percieve all differently, but you can not change the effect of the frequency any less then you can change the rythm of day and night...
But the basic perception, and the meaning of it I think lies in our natural roots... Day-light-activity. Night-dark-nonactivity(sleep). The colors, probably a similar representation. I'd not be surprised if this were part of our "instinct" so to say.

As for the chakra's, they represent the spiritual "organs", is it not? It would not make sense if they were somewhere else... just as it would not make sense to percieve your brains to be in your bottoms, so to say...

As for red... Red is in many meanings. Crimson red is hate... Bright red a warning. Light red (touching pink) can be love. It is a matter of context...

restraunts use a lot of red in their environment because it's been found to stimulate hunger, just like hospital rooms are annoying pastels, their suppose to be relaxing, but i don't like pastel...they have universal meaning. However reading over books i do find slightly varied meanings for various colors...so three books each have different descriptions and uses...i just go with what feels right for me.

Colours, candles and other talismans only serve to focus the mind and you can have greater effect on someone if their mind is focused in the same way as yours.
I think symbols were originally used as a teaching tool, as a way of explaining things that were otherwise difficult to explain and they have become standard because of mass media.

The colours of candles came originally from the materials used to make them, different ingredients for different uses.

Flowers are standardised because of their different chemical powers.

Objects like rune stones (or originally knuckle bones) were standardised because the symbols were said to be the language of the gods.

Most people need help, either from talismans or from other practitioners to take their first steps and so a standard is needed in whichecer they choose.

In short, history has shown us (oh the irony ) that written records play a huge part in the growth of any practice or ideal and with out a general standard consensus, recording of these things would not be possible and therefore the gathering of knowledge

OIr to look at it another way, standardisation of symbols and practices allows people to move more quickly through the earlier stages because they can learn from others experiences.

Instinctual responce is most likely..our brains are attuned whether we like it or not to see red as the colour of blood..our rather carniverous ancestry automaticaly kicks in a hunger responce.

With magic the mind is the tool and each mind links colours and all things through a collection of memories and associations. If you were attacked by a dog while wearing green it is bound to make the colour change in your reaction to it.

As with assembling a dish for yourself you must gather ingredients that match your tastes. The colour of love may be different for each person. All artifacts, charms, wands etc are a way of focusing and structuring the mind, directing the will of the individual in the way that best suits them. Each book of shadows is different..when magic is practiced with others any itemns used must be general enough for all to understand, hence why many things become stereotyped such as skulls, candles etc.

Personaly I find letting my mind be led by chaos..like the branches of a tree or the ripples on a lake focuses my cynical mind more than any other thing..but that may be due to my two sided nature..i'm sceptical of all things concieved by man.

Colours represent both sounds and light and emotion. Not only that but in our subconcious these meanings are programmed in. And as with anything internal, we percieve the meanings from our subconcious with our own preconceptions.
Lets just say, Lust and blood are similar in colour, now if you looked at that colour how many people do you think would see blood or Lust, and how many would see both? Remember first impressions last.