Emotionally, and well as magickally, red is a strong, vibrant color associated with passion, strength, and confidence. It is the color of the Root chakra, and therefore is associated with stability, safety, and security. Red is considered a color of love, desire, and sexual passion, but it is also a color of warning, danger, and blood. When we are angry, we are said to “see red”; when we are embarrassed, we “turn red”; when we are being deliberately inflammatory or aggressive, we are “waving the red flag”.

However, red can also be a color of celebration, as shown by its association with the Sabbats of Yule and Beltane. Tuesday and the planet Mars are both represented by the color red. In the Gardnerian tradition red is used to represent the South quarter and element of Fire, while in traditional Wicca, it is used to represent the East and the element of Air. Red symbolized wisdom to the Aztecs, fire and rage to the Egyptians, and sacrificial blood to the Hebrews. Red is by no means a subtle color!

Red is associated with the element of Fire and therefore with manifestation. Among its many properties, red can be used to lend its manifesting powers to magickal workings, to gain strength, confidence, or physical energy, to spur action, or in sex magick or defensive magick. The color red can truly “fire up” or add extra energy to any working.