The Colors of Cancer: The Decans

The Two, Three, and Four of Cups

Jul 28, 2024

Title image for The Colors of Cancer: The Decans

This newsletter will examine the colors of the three decans of Cancer and their corresponding tarot cards, the Two, Three, and Four of Cups. The color system used in the featured tarot decks comes from the Golden Dawn and combines astrological and Tree of Life (Qabalah) colors to form a unique palette for each card.

The tarot's astrological colors are based on a traditional artist’s color wheel. The twelve zodiac signs, seven traditional planets, and the four elements are all mapped to the wheel and assigned specific colors.

All Minor Arcana are mapped to the Tree of Life based on their number. The Cups, being of the Element of Water, are all mapped to the World of Water, Briah, whose color system is known as the Queen Scale.

In the tarot, it is often a practice to bring the pure colors from the King Scale of the Tree of Life Four Worlds into the art of a card. Since the forces of the tree move downward, it is also common practice to include the influencing color from above in the same color scale. Another technique is to use the color of the Court Card Element from the same Pillar on the TOL.

Read on to see how these color systems can be found in the cards of Cancer.

CANCER DECAN 1 COLORS

June 22 - July 1 • Two of Cups, Love

The Two of Cups: Astrology Color Wheel, Color Palette Diagram, Tree of Life position, and The Great Work Book.

CANCER DECAN 1 ASTROLOGY COLORS

ELEMENT: Water = Blue
ZODIAC: Cancer = Amber
ZODIAC RULING PLANET: Moon = Blue
DECAN RULING PLANET: Venus = Green

CANCER DECAN 1 TREE OF LIFE COLORS

DECAN SEPHIRAH: Chokmah of Briah = Grey
PRIMARY SEPHIRAH: Chokmah of Atziluth = Pure Soft Blue
COURT SEPHIRAH: Knights/Chokmah = Red

Two of Cups from Rider-Wate, Thoth, and Golden Dawn Tarot decks with their Astrological and Tree of Life color palettes.

RIDER-WAITE: Amber of Cancer is found in the foreground and the clothing of the male figure. The Green of Venus is used in the headdress of the female figure and perhaps in the background scene–although this is a lighter green. Grey of the decan Sephirah is used in the white clothing. The Red could either be in reference to the Kings of the Court cards that are also mapped to the same Sephirah or perhaps Alchemical symbolism. The Blue of the Element Water, The Moon, and the King Scale can be seen in the background and clothing of the female figure.

THOTH: Amber of Cancer and Green of Venus can be seen in the background sea imagery, the stems of the Lotus, and the tail fins of the fish. The sky is Blue for the Element Water, The Moon, and the King Scale. Grey hues can possibly be seen in the water. As before, the Red could either refer to the Kings of the Court cards that are also mapped to the same Sephirah or perhaps Alchemical symbolism.

GOLDEN DAWN: The Amber of Cancer and the Grey of the Decan Sephirah can be seen in the dolphins, the water spouts with Amber, and also in the Lotus blooms. The Lotus leaves are the Green of Venus. Blue of the Element Water, The Moon, and King Scale can be seen in the background sea.

CANCER DECAN 2 COLORS

July 2 - 12 • Three of Cups, Abundance

The Three of Cups: Astrology Color Wheel, Color Palette Diagram, Tree of Life position, and The Great Work Book.

CANCER DECAN 2 ASTROLOGY COLORS

ELEMENT: Water = Blue
ZODIAC: Cancer = Amber
ZODIAC RULING PLANET: Moon = Blue
DECAN RULING PLANET: Mercury = Yellow

CANCER DECAN 2 TREE OF LIFE COLORS

DECAN SEPHIRAH: Binah of Briah = Black
PRIMARY SEPHIRAH: Binah of Atziluth = Crimson
COURT SEPHIRAH: Queens/Binah = Blue

Three of Cups from Rider-Wate, Thoth, and Golden Dawn Tarot decks with their Astrological and Tree of Life color palettes.

RIDER WAITE & THOTH: All colors in this palette can be easily found in both Rider-Waite and Thoth Cards. Notice the difference between Amber and Yellow in the cards. Indigo and Black are often interchangeable colors in the tarot, and the Thoth Tarot features an Indigo sea in the background. This is the Sea of Binah, the Third Sephirah.

GOLDEN DAWN: Amber and Blue are the only noticeable colors in this card.

CANCER DECAN 3 COLORS

July 11 - 21 • Four of Cups, Pleasure/Luxury

The Four of Cups: Astrology Color Wheel, Color Palette Diagram, Tree of Life position, and The Great Work Book.

CANCER DECAN 3 ASTROLOGY COLORS

ELEMENT: Water = Blue
ZODIAC: Cancer = Amber
ZODIAC RULING PLANET: Moon = Blue
DECAN RULING PLANET: Moon = Blue

CANCER DECAN 3 TREE OF LIFE COLORS

DECAN SEPHIRAH: Chesed in Briah = Blue
ABOVE SEPHIRAH: Chokmah in Briah = Grey
PRIMARY SEPHIRAH: Chesed in Atziluth = Deep Purple
COURT SEPHIRAH: Knights/Chokmah = Red

Four of Cups from Rider-Wate, Thoth, and Golden Dawn Tarot decks with their Astrological and Tree of Life color palettes.

RIDER WAITE & THOTH: All colors in this decan’s palette can easily be found except for the Deep Purple from the King Scale. The Thoth card uses Grey in the sky to show the color influence from above. In the Rider-Waite card, Pamela Colman-Smith highlights the Red clothing with its Flashing Color, Green.