Color Consult: Explore the Inner Self through Color Analysis & Color Theory
- Sarah Engen
- Sep 28, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 6, 2025
"Color is the soul element of nature". - Rudolf Steiner
Most people think of color subjectively and as a matter of taste or preference - “I like pink; I never wear yellow”.
Yet, color is a force and phenomenon and a component and quality of all living things. The cooling shades of the blue sea or the balancing green of the pine tree, or the extreme color contrasts of a black and red venomous snake all convey essence through color. Color isn't simply a construct like an aesthetic, but has a theory and is a real living quintessence, independent and standalone from our perception or experience. It lives regardless of our perception of it. It exists in wavelengths of energy and holds specific vibrations.
You, as a living thing, are also a color phenomenon and, and your individual color essence reveals aspects of yourself and your individual qualities. One could say that your body acts as a prism to reflect your Inner Self. Color is also symbolic and has a real effect, evoking an emotional and physiological response, whether we are conscious of it or not.
There has been much hypothesized about the nature of color and color theory, from Aristotle the philosopher, to Newton the scientist, from Goethe the thinker and Chevreul the chemist, to Itten - a Bauhaus School of Art professor, to Steiner the spiritualist.
One thing remains clear. We are beings of nature and color is a key principle of our nature. So, understanding your Color Signature through analysis is paramount to understanding your individual self.
A Color Consult involves color analysis to reveal your individual Color Signature - your Core Hue, your Color Palette, your Color Psychology and Color Effect, and your Color Story or symbolism, so you can gain vital knowledge about your true nature.
Although you appear in earthly form
Your essence is pure Consciousness.
You are the fearless guardian
of Divine Light.
So come, return to the root of the root
of your own soul.
-Rumi
Color Theory and the Ancient World
Color theory proposes that color is wavelengths of light radiating at different frequencies and vibrations and holds and transmutes energy. It played a key role in ancient worlds, like Ancient Egypt, to evoke the nature of those of superior rank and prestige such as the Pharaoh, and to influence and awaken those who walked through their temples.
Master artists, at that time, would adorn the temples with colors arduously sourced from specific locations and developed with precise techniques by color scientists to ensure the color was pure in form.
Lapis Blue was one of the most revered colors as it was used to commune with the unconscious realms for transformative experience. The master artists therefore required not only color skills, but also the skill to work within the higher realms to discern the streams of information from the unconscious.
Those master artists who worked with rust red had a very different expertise and vibe. They worked predominantly on the physical plane, and had to be grounded and stable individuals. They had to know how to ground energy and hold it, and how to solidify and anchor the pharaoh's presence on the physical plane which was about purpose and what he was to achieve.
Man at the dawn of civilization recognized that sunlight was essential to light. Color, being a manifestation of light, held divine meaning.” - Faber Birren
The Language of Color
Color is a language used to communicate our nature. We are naturally drawn to the colors that reflect our nature.
Johannes Itten, a lecturer at the Bauhaus School of Art from the 1930's, created his own theories on color. He found from monitoring his art students that each student leaned towards and always used the same color palette. That color palette, Itten discovered, was a reflection of the student’s own individual colors which they had chosen almost intuitively. Studies have shown that most tend to lose our natural sense of color after the age of ten.
Color Theory - The Experts
Johannes Itten (1888-1967)
Swiss Professor at the Bauhaus School of Art in Germany in the early 1920’s who developed comprehensive color theory including the 12 point ‘Color Sphere’.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832)
Writer and Philosopher who questioned Newton’s ideas on color theory and the influence of color in nature.
Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925)
Educator and Esotericist who studied the writings of Goethe and contemplated the esoteric ideas behind color.
Faber Birren (1900-1988)
Art Historian who developed the ‘rational color circle’ and pioneering color theory in printing. He considers green one of the primary colors.
Michel Eugene Chevreul (1786-1889)
Dye Director at Gobelins Manufactory in Paris who developed the laws of color contrast after noticing how the color yarns could impact the color of surrounding yarns.
Isaac Newton (1643-1727)
Scientist who proposed the idea of refraction, that light through a prism decomposes into the spectrum of colors.
The Method of Color Analysis
Color analysis, in the traditional sense, is a method used to determine which colors best suit an individual based on their skin tone, hair color, and eye color. Our approach and exploration goes deeper, as we are concerned with your not only your colors but your color signature - your nature and the impact you have.
The Core Concept of Color Analysis for determining your colors is based on two factors: Undertone and Value and Contrast:
Undertone: Is your skin cool (blue/pink) or warm (yellow/peach/gold)? Do you reflect or absorb light?
Value & Contrast: Is there high contrast between your features (e.g., dark hair, light skin) or low contrast (e.g., similar tones throughout)?
The leads to the Four Seasons - Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer which is the easiest system to use when explaining color to a client as the seasons represent a theme, evoke a feeling, a sensibility and provide a clear concept for clients to follow.
Color Consult: Our Process goes deeper
Your Color Palette
Your have a color palette that represents your color temperature - cool or warm, your chromatic value - clear or muted, and your luminosity and intensity - light or dark.
Your Core Hue
The color frequency that resonates with your deepest nature. Your vibe expressed through color.
Your Color Palette
Your entire color spectrum including your tints, tones, shades, and primaries. Your color palette reveals your nature and how you interact with your world, and whether you reflect or absorb the world and others around you.
Your Color Psychology
You have an effect on others and evoke an emotional response. You leave others with a feeling, whether they or you are conscious of this or or not.
Your Color Symbolism
Just as a painting contains symbolism and conveys an idea, your colors have meaning and reflect an idea about you. As a color phenomenon, your language of color can achieve an authentic expression that conveys aspects of your nature.
Your Color Profile
Your Color Profile consists of your Color Palette, your ideal colors, the meaning and energy behind your colors, how to utilize and implement your Color Signature.
The Benefits of Color Analysis
Understanding your color palette through analysis can have a significant impact on your life. Here are some benefits of color analysis:
Boosts Confidence & Self-Awareness: Learning your colors and more about your true self gives a stronger sense of self, you feel more in-tune, connected to your innate nature, giving you a psychological boost and more confidence.
Saves Time and Money: Knowing your colors helps you make better choices in terms of the colors you surround yourself with - your decor, wardrobe, make-up, and hair.
Stronger Message: With a clear understanding of your colors, you can present a more cohesive message of who you are, what you are about, and understand the impact you have on others through your colors, so you can make a strong impression.
Knowledge is Power: Color analysis opens up the window to deeper connection with yourself which can make you feel more empowered as you feel more in the know and informed.
Benefits of our Color Consult
The Unconscious Self: Color analysis helps uncover the mystery of our unconscious self. The Inner Self, that represents our connection to the "I Am" or Universal Source, we are often unconscious of her true qualities nor understand her entirely. This work brings us closer to our innate nature.
How We Fit: Learning our nature by understanding color theory helps us determine how we come across to others helps us understand our footprint and dynamics with others.
Evocation: Just as the colors and symbols invoked the power of the Pharaoh, your Color Signature can awaken your innate powers - whether they reflect the gentle cool waters of a running stream or whether they reflect the vibrant reds of a roaring flame.
Final Thoughts on Color Analysis and Discovering Your Colors
Color analysis is a powerful tool that can transform the way you see yourself and the world around you. It gives you a window into your Inner Self and allows you to express who you are more effectively. Color is essentially light and energy, a source of power and strength, and provides you with a tool for living your life with more joyfully and successfully.
Explore who you are through a Color Consult.
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