Grey flecked pink is a colour that belongs to the Queen Scale (also called the Scale of Colour) of the Qabalistic Tree of Life, specifically assigned to the third Sephirah, Binah (Understanding). This scale is the feminine, receptive, and material expression of the divine, and the colour reflects the nature of Binah as the Great Mother, the womb of creation, and the source of form and limitation.

Position on the Tree of Life

In the Queen Scale, each Sephirah is represented by a colour that embodies its essence. Binah, the third Sephirah, is the first of the three Supernal Sephiroth, and its colour in this scale is Grey flecked pink. This colour is a mixture of grey, which symbolizes the formless, the void, and the potential for all form, and pink, which represents love, sacrifice, and the nurturing aspect of the Mother. The flecks of pink suggest the spark of life and love within the grey of limitation and sorrow.

Astrological and Planetary Correspondence

Binah is associated with the planet Saturn in the Qabalistic system, representing limitation, time, and structure. The colour Grey flecked pink thus carries the Saturnine qualities of restriction and form, tempered by the pink of compassion and understanding. This combination reflects the dual nature of Binah as both the stern mother who imposes boundaries and the loving mother who sustains and nurtures.

Historical Context

The Queen Scale of Colour is derived from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which systematized Qabalistic correspondences in the late 19th century. The colour Grey flecked pink appears in the original Golden Dawn manuscripts and was later codified in Aleister Crowley's Liber 777, a comprehensive table of correspondences. In the Golden Dawn tradition, the Queen Scale is used in ritual and meditation to align with the feminine, receptive aspects of the Sephiroth. The specific colour for Binah in this scale is described as "Grey flecked pink," emphasizing the interplay of formlessness and love that characterizes the third Sephirah.

In the broader context of Qabalistic colour symbolism, the Queen Scale is one of four scales (the King, Queen, Emperor, and Empress scales) that correspond to the four worlds of the Qabalah: Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah, and Assiah. The Queen Scale is associated with Briah, the world of creation, and thus Grey flecked pink represents the creative, formative aspect of Binah as it manifests in the universe.

Closing

In Liber 777, Grey flecked pink is listed as the colour of the Queen Scale for Binah, the third Sephirah, reflecting its role as the colour of understanding, limitation, and the maternal principle. This colour serves as a visual key for meditating on the nature of Binah and for invoking its energies in ritual practice.