Glowing orange scarlet is a luminous, fiery hue that combines the assertive energy of orange with the deep, sacrificial intensity of scarlet. The term “glowing” denotes an inner radiance, as if the color itself emits light—a quality that aligns with the Qabalistic concept of Aish (fire) in its most spiritual form. In the King Scale of Colour, this shade is reserved for the highest, most abstract expression of a given correspondence, reflecting the Atziluthic world of pure emanation.

Position on the Tree of Life

This color is assigned to Path 31, the thirty‑first path of the Tree of Life, which connects Hod (Splendor, sphere of Mercury) to Malkuth (Kingdom, the material world). Path 31 is governed by the Hebrew letter Shin (ש), the letter of the Holy Spirit and the element of Fire. In the Tarot, it corresponds to the card The Last Judgment (or, in Crowley’s system, The Aeon), symbolizing resurrection, transformation, and the release of the spirit from the bonds of matter. The “glowing orange scarlet” of the King Scale thus represents the pure, undiluted fire of Shin as it descends from the supernal realms into the manifest world.

Astrological and Planetary Correspondence

Unlike many other paths, Path 31 has no direct planetary or zodiacal attribution; its primary correspondence is the element of Fire in its most essential, un‑differentiated state. This fire is not the destructive flame of Geburah but the creative, purifying fire that fuels spiritual rebirth. The color “glowing orange scarlet” captures this paradox: orange (traditionally linked to Geburah’s severity) and scarlet (often associated with Binah’s sorrow) are fused into a single, radiant tone that transcends their separate meanings.

Historical Context

The King Scale of Colour was codified by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the late 19th century, drawing on earlier Rosicrucian and Cabalistic color theories. It appears in the Book of the Concourse of the Forces and was later systematized by Aleister Crowley in Liber 777 (first published 1909). The scale is used for the most spiritual correspondences—those of the Atziluthic world—and its colors are considered “masculine” or active in nature.

“Glowing orange scarlet” for Path 31 is a distinctive entry. In the same table, Path 15 (Samekh) is simply “Scarlet,” Path 16 (Ayin) is “Red orange,” and Path 30 (Resh) is “Orange.” The addition of “glowing” to “orange scarlet” emphasizes the path’s unique role as a conduit for the fiery spirit. In Golden Dawn ritual, this color would have been used for the robe of the Hierophant (or the Adept) when working with the letter Shin, and in meditation it serves as a focus for invoking the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.

In Liber 777, the color “Glowing orange scarlet” appears at step 31 of the King Scale of Colour, directly opposite the entry for Path 31. It is the only occurrence of this exact shade in the entire table, underscoring the singular nature of Shin’s path—a bridge between the material and the divine, lit by an inner fire that never consumes.