The traditional model of the
12-Colour Wheel, as we know it today, has its origin in the 17th century and was first presented by
Sir Isaac Newton after the discovery of the
Visible Spectrum of Light. Long after the publication of
Opticks in 1704,
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began his own experiments with
Colour, which led him to the publication of
The Theory of Colours in 1810. In his work,
Goethe explored the psychological aspects of
Colours and their relationship with human emotions and behavioural traits. Through his own
12-Colour Wheel, he also understood that colours placed opposite one another take on a visually antagonistic role, generating a relationship of polarity capable of revealing deeper dynamics of perception and
Consciousness.
Over time, this insight became one of the foundations of contemporary knowledge on the way the human brain interprets
Colour and highlighted the value of
Complementary Colours in understanding the unseen work of
Consciousness.
Complementary Colours, also called
Opposite Colours because they are placed on opposite sides of the
12-Colour Wheel, are chromatic pairs which, when combined or mixed, tend to cancel each other out, losing their hue and producing a greyscale. When placed next to each other, however, they create the strongest contrast and immediately make the tension between two polarities visible.
In the model of the
12-Colour Wheel,
Red,
Yellow and
Blue are considered
Primary Colours. The main complementary pairs between
Primary Colours and
Secondary Colours are
Red-Green,
Blue-Orange and
Yellow-Purple/Violet. Each complementary pair contains one primary colour and one secondary colour, showing how the complement of each primary colour arises from the combination of the other two primaries. Since
Colour arises from the encounter between
Light/Yang and
Darkness/Yin, every colour also holds within itself the inner work required to raise its own level of
Consciousness. This principle is clearly visible in visual experience: when observing the shadow of an object, it may appear to contain a component of its complementary colour, as happens in the shadow of a red apple, where a quality of blue-green light may emerge.
Colours and their
Complementaries constantly work together. They can support each other, create balance or enter into tension, revealing the hidden movement that operates behind visible manifestations. Each chromatic pair reveals a polarity of
Consciousness: what is expressed and what remains hidden, what seeks integration and what may generate conflict, what supports the manifestation of one’s
Mission and what calls for a deeper work of rebalancing.
Complementary Colours therefore make it possible to perceive the unseen work of
Consciousness behind the scenes of experience. Through their relationship, it becomes possible to understand more clearly the dynamics that activate certain patterns, the tensions that manifest in the
Human Energy Field, and the way in which each chromatic polarity can accompany the process of manifesting one’s
Mission and
Purpose in this lifetime.
COURSE CONTENT:
- The Complementary Colours of the 12-Colour Wheel in Relation to Consciousness.
- Colours and Complementary Colours in Relation to the Eye and the Human Energy Field.
- The Hidden Messages of Complementary Colours in Colour Interpretation.
- Complementary Colours: How They Work and How to Use Them.
- The Hidden Themes within Complementary Colours.
- Practical Exercises.