As a psychic medium and paranormal investigator, I get asked about orbs a lot. And if you've ever spotted an orb in a photo (or with your naked eye) and wondered if it was a ghost or a spirit communicating with you, you're not alone. Many people who have encountered colorful orbs believe they've had a deeply spiritual experience. Other people think they're just a trick of the eye or a photographic artifact.
People have spotted ghostly orbs in all the colors of the rainbow. While no one knows whether spirits are able to consciously harness energy and appear as orbs, many people report encountering one. If you've spotted a colorful orb or taken a photo of one and wondered about the colors of orbs meanings, there are symbolic ways to help you better understand what type of energy may be present and what message it could have for you.
Orb Colors and What They Mean
Ghosts and spirits are energy, and all energy has a vibration that can be interpreted as a color. So if you spot a colorful ghost orb, its color may provide more information about its energy. However, even if it isn't a ghost, the orb's color may contain a message from spirit guides specifically for you.
Interpreting the energy of colors can help you better understand that message. The chart below offers an at-a-glance guide for interpreting orb colors when you encounter them, regardless of whether they are ghosts or messages from spirit.
| Ghost Orb Color | Possible Meaning |
|---|---|
| White |
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| Black |
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| Gray |
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| Silver |
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| Red |
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| Pink |
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| Brown |
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| Orange |
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| Yellow |
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| Gold |
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| Green |
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| Blue |
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| Violet |
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Many orbs in photos and videos are digital artifacts. However, if you spot an orb with your naked eye, it could contain a message from spirit.
Clear Orbs
Clear orbs may be a sign an entity is trying to communicate with you. The spirit may be trying to let the living know that some kind of significant event happened in that location and that the spirit wants help to move on. If the clear orb contains a personal message to you, your guides may be advising you to tune into your intuition to seek clarity.
Silver Orbs
Silver is associated with Divine guidance and connection with a higher source. Seeing a silver orb may indicate the presence of spirit guides trying to communicate with you, or it may indicate that if you tune into your psychic ability, you will better understand what the orb is trying to tell you. If it's a ghost orb, silver may indicate the presence of a ghost who was highly spiritual when they were alive.
Related: Meanings of 14 Different Aura Colors
White Orbs
White is also a color associated with Divinity and high-frequency beings from the angelic realms. Encountering a white orb may be a sign of Divine or angelic guidance, or it may indicate a ghost that was pure of heart or innocent in their life. In photos and videos, white orbs are often dust.
Black Orbs
Many people panic if they see a black orb, as black is often a color associated with negativity and evil. And encountering a black orb can indicate the presence of a very low-vibration or negative entity. But it can also signal a protective presence.
To determine the meaning of a black orb, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and pay attention to how you feel. If you feel a sense of foreboding when you see a black orb, it's more likely that is from low-vibration or negative energy, somebody who had dark energy when they were alive, or a manifestation of your own fear. If you feel peace, then it may be a sign of protection.
Brown Orbs
Spiritually, brown colors are associated with lower spiritual vibrations or Earth energy. So brown orbs may indicate the presence of an Earth spirit (or something with highly grounding energy), or they could indicate the presence of a ghost with a low-vibration energy. Again, listen to your intuition. If you feel uncomfortable, leave and surround yourself with a white light of protection.
Orange Orbs
Orange is a color associated with vitality and joy. It can also convey a sense of connection and belonging. So when you notice an orange orb, you may be encountering a joyful spirit, one that feels connected with you or its status as a ghost, or one with a great deal of creative energy. It could also provide a personal message to dial into your own creativity and inspiration. Orange orbs may also represent the presence of spirits who were your kin while in the physical world.
Red Orbs
From a spiritual perspective, red is associated with safety and security. Therefore, encountering a red orb may be a message to seek protection or a sign that you are protected. If the red orb indicates the presence of a ghost, then it may convey that the spirit is passionate, restless, or even angry.
Gold Orbs
Gold is a color with highly spiritual meanings, such as Divine guidance or Source energy. Gold orbs can also signal luck. So if you encounter a gold orb, you may be crossing paths with a Divine spiritual entity, or it could show a spirit that was lucky in life.
Green Orbs
Green is associated with matters of the heart, nature, and healing. Green orbs are sometimes thought to be an indication of the presence of a human spirit as opposed to one that was never on Earth in human form. Green orbs may also represent love or oneness with nature. The presence of a green orb may also convey healing energy or a spirit in need of healing.
Yellow Orbs
Yellow orbs can be an energetic warning reminding you to proceed with caution. But they can also indicate a spirit that is still strongly identified with its human ego or one who struggled with issues of self-worth, willpower, or self-esteem in life.
Blue Orbs
Blue is spiritually associated with speaking your truth and creative expression. It also is a very calming color, and many people associate it with a deep sense of tranquility and peace. Encountering a blue orb may indicate a spirit is at peace, or it may be a message that you need to speak, share, and live your truth.
Gray Orbs
Gray may show depression or spiritual lack, or it may represent fear or ambivalence. If you see a gray orb, it could indicate the presence of a depressed spiritual entity, or an entity lacking in spiritual awareness.
Violet Orbs
Violet is a spiritual color associated with psychic abilities, dreaming, and Divine guidance. Violet or purple orbs may indicate the presence of a highly spiritual being, or it might suggest it's time to tune into your psychic energy. A violet orb can also be a manifestation of psychic energy from someone nearby... maybe even you.
Pink Orbs
It's a common belief that pink orbs are messengers of love and compassion. This can be universal love, such as the spiritual love of an ascended master, guide, teacher, or archangel. It can also be a more specific love, such as the love of a deceased family member who takes on the mantle of a spirit orb to say they are still with you. Whoever the messenger is, a pink orb brings encouragement, hope, peace and, always, love.
Possible Explanations for Colorful Ghost Orbs
In some orb photos, camera lenses have coatings with different colors in them. Sometimes, these colors are reflected in orbs that are photographic artifacts, and this has nothing to do with the paranormal. This is known as a lens flare orb. However, some New Age and spiritual practitioners believe that, as there are no coincidences, even lens flare orbs in photographs exist to bring you a message.
Orbs in Video and Photos
Orbs are very common in paranormal photography and video. In digital photography, orbs are a known artifact of the process. The Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena (ASSAP) explains this in their case study on Orb Zone Theory.
- With digital and film photography, where colored orbs appear, this is often associated with the subtle coloring of the camera's lens.
- Other items can cause orbs to appear, including reflective surfaces, dust, rain, water spots, and bugs.
- In videos, infrared lights can reflect off of these same objects and give them a lighted orb-like appearance. People often mistake bugs and dust for flying orbs. These even appear as flying orbs in houses that are well-cleaned and not dusty, as infrared light easily picks up the smallest amounts of dust.
For these reasons, many paranormal investigators don't consider orbs to be paranormal evidence because there are too many natural-world explanations for them. However, it's a possibility that some orbs could be paranormal. This may be particularly true of orbs seen with the naked eye, especially those that appear to have their own light source and unusual patterns of travel.
What Do Orbs of Light Mean?
When you encounter an orb of light, it may have different meanings depending on the circumstances, the energy that's present, and a host of other factors. I tend to believe that while a majority of orbs are just natural occurrences, a very small percentage actually bring spiritual messages to those willing to listen. I also believe that if an orb brings you peace, joy, comfort, or any other experiences that lead to growth, then it doesn't really matter whether it's something paranormal or something natural because it was a meaningful experience for you. Using the orb color meanings and your own intuition can help you decide what it means to you when you encounter a colorful orb.
