Silkie, do you think that perhaps, being a color-oriented individual, your energy is "tuned" to recognizing those qualities? Whether through training, avocation, or simply a deep interest in color, your energy has learned to discriminate the finer points of colors, shades, hues, etc.
Perhaps it's the rational, reasoning brain that is fighting with intuition and "former energy". Our training in worldly matters is often as much of a hinderance as a help...hence the Taoist admonition "Once you learn the rules, promptly forget them". :)