What is the Aura?
Spiritual and Metaphysical Perspective
I often wondered what exactly people meant when they talked about “the aura” and what relevance that had.
What did this mean?
It wasn’t until after I studied Crystal Therapy and Reiki years ago that I began to have an understanding of energy.
The aura is the magnetic field which is around all living things; people, animals and plants.
It surrounds the whole body and is the electromagnetic field of energy which extends around 4-5 feet (in an average healthy person).
This aura represents your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energies.
The aura is often seen as a mix of fine colours, which represent different parts of a person.
It can easily be seen by those who have clairvoyant abilities (this is a term used for those who can see psychically).
The aura of a person is directly connected to the level of health of a person.
A person is considered to be healthy in terms of physical vitality, mental clarity, emotional well-being, as well as highly positive spiritual energies.
So a person who is healthy at all these levels has a bigger and brighter aura.
In the case of an unhealthy person on any of these levels the aura would be closer to the body and denser/darker in colour.
Everything that is living has an aura or magnetic field around it.
Animals and plants have an electromagnetic field around them; if there were no aura there would be no life.
The first aura photo was created by the scientist Nicola Tesla in 1891.
Discovery of Kirlian Photography – The origins of Aura photography
Kirlian Photography has a long and interesting history that started in 1939.
Semyon and Valentina Kirlian (the practice was named after them) accidentally discovered the process while witnessing the use of a high voltage source and a contact print process. They were visiting a hospital in Krasnodar, Russia, where Semyon used his expertise in electrical engineering to fix lab equipment.
While there, he watched a presentation where a patient received treatment via a high-frequency electrical generator. The treatment required the patient to be placed on a photographic plate and subjected to strong electric fields.
A little like a simple X-ray, an image formed on the surface of the photographic plate.
What ‘sparked’ Semyon Kirlian‘s interest was the tiny flash of bright light that appeared between the patient’s skin and the machine’s electrodes.
The appearance of an apparent aura, or life force, fascinated Semyon Kirlian so much that he decided to conduct his own experiments and capture photographs of its effects. Semyon was intent on photographing what he believed to be visible auras forming around the subject.
Being an electrician, he replicated the process at home and successfully captured images of his hand with an aural discharge around his hand.
It was this experiment and outcome that associated Kirlian Photography with the practice of photographing auras.
While this experiment took place in 1939, the results were not made public until 1958.
Over the next ten years, Semyon and his wife developed a machine for Kirlian photography.
Much later, around the 1980’s, a man called Guy Coggins created an aura camera to measure the human energy field and thus create a powerful tool for therapists and healers.
How can we manage our energy?
It is important to keep the aura free of negative influence so that we keep our physical body healthy.
Negative influences can also be described as dense energy, or blocks, which we can inadvertently pick up from both environments and people.
It is as simple as recognising that if you are in close contact with people who have a very negative attitude, your aura will pick up on that energy; it filters through to your physical body and you may feel negative and low yourself.
Are there times when you feel uncomfortable in crowded places? Are there moments when you feel as if your space is being invaded? Some people are only able to come so close to you. This is a reaction triggered by your aura.
It is possible that someone else’s aura is intruding upon yours.
At times, you could feel uneasy in the presence of a certain person. When you enter a room, you have this sense that something is wrong.
The human aura is a strong electro-magnetic field. We give off electrical energy and absorb magnetic energy.
You can feel this energy force in a room full of people, where varying energies, both positive and negative, are changing from one state to another.
The aura is an extension of our energies, be it strong or weak, fair or otherwise, light and bright or dull and dense.
In comparison, you will feel energised and happy if you are in contact with people who are positive.
Energy hygiene includes letting go of any physical ‘stuff’ which you associate with the past or situations which no longer serve you.
Therefore, having a good declutter of your home is very beneficial for your energy in general. Here is a useful checklist to get you started!
When you regularly begin to keep your auric field clear you can actually attract new things into your life.
The easiest way to cleanse your energy field regularly is to burn sage.
Smoke is very cleansing and links back to ancient native American rituals.
Dried sage plants were used to call upon ancestral spirits and this smoke would cleanse any conflict, illness or evil from the energy field of a person.
Give your home a good cleanse; open all the windows so as not to set off the fire alarms!
See or sense all negative energy releasing from your aura and your environment.
It is also beneficial to use an oil burner or diffuser and use a drop or two of frankincense essential oil, which also helps to change the energy in your home and around you to a more positive state.
Aura Colour Meanings
It is believed that there are seven layers of the aura, but the most accessible to the human perception are the first three layers surrounding the human body. Auras can be seen with the eyes wide open or it can also be seen psychically with the eyes closed.
Colours are an important aspect of an aura reading. Below is a description of the meanings different colours hold. When reading auras be sure to always trust your intuition.
Black: This is a confusing colour. There is nothing wrong with black in one’s aura. Black generally means one is shielding oneself from outside energies. This can also mean being unbalanced; one is hiding something or keeping secrets. A black ring usually indicates some form of abuse, adults who have not dealt with early abuse will carry this black ring till they are healed.
Blue: This comes in different shades. Gifted people have shades of blue in their aura. Intuitive people will show pale blue coloration within the purple bursting out like rays of sunshine, emanating from the heart outwards. A deeper blue can indicate loneliness. A very deep blue shows devotion, honesty and good judgment whereas muddier shades of blue indicates a domineering person or a tendency towards depression.
Brown: This colour can indicate growth in a person. Seen around the head and with other colours emanating in combination, it indicates a person who is developing mentally, intuitively and organising within. Brown by itself can indicate lack of energy, or one who has become “stagnant”.
Gold: Indicates lots of spiritual energy, in tune with oneself. Muddy gold means one has not really come to terms with one’s higher levels.
Yellow: Usually seen around a thinker, an analytical person. Could indicate a “balanced” person. Intelligent people show this colour around their heads.
Green: Sympathetic to others, dependable and has healing abilities. Muddier shade could indicate jealousy – like “green with envy”.
Grey: Can indicate intuition and creativity. Silvery grey shows femininity while darker grey can mean secretiveness or physical imbalance.
Orange: Bright orange means one is growing emotionally and paranormally. A dull shade means a person is unsure how to accept this growth. Muddy orange shows in a person with too much pride.
Pink: The colour of love, and honesty. It also depicts the quieter side of an artistic and creative person. Dark pink may indicate immaturity or changes with one’s love life. Dull pink, however, watch out; Someone could be lying.
Purple: The colour of intuition, a deeper purple hue shows a strong- willed and passionate person. It can also reflect intense erotic imagination and being over-bearing.
Red : A colour of love or hate, strong emotions and a lot of energy. An intense red colour, however, may indicate a person ready to fly off the handle.
A Guide To Seeing Auras
Seeing the aura is a matter of taking your eyes slightly out of focus. If you’ve ever been able to see those holographic picture-in-a-picture things then you shouldn’t have any trouble seeing auras as you do exactly the same thing with your eyes.
A good way to start is to get a partner to stand in front of a light-coloured wall in a dimly lit room. Get your partner to hold one finger in front of their face, about 6 inches out from their chin.
Now focus your eyes on their finger, not their face. Have them remove their fingers but keep looking at the same spot. You’ll have to relax your eyes a bit to do this. Now, using that same relaxed vision, if you look at them you should be able to see what looks like a little line that runs all around them a couple of inches out from their body.
The next layer out is even more faint and may have colours associated with it. The different meanings of the colours vary widely depending on who you’re talking to. My advice in this area is to open up your awareness and see for yourself which colours seem to be associated most often with which types of people and their behaviours.
Play with this a bit. Does their aura change when they think happy thoughts? Sad thoughts? Angry thoughts?
Some people can see auras instantly and others have to work at it. Don’t be too put out if it takes a while. As you work with this you’ll gradually become aware of even more subtle layers of energy that surround people. You may also find that you can actually feel another person’s chakras and even discern which is their dominant chakra, which tells you instantly how that person is likely to react to any given stimuli.
I attended a small workshop many years ago and practised myself with a friend. Initially I found it really hard to see anything at all, so I would recommend you take your time so as not to strain your eyes.
Finally I managed to see a rainbow halo all around my friend, indicating a very well rounded person!
Healing can play a significant role in keeping your aura clear by releasing negative energies, emotions, and patterns that can cloud your energy field.