The human aura is not a 'New Age' phenomenon or something that originated from a weird cult - it is a 'living energy' which consists of close-knit electromagnetic particles of varying densities, suspended around the body in several layers known as the 'Auric bodies'. Some of these layers follow the shape of the body while others take an oval shape like an egg.

There are three ways by which the aura can be defined:

* Absorbent energy…..because it is open to exchange with other forms of energy such as - 'a walk along the
beach listening to the sound of the waves' brings feelings of calmness, alternatively the same walk along a busy
And noisy main street will leave you feeling frazzled!

* Data energy……..because it contains your past, present and future thoughts, feelings and actions. It is this
information which carries over into the etheric layer as a cellular memory from one life to the next. This allows those with the gift of clairvoyance to literally read you like a book!

* Life-force energy….because it exists while you are alive, shrinks during illness and completely disappears
when you die. This is the energy known as 'Chi' and 'Ki' as in 'Reiki' - known as Universal Life Energy. Some liken it to a mirror as it reflects every stage of our personal development.

YOUR AURA REVEALS

* Good and poor health * Vitality and disease * Strong and weak emotions * talents and skills
* The ability to love and be loved * Personal relationship involvement * Creative and addictive patterns
* Learning achievement * Personal growth * Good and poor experiences * Spiritual awareness
* Spirit guide attachment * Past life experience * and everything else that you are………..

The aura is a reflection of everything you think, feel and experience in the past, present and future and is constantly in a flux of change according to your emotions, health and experiences. Your auric energy interacts with all other forms of energy which is why you can usually tell whether or not you will get on with a particular person according to their 'vibes'. Some people leave feeling drained whereas some give you a tremendous boost but you often don't know why - it's simply the exchange of energy!

When you are feeling a bit run-down or are ill, your aura shrinks as the energy is depleted so having energy based treatments by a therapist using therapies such as Reiki, Karuna and Sekhem as well as other healing modalities can give you a tremendous boost. The attunement process during Reiki workshops increases your 'vibration' as the energy is channelled down through your crown chakra. See Chakras for more info.

There are 7 layers which make up the aura and each layer interacts with a particular chakra. We vibrate at our own unique frequency which interacts with the auric fields of all living things such as other human beings, animals, plants, minerals and crystals etc - basically anything which has a life-force. People tend to scoff when told that crystals have the ability to heal or that it feels good to 'hug' a tree but the truth is that all matter, animate and inanimate has an energy field [aura] because of its atomic structure. Animate fields are stronger and easier to detect but both can be used in energy work to strengthen your aura. The crystal's energy is easily absorbed by the human aura because of their electromagnetic properties. Some crystals transmit energy whereas others absorb - Amethyst is particularly good for absorbing negative energy from your microwaves and computers. Trees also have dynamic energy fields, each one with its own unique frequency just like humans, animals, crystals etc. It is said that different trees have different healing abilities just like humans…..maybe it's worth hugging a few trees to find out……..

It's commonly known that animals can have a therapeutic effect on the emotions and tests have been conducted with the elderly which have shown that petting animals lowers blood pressure and alleviates stress.

Your aura even has the ability to leave an 'imprint' which often explains why you feel so uncomfortable sitting in your dad's favourite chair or your child won't sleep without her favourite [ and usually in need of a wash!] blanket. People who are sensitive to these energies can also pick up 'impressions' of a particular person by holding an item that they may have worn regularly such as a watch or ring - this is called 'psychometry'.

The 7 Layers remind me of those Russian dolls you used to get where each one fits on top of the other :

[1] The Etheric body - this is the physical imprint of our life. It relates to our physical body and how we react to practical earthly matters. It has the same structure as the physical body and if someone loses a limb and suffersfrom 'phantom' pain, it is because the missing 'limb' is still there in the etheric layer. Treatment with Reiki can often help with phantom pain as it works on the energetic field around the body.

[2] The Emotional body - is the emotional blueprint of the body where we store how we feel about things emotionally, especially in relation to ourselves. It is to do with self-love and self-expression, and also how happy we feel with our own company, how we bottle up our emotions or release them freely.

[3] The Mental body - is the mental blueprint which is concerned with our thoughts and mental processes. These thoughts can be seen as coloured blobs in the aura and the colours represent the person's feelings, whether they are happy, sad or angry. Psychic's are able to tune into this layer when giving readings.

[4] The Astral body - this layer deals with love - how you love yourself and others. It deals with relationships
on all levels and how you deal with them. This layer pulsates with colours and extends to other people's auras.As we interact with others, there can be difficulties when people get attached to us and etheric cords sometimes
need to be disconnected if the relationship is unhealthy - this is where Aura-clearing with Reiki comes in handy!

[5] The Etheric Template Body - looks like the negative of a photo as it contains all the forms that exist on
the physical plane in a blueprint or template form. It's the blueprint for divine will and it has to do with seeing the 'big picture' and how we fit into the Universe as a whole.

[6] The Celestial body - this is the level where we communicate with all beings of the spiritual world - we can
reach it through meditation. It is the level of unconditional love where we love in a universal context - where we love and appreciate everything and everybody.

[7] The Ketheric Template body - this is known as the blueprint for bliss and fusion with the Divine Mind -
when we bring our consciousness to the seventh level, we know that we are 'one with the Creator'. This body takes the form of a pulsating golden light in the shape of an egg which surrounds and protects everything
within it.

The aura can be weakened by:-
* Poor diet * Lack of exercise * Lack of fresh air * Lack of rest * Stress * Alcohol
* Drugs * Smoking * Negative habits and thoughts * Improper psychic activity can drain you

But it can be strengthened by:-
* Practising random acts of kindness * Being loving and affectionate * Smiling and laughing
* Developing your creativity * Liking and accepting yourself for your individuality
* Lots of fresh air * Eating a balanced diet - preferably organic * Daily meditation
* Making peace with yourself and those around you.

As you can see by the photo(above) which has been taken using special photography similar to Kirlian Photography, the aura is constantly moving and changing into the most beautiful colours. There are lots of different books about auras these days with descriptions of what each colour means. There are lots of variations on this so I will give you some basic info which you can expend on later if you wish. When reading the aura colours, those closest to the body usually reflect physical conditions and energies with the outer colours reflecting emotional, mental and spiritual energies that may be affecting those physical colours. The clearer and more pastel colours the better as dull muddy colours tend to reflect imbalances, over activity and other possible problems connected to those areas.

RED….is the colour of strong energy, a life-promoting energy. It can indicate strong passion, mind and will. It is a dynamic colour which can reflect anger, love, hate and unexpected changes. Too much red or muddiness can reflect over-stimulation, inflammation or imbalance.

ORANGE….is the colour of warmth, creativity and emotions. It is an indication of courage, joy and sociability. Depending on the shade, it can also indicate emotional imbalances and agitation.

YELLOW….is the colour of mental activity and can reflect new learning opportunities, lightness, wisdom and intellect. Pastel shades often reflect an enthusiasm for new ideas and spiritual development - awakening psychic abilities and clairsentience. Deeper muddier shades can reflect excessive thinking and analysing of being over critical and dogmatic.

GREEN…..is the colour of sensitivity and growing compassion. It reflects growth, sympathy and calmness. It can reflect a person who is reliable, dependable and open-minded. Vibrant greens moving towards the blue spectrum in the aura indicate healing ability - the colour of abundance, strength and friendliness. The darker muddier shades however, reflect uncertainty and miserliness, jealousy, possessiveness, mistrust and self-doubt.

BLUE…..is the colour of calmness and quiet - reflecting devotion, truth and seriousness. It can also indicate the
ability for clairaudience and for the development of telepathy. Muddy shades can reflect blocked perceptions,
'the blues', worrying, fearfulness, forgetfulness and over-sensitivity.

VIOLET AND PURPLE…the colours for blending of the heart and the mind, the physical with the spiritual.
Deeper shades reflect an ability to handle affairs with practicality and worldliness whereas the paler shades reflect humility and spirituality. The muddy shades can reflect feelings of being misunderstood, needing sympathy and of being over-bearing.

PINK…..is the colour of compassion, love and purity. It usually reflects a quiet, modest type of person who has a love for art and beauty. Muddy shades can reflect immaturity and sometimes a lack of truthfulness.

GOLD….is the colour which reflects dynamic spiritual energy and a true coming into one's own power. It reflects the higher energies of devotion and harmony, strong enthusiasm and inspiration. Muddy shades often indicate that the person is still in the process of awakening to their higher inspirations.

WHITE…..this colour reflects truth and purity indicating that the energy of that person is going through a process of cleansing and purification.

BROWN….is the colour of the earth reflecting new growth. It indicates establishment of new roots and a desire
to accomplish something. It represents industry and organisation [sounds just like a mother….]. However if it is
seen in the chakras, it often reflects a blockage of their energies.