You’ve likely heard the term aura, but do you know what it means? We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the definition of aura and more.
-
Kevin
-
February 21, 2022
-
Common Questions
Your writing, at its best
Compose bold, clear, mistake-free, writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant
What Does Aura Mean?
Have you ever guessed what your bestie was thinking right before they verbally told you what was on their mind? Or, immediately feel a bad sensation from someone who just recently entered a room but couldn’t quite explain why? In those moments, what you’re experiencing is a reaction to a person’s energy or aura.
Currently trending on Twitter and Instagram, the term aura is just about everywhere these days, likely due to the photo trend currently taking over the internet. From purple auras and orange auras to yellow auras and indigo blue auras, users claim aura photography has the ability to reveal the color of their energies — but what exactly does aura mean, anyway?
What Is the Definition of Aura?
The pronunciation looks like: aura (au·rae) (ôr’u) [ˈɔːrə] N (auras, aurae (pl))
Defined by the Collins Dictionary as a quality or feeling that seems to surround a person, place, or thing, auras are energetic energy fields that physically encompass all living and nonliving things. Think of them as your own personal vibe, or like a natural radio frequency — depending on your energy, your aura can flip through different channels, meaning your aura changes colors.
While this may sound a bit far-fetched, it’s appropriate to note that even science can support the fact that everything emits varying energies. While both cell phones and auras use electromagnetic waves to transmit signals, your personal aura is in an electromagnetic force.
It is always surrounding you, constantly shifting in response to your thoughts, moods, and overall spiritual health.
Synonyms and Related Words of Aura
To help further your understanding of the term aura, we’ve rounded up a list of synonyms and other related words:
- Atmosphere
- Air
- Quality
- Aspect
- Character
- Ambiance
- Mood
- Spirit
- Feeling
- Intuition
- Aroma
- Karma
- Odour
- Frequency
- Scent
What Is the Origin of Aura?
First seen in Middle English 1350-1400, the word aura is derived from the Latin “aura” or ancient Greek “aúrā/αὔρᾱ,” which means “cold breeze,” “gentle breeze,” or “soft breeze.” In addition, aura means “dawn” or “polar lights” (from Aurora) and “made of gold” or “golden one” (from Aurelia).
Auras are referenced throughout history in many various cultures, from ancient Egyptian art to a number of Eastern religions — even halos are, arguably, a depiction of an aura. With that in mind and depending on the culture, auras are often shown as vivid colors of gold or white light around the body.
Over the last century, researchers have attempted to capture photographs of auras through types of aura photography, such as Kirlian photography. One of the earliest snapshots was taken by engineer Nikola Tesla in 1891.
The Aura Layers
In Buddhist and Hindu traditions, the aura is said to correspond with our chakras and overall state of consciousness.
The chakras are as follows:
- Root
- Sacral
- Solar plexus
- Heart
- Throat
- Third eye
- Crown
Each aura is made up of auric layers (seven to be exact) correlating to different aspects of your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.
Description of Each Aura Layer
That being said, here is a quick breakdown of each aura layer:
- The physical layer is the layer that represents your physical health. Also called the etheric plane, this layer is closest to your skin and is connected to the base chakra.
- The emotional layer is linked to your emotions and changes color depending on your mood. This layer is linked to the sacral chakra.
- The mental layer is the third layer out from your body and has to do with logic, reasoning, and thoughts. This layer is connected to the solar plexus chakra.
- The astral layer acts as a bridge between the lower vibrations of the physical plane and the higher vibrations of the spiritual. This layer is linked to the heart chakra.
- The etheric template is the layer connected to the throat chakra and is considered the blueprint of the physical body. Why? Because it exists on the physical plane.
- The celestial layer is connected to your third eye chakra and is where your physical mind comes into connection with the spiritual mind through meditation and devotional practices.
- The ketheric template layer is connected to your crown chakra, meaning it has a strong spiritual connection. This important layer holds and protects all other aura layers together. It contains the blueprint of your spiritual path, reflecting all of your soul’s experiences and events through time.
What Do the Different Aura Colors Mean?
Each auric layer is believed to be represented by an abundance of colors. The way these colors interact shows how physically, mentally, and spiritually dynamic you are. Like a life-sized mood ring, your aura can shift based on changes in your energy and moods, so colors tend to come and go.
Although the meaning of an aura color may vary depending on who you ask, general interpretations by practitioners and shamans suggest the following:
- Red: well-grounded, passionate, energetic, strong-willed, ambitious
- Orange: adventurous, thoughtful, considerate, confident, warm
- Yellow: creative, optimistic, relaxed, friendly, inspired, open-minded
- Green: social, patient, communicator, nurturing
- Blue: intuitive, empathetic, spiritual, freethinker, loyal
- Indigo: curious, progressive, spiritually connected, gentle
- Violet: wise, intellectual, independent,
- White: spiritual, generous, wise, graceful
Again, keep in mind that each color is associated with a different chakra. Some chakras may be more dominant, whereas others may be less visible.
How To See Your Aura
Although using a specialized camera to capture your auric field is one popular way to see your aura, you don’t necessarily need special equipment as there are many other ways you might be able to sense the field of energy around your own body.
It may take quite a bit of practice, but some folks are able to see their aura by slightly squinting their eyes while peering into a mirror. This is because your aura may best be picked up by your peripheral vision. If you focus on it, you won’t see it, but if you look away, you just might start to see flashes of light or colors arise.
Conclusion
So, what does aura mean, you ask?
Simply put, auras are the invisible emanation or energy fields that surround all living and nonliving things. The colors that make up your aura can be interpreted to give you a sense of your personality traits, inclinations, and patterns. Understanding and learning to be aware of your own aura can take time, but with practice, hard work, and dedication, you can learn to sense auras in no time!
Whether you already have strong intuition with a head of a saint, are a long-time fan of crystal healing and holistic medicine, or are simply new to the world of spirituality, we hope this guide provided you with the information you needed in regards to auras.
Sources:
