{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_22739/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_22739","id":"gutenberg_22739","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22739","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Occultism"],"text":"Produced by Michael Ciesielski, Annika Feilbach and the\nbooksmiths at http://www.eBookForge.net\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n_True Occult Knowledge Gives You Practical Power and Strength_\n\n\nTHE HUMAN AURA\nAstral Colors and Thought Forms\n\n\nBy\nSWAMI PANCHADASI\n\n\n\nPrinted by\nYOGA PUBLICATION SOCIETY\n\nCOPYRIGHT, 1940\n\nCOPYRIGHT\n1912\nYOGI PUBLICATION SOCIETY\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\nChapter I. What Is the Human Aura 5\n\n The subtle, invisible emanation radiating from every individual.\n An ethereal radiation. The egg-shaped human nebula. Psychic\n atmosphere sensed by everyone, but seen by but few. The\n clairvoyant vision. The phosphorescent flame, and luminous cloud.\n The colors in the aura and what they mean. Effect of mental\n states, emotion and passion, upon its aura. The human aura is a\n very important and interesting phase of every personality. The\n finer forces, the most powerful.\n\n\nChapter II. The Prana Aura 15\n\n Prana, the Vital Force, Life Essence. How it affects the human\n aura. Health Aura. Physical Aura. Health Magnetism. Peculiar\n appearance of Prana Aura. How animals follow trails of Prana Aura\n particles. The tiny electric sparks, and vibratory movements. How\n one may perceive the vibrations of Prana Aura. Interesting\n experiments. Seeing Prana Aura by ordinary vision. Prana Aura and\n Magnetic Healing.\n\n\nChapter III. The Astral Colors 23\n\n Each mental or emotional state has its own astral hue, tint,\n shade or color. The Primary Colors, Red, Blue and Yellow. The\n Secondary Colors, Green, Orange and Purple. The combinations of\n Olive, Russet and Citrine. Black and White, and how formed. Key\n to the Astral Colors. Red the Physical Color; Blue, the\n Spiritual; Yellow, the Mental. White and Black the two poles of\n Spirituality. Rainbow astral colors. Whirlpools of flame. Flashes\n of astral light. A wonderful phenomena. Practice will enable\n almost everyone to perceive plainly the outlines of the Prana\n Aura.\n\n\nChapter IV. The Astral Colors (Continued) 31\n\n Interpretations of the Astral Color Group. The Red Group. The\n varying reds of vitality and health; the shades of love; high and\n low; the crimson of sensuality; the scarlet plane of anger and\n passion. The Yellow Group of Orange, and the Pride of Intellect.\n The Golden Yellow of Intellectual Attainment. The haloes of the\n great teachers. The lemon hue of inferior intellect. The Green\n Group. The high and low greens. The green of love of nature. The\n green of Altruism. The green of sympathy. The dull green of\n insincerity and deceit. The ruddy green of Jealousy and malice.\n The Blue Group. The great souls of the spiritual and religious\n emotions. The Brown Group. The Gray Group. Black Group. White\n Group. The Great White light.\n\n\nChapter V. The Aura Kaleidoscope 39\n\n What the astral body is composed of. Also the etheric double. The\n ever changing clouds of aura coloring. Placid scenes and furious\n storms of the Aura. Opalescent effects. The pearly color of the\n etheric substance. The Aura of mental activity. The Aura of\n reverie or sleep. The Aura of anger and passion. The Aura of\n hate. The Aura of love. The Aura of churches, prisons, hospitals\n and places of vice. The Aura of character and of passing feeling.\n Astral atmospheres of buildings and places. Collective and\n composite auras. A key to some great and deep occult teachings,\n and esoteric mysteries. How the trained occultist is able to\n ascertain the character, and tendencies of a person.\n\n\nChapter VI. Thought Form 47\n\n What a Thought Form is and what it is made of. How Thought Forms\n are created. How Thought Forms travel. How Thought Forms affect\n persons. Why some Thought Forms are semi-living, elemental\n forces. Various forms and classes of Thought Forms. Full\n description of their character, appearance and effect. Thought\n Form whirls and swirls. Rotation Thought Forms. Thought Form\n whirlpools. Explosive Thought Forms. Thought Form bombs. Octopus\n Thought Form. How Thought Forms are projected and why they\n travel. A wonderful study of a fascinating subject.\n\n\nChapter VII. Psychic Influence of Color 55\n\n Action and Re-action. Effect of Color on Mental States and\n Emotions. How certain tints affect persons favorably and\n unfavorably. The calming effect of restful greens. \"Seeing Red.\"\n Gloomy Black. Depressing Grays. Angry Reds. Soothing Blues.\n Illuminating Yellows. The Psychology of Color. Healing Effect of\n Colors. The principles of Healing by Colors. Effect of color upon\n character and morals. Color in Child Life. Interesting and\n instructive information and teaching.\n\n\nChapter VIII. Auric Magnetism 63\n\n Human Magnetism. The Auric Reservoir of Magnetism. Magnetic\n Healing, how caused and why it occurs. Use of its hands. Flow of\n etheric force. New Methods of Magnetic Healing. Use of Auric\n Colors. Analysis and Full Explanation. Absent treatment by Auric\n Color Vibration. Tables of Auric Healing Colors, showing effect\n on Nervous System, Blood and Organs. Helpful suggestion in Auric\n Color Healing. How to Treat yourself and others by this method.\n Healing by the Great White Light.\n\n\nChapter IX. Developing the Aura 71\n\n How to build up a strong, positive Aura. How to flood the Aura\n with the right vibration. How to influence the color in the Aura.\n \"Holding the Thought.\" Reflecting Color States. Principles of\n Occult Color Re-action. Self-analysis. Self-Treatment for\n Character and Qualities. Effect of visualizing colors. How to get\n the keynote of Color vibrations. The Key of Success.\n\n\nChapter X. The Protective Aura 79\n\n A forbidden subject plainly discussed. Need of Occult protection.\n How to change the Aura so that it will repel physical contagion\n and psychic attacks. How to Guard the body by Auric Colors. How\n to energize and illumine the mind, so as to protect against\n mental influences. The protective Golden Aura. How to protect\n your emotional nature from undesirable vibrations. The Great\n Auric Circle of Protection. The oldest occultist's instructions\n regarding building up of the protective Aura. How to fill the\n aura with vibrations of health and physical strength. How to\n protect yourself from the low passions and feelings of others.\n The Aura of great moral teachers. How those in ignorance of\n occult laws have been led from the moral path. The Auric Circle\n of Protection. The crumbs of teaching scattered through this\n book, other than those concerning the Aura. Those for whom these\n teachings are intended will recognize and appreciate them. A\n shelter for soul, mind and body against psychic influence. An\n infallible Armor against all force of attack. The Great White\n Light. Words from the Master.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nWHAT IS THE HUMAN AURA?\n\n\nThe above question is frequently asked the student of occultism by some\none who has heard the term but who is unfamiliar with its meaning.\nSimple as the question may seem, it is by no means easy to answer it,\nplainly and clearly in a few words, unless the hearer already has a\ngeneral acquaintance with the subject of occult science. Let us commence\nat the beginning, and consider the question from the point of view of\nthe person who has just heard the term for the first time.\n\nThe dictionaries define the word aura as: \"Any subtle, invisible\nemanation or exhalation.\" The English authorities, as a rule, attribute\nthe origin of the word to a Latin term meaning \"air,\" but the Hindu\nauthorities insist that it had its origin in the Sanscrit root _Ar_,\nmeaning the spoke of a wheel, the significance being perceived when we\nremember the fact that the human aura radiates from the body of the\nindividual in a manner similar to the radiation of the spokes of a wheel\nfrom the hub thereof. The Sanscrit origin of the term is the one\npreferred by occultists, although it will be seen that the idea of an\naerial emanation, indicated by the Latin root, is not foreign to the\nreal significance of the term.\n\nBe the real origin of the term what it may, the idea of the human aura\nis one upon which all occultists are in full agreement and harmony, and\nthe mention of which is found in all works upon the general subject of\noccultism. So we shall begin by a consideration of the main conception\nthereof, as held by all advanced occultists, ancient and modern,\nomitting little points of theoretical variance between the different\nschools.\n\nBriefly, then, the human aura may be described as a fine, ethereal\nradiation or emanation surrounding each and every living human being. It\nextends from two to three feet, in all directions, from the body. It\nassumes an oval shape--a great egg-shaped nebula surrounding the body on\nall sides for a distance of two or three feet. This aura is sometimes\nreferred to, in ordinary terms, as the \"psychic atmosphere\" of a person,\nor as his \"magnetic atmosphere.\"\n\nThis atmosphere or aura is apparent to a large percentage of persons in\nthe sense of the psychic awareness generally called \"feeling,\" though\nthe term is not a clear one. The majority of persons are more or less\naware of that subtle something about the personality of others, which\ncan be sensed or felt in a clear though unusual way when the other\npersons are near by, even though they may be out of the range of the\nvision. Being outside of the ordinary range of the five senses, we are\napt to feel that there is something queer or uncanny about these\nfeelings of projected personality. But every person, deep in his heart,\nknows them to be realities and admits their effect upon his impressions\nregarding the persons from whom they emanate. Even small children,\ninfants even, perceive this influence, and respond to it in the matter\nof likes and dislikes.\n\nBut, human testimony regarding the existence and character of the human\naura does not stop with the reports of the psychic senses to which we\nhave just referred. There are many individuals of the race--a far\ngreater percentage than is generally imagined--who have the gift of\npsychic sight more or less developed. Many persons have quite a\nwell-developed power of this kind, who do not mention it to their\nacquaintances for fear of ridicule, or of being thought \"queer.\" In\naddition to these persons, there are here and there to be found\nwell-developed, clear-sighted, or truly clairvoyant persons, whose\npowers of psychic perception are as highly developed as are the ordinary\nsenses of the average individual. And, the reports of these persons, far\napart in time and space though they may be, have always agreed on the\nmain points of psychic phenomena, particularly in regards to the human\naura.\n\nTo the highly developed clairvoyant vision, every human being is seen as\nsurrounded by the egg-shaped aura of two or three feet in depth, more\ndense and thick in the portion nearest the body, and then gradually\nbecoming more tenuous, thin and indistinct as the distance from the body\nis increased. By the psychic perception, the aura is seen as a luminous\ncloud--a phosphorescent flame--deep and dense around the centre and then\ngradually shading into indistinctness toward the edges. As a matter of\nfact, as all developed occultists know, the aura really extends very\nmuch further than even the best clairvoyant vision can perceive it, and\nits psychic influence is perceptible at quite a distance in many cases.\nIn this respect it is like any flame on the physical plane--it\ngradually fades into indistinctness, its rays persisting far beyond the\nreach of the vision, as may be proved by means of chemical apparatus,\netc.\n\nTo the highly developed clairvoyant vision, the human aura is seen to be\ncomposed of all the colors of the spectrum, the combinations of colors\ndiffering in various persons, and constantly shifting in the case of\nevery person. These colors reflect the mental (particularly the\nemotional) states of the person in whose aura they are manifested. Each\nmental state has its own particular combination formed from the few\nelementary colors which represent the elementary mental conditions. As\nthe mind is ever shifting and changing its states, it follows that there\nwill ever be a corresponding series of shifting changes in the colors of\nthe human aura.\n\nThe shades and colors of the aura present an ever changing kaleidoscopic\nspectacle, of wonderful beauty and most interesting character. The\ntrained occultist is able to read the character of any person, as well\nas the nature of his passing thoughts and feelings, by simply studying\nthe shifting colors of his aura. To the developed occultist the mind and\ncharacter become as an open book, to be studied carefully and\nintelligently.\n\nEven the student of occultism, who has not been able to develop the\nclairvoyant vision to such a high degree, is soon able to develop the\nsense of psychic perception whereby he is able to at least \"feel\" the\nvibrations of the aura, though he may not see the colors, and thus be\nable to interpret the mental states which have caused them. The\nprinciple is of course the same, as the colors are but the outward\nappearance of the vibrations themselves, just as the ordinary colors on\nthe physical plane are merely the outward manifestation of vibration of\nmatter.\n\nBut it must not be supposed that the human aura is always perceived in\nthe appearance of a luminous cloud of ever-changing color. When we say\nthat such is its characteristic appearance, we mean it in the same sense\nthat we describe the ocean as a calm, deep body of greenish waters. We\nknow, however, that at times the ocean presents no such appearance, but,\ninstead, is seen as rising in great mountainous waves, white capped, and\nthreatening the tiny vessels of men with its power. Or again, we may\ndefine the word \"flame\" in the sense of a steady bright stream of\nburning gas, whereas, we know only too well, that the word also\nindicates the great hot tongues of fiery force that stream out from the\nwindows of a burning building, and lick to destruction all with which it\ncomes in contact.\n\nSo it is with the human aura. At times it may be seen as a beautiful,\ncalm, luminous atmosphere, presenting the appearance of a great opal\nunder the rays of the sun. Again, it blazes like the flames of a great\nfurnace, shooting forth great tongues of fire in this direction and\nthat, rising and falling in great waves of emotional excitement, or\npassion, or perhaps whirling like a great fiery maelstrom toward its\ncentre, or swirling in an outward movement away from its centre. Again\nit may be seen as projecting from its depths smaller bodies or centres\nof mental vibration, which like sparks from a furnace detach themselves\nfrom the parent flame, and travel far away in other directions--these\nare the projected thought-forms of which all occultists are fond of\nspeaking and which make plain many strange psychic occurrences.\n\nSo, it will be seen, the human aura is a very important and interesting\nphase of the personality of every individual. The psychic phase of man\nis as much the man himself as is the physical phase--the complete man\nbeing made up of the two phases. Man invisible is as much the real man\nas is man visible. As the finer forms of nature are always the most\npowerful, so is the psychic man more potent than the physical man.\n\nIn this book, I speak of the human aura, and its colors, as being\nperceived by astral or clairvoyant vision, for this is the way in which\nit is perceived and studied by the occultist. The occult teaching is\nthat, in the evolution of the race, this astral vision will eventually\nbecome the common property of every human being--it so exists even now,\nand needs only development to perfect it.\n\nBut modern physical science is today offering corroborative proof\n(though the same is not needed by the occultist who has the astral\nvision) to the general public, of the existence of the human aura. In\nEurope, especially, a number of scientists have written on the subject\nof the aura, and have described the result of the experiments in which\nthe aura has been perceived, and even photographed, by means of\nfluorescent screens, such as are used in taking X-Ray photographs, etc.\nLeading authorities in England, France, and still more recently, in\nGermany, have reported the discovery (!) of a nebulous, hazy,\nradio-active energy or substance, around the body of human beings. In\nshort, they now claim that every human being is radio-active, and that\nthe auric radiation may be registered and perceived by means of a screen\ncomposed of certain fluorescent material, interposed between the eye of\nthe observer, and the person observed.\n\nThis aura, so discovered (!) by the scientists, is called by them the\n\"human atmosphere,\" and is classified by them as similar to the\nradiations of other radio-active substances, radium, for instance. They\nhave failed to discover color in this atmosphere, however, and know\nnothing, apparently, of the relation between auric colors and mental and\nemotional states, which are so familiar to every advanced occultist. I\nmention this fact merely as a matter of general interest and information\nto the student, and not as indicating, even in the slightest degree, any\nidea on my part that the old occult teaching, and the observed phenomena\naccompanying the same, regarding the human aura, require any proof or\nbacking up on the part of material scientists. On the contrary, I feel\nthat material science should feel flattered by the backing up by occult\nscience of the new discovery (!) of the \"human atmosphere.\" A little\nlater on, material science may also discover (!) the auric colors, and\nannounce the same to the wondering world, as a new truth.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nTHE PRANA-AURA.\n\n\nMany writers on the subject of the human aura content themselves with a\ndescription of the colors of the mental or emotional aura, and omit\nalmost any reference whatsoever to the basic substance or power of the\naura. This is like the play of Hamlet, with the character of Hamlet\nomitted, for, unless we understand something concerning the fundamental\nsubstance of which the aura is composed, we cannot expect to arrive at a\nclear understanding of the phenomena which arises from and by reason of\nthe existence of this fundamental substance. We might as well expect a\nstudent to understand the principles of color, without having been made\nacquainted with the principles of light.\n\nThe fundamental substance of which the human aura is composed is none\nother than that wonderful principle of nature of which one reads so much\nin all occult writings, which has been called by many names, but which\nis perhaps best known under the Sanscrit term, _Prana_, but which may\nbe thought of as Vital Essence, Life Power, etc.\n\nIt is not necessary in this book to go into the general consideration of\nthe nature and character of Prana. It is sufficient for us to consider\nit in its manifestation of Vital Force, Life Essence, etc. In its\nbroadest sense, Prana really is the Principle of Energy in Nature, but\nin its relation to living forms it is the Vital Force which lies at the\nvery basis of manifested Life. It exists in all forms of living things,\nfrom the most minute microscopic form up to living creatures on higher\nplanes, as much higher than man as man is higher than the simple\nmicroscopic life-forms. It permeates them all, and renders possible all\nlife activity and functioning.\n\nPrana is not the mind or the soul, but is rather the force or energy\nthrough which the soul manifests activity, and the mind manifests\nthought. It is the steam that runs the physical and mental machinery of\nlife. It is the substance of the human aura, and the colors of mental\nstates are manifested in that substance, just as the colors of chemical\nbodies are manifested in the substance of water. But Prana is not\nmaterial substance--it is higher than mere matter, being the underlying\nsubstance of Energy or Force in Nature.\n\nWhile it is true, as we have seen, that all auras are composed of the\nsubstance of Prana, it is likewise true that there is a simple and\nelementary form of auric substance to which occultists have given the\nsimple name of the prana-aura in order to distinguish it from the more\ncomplex forms and phases of the human aura. The simplicity of the\ncharacter of the prana-aura causes it to be more readily sensed or\nperceived than is possible in the case of the more complex phases or\nforms of the aura. For whereas it is only the more sensitive organisms\nthat can distinguish the finer vibrations of the mental and emotional\naura, and only the clairvoyant sight which can discern its presence by\nits colors, almost any person, by a little careful experimenting, may\nbecome aware of the presence of the prana-aura, not only in the way of\n\"feeling\" it, but in many cases of actually seeing it with the ordinary\nvision rightly directed.\n\nThat which is known as the prana-aura is of course the most simple form\nor phase of the human aura. It is the form or phase which is more\nclosely bound up with the physical body, and is less concerned with the\nmental states. This fact has caused some writers to speak of it as the\n\"health aura,\" or \"physical aura,\" both of which terms are fittingly\napplied as we shall see, although we prefer the simpler term we have\nused here, i. e., the prana-aura. For the prana-aura does show the state\nof the health of the individual radiating it, and it also really\ncontains physical power and magnetism which may be, and is imparted to\nothers.\n\nThe basic prana-aura is practically colorless, that is to say, it is\nabout the color of the clearest water or a very clear diamond. By the\nclairvoyant vision it is seen to be streaked or marked by very minute,\nbristle-like lines, radiating outward from the physical body of the\nindividual, in a manner very like \"the quills upon the fretful\nporcupine,\" as Shakespeare puts it. In the case of excellent physical\nhealth, these bristle-like streaks are stiff and brittle-looking,\nwhereas, if the general health of the person be deficient these\nbristle-like radiations seem to be more or less tangled, twisted, or\ncurly; and, in some cases present a drooping appearance, and in extreme\ncases present the appearance of soft, limp fur.\n\nIt may interest the student to know that minute particles of this\nprana-aura, or vital magnetism, is sloughed off the body in connection\nwith physical exhalations such as scent, etc., and remain in existence\nfor some time after the person has passed from the particular place at\nwhich they were cast off. In fact, as all occultists know, it is these\nparticles of the prana-aura which serve to give vitality to the \"scent\"\nof living creatures, which enables dogs and other animals to trace up\nthe track of the person, or animal, for a long time after the person has\npassed. It is not alone the physical odor, which must be very slight as\nyou will see upon a moment's consideration. It is really the presence of\nthe particles of the prana-aura which enables the dog to distinguish the\ntraces of one person among that of thousands of others, and the feat is\nas much psychical as physical.\n\nAnother peculiarity of the prana-aura is that it is filled with a\nmultitude of extremely minute sparkling particles, resembling tiny\nelectric sparks, which are in constant motion. These sparks, which are\nvisible to persons of only slightly developed psychic power, impart a\nvibratory motion to the prana-aura which, under certain conditions is\nplainly visible to the average person. This vibratory movement is akin\nto the movement of heated air arising from a hot stove, or from the\nheated earth on a mid-summer day.\n\nIf the student will close his eyes partially, until he peers out from\nnarrowed lids, and then will closely observe some very healthy person\nsitting in a dim light, he may perceive this undulating, pulsing\nvibration extending an inch or two from the surface of the body. It\nrequires some little knack to recognize these vibrations, but a little\npractice will often give one the key; and after the first recognition,\nthe matter becomes easy.\n\nAgain, in the case of persons of active brains, one may perceive this\npulsating prana-aura around the head of the person, particularly when he\nis engaged in concentrated active thought. A little practice will enable\nalmost any one to perceive faintly the dim outlines of the prana-aura\naround his own fingers and hand, by placing his hand against a black\nbackground, in a dim light, and then gazing at it with narrowed\neye-lids, squinting if necessary. Under these circumstances, after a\nlittle practice, one will be apt to perceive a tiny outlined aura, or\nradiation, or halo, of pale yellowish light surrounding the hand.\n\nBy extending the fingers, fan shape, you will perceive that each finger\nis showing its own little outlined prana-aura. The stronger the vital\nforce, the plainer will be the perception of the phenomenon. Often the\nprana-aura, in these experiments, will appear like the semi-luminous\nradiance surrounding a candle flame or gas light. Under the best\nconditions, the radiation will assume an almost phosphorescent\nappearance. Remember, this is simply a matter of trained ordinary\nsight,--not clairvoyant vision.\n\nThis prana-aura is identical with human magnetism, which is employed in\nordinary magnetic healing. That is to say it is the outer manifestation\nof the wonderful pranic force. It is felt when you shake hands, or\notherwise come in close physical contact with a strongly magnetic\nperson. On the other hand it is what the weakly, human vampire-like\npersons unconsciously, or consciously, try to draw off from strong\npersons, if the latter allow them so to do from want of knowledge of\nself protection. Who has not met persons of this kind, who seem to sap\none's very life force away from him? Remember, then, that the prana-aura\nis the aura or radiation of life force, or vital power, which is the\nsteam of your living activity, physical and mental. It is the pouring\nout of the vital \"steam\" which is running your vital machinery. Its\npresence indicates Life--its absence Lifelessness.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nTHE ASTRAL COLORS.\n\n\nThe term \"astral,\" so frequently employed by all occultists, is\ndifficult to explain or define except to those who have pursued a\nregular course of study in occult science. For the purpose of the\npresent consideration, it is enough to say that over and above the\nordinary physical sense plane there is another and more subtle plane,\nknown as the Astral Plane. Every human being possesses the innate and\ninherent faculty of sensing the things of this astral plane, by means of\nan extension or enlargement of the powers of the ordinary senses, so to\nspeak. But, in the majority of persons in the present stage of\ndevelopment, these astral senses are lying dormant, and only here and\nthere do we find individuals who are able to sense on the astral plane,\nalthough in the course of evolution the entire race will be able to do\nso, of course. The colors of the human aura, mentioned in the preceding\ntwo chapters, and which arise from the various mental and emotional\nstates, belong to the phenomena of the astral plane, and hence bear the\nname of \"the astral colors.\" Belonging to the astral plane, and not to\nthe ordinary physical plane, they are perceived only by the senses\nfunctioning on the astral plane, and are invisible to the ordinary\nphysical plane sight. But, to those who have developed the astral sight,\nor clairvoyance, these colors are as real as are the ordinary colors to\nthe average person, and their phenomena have been as carefully recorded\nby occult science as have the physical plane colors by physical science.\nThe fact that to the ordinary physical senses they are invisible, does\nnot render them any the less real. Remember, in this connection, that to\nthe blind man our physical colors do not exist. And, for that matter,\nthe ordinary colors do not exist to \"color blind\" persons. The ordinary\nphysical plane person is simply \"color blind\" to the astral\ncolors--that's all.\n\nOn the astral plane each shade of mental or emotional state has its\ncorresponding astral color, the latter manifesting when the form\nappears. It follows then, of course, that when once the occultist has\nthe key to this color correspondence, and thus is able to perceive the\nastral colors by means of his astral vision, he also is able to read the\nmental and emotional states of any person within the range of his\nvision, as easily as you are now reading the printed words of this book.\n\nBefore proceeding to a consideration of the list of astral colors in the\nhuman aura, I wish to call your attention to a slight variation in the\ncase of the prana-aura, of which I have spoken in our last chapter. I\nhave stated therein that the prana-aura is colorless like a diamond or\nclear water. This is true in the average case, but in the case of a\nperson of very strong physical vitality or virility, the prana-aura\ntakes on, at times, a faint warm pink tinge, which is really a\nreflection from the red astral color, of the meaning of which color you\nshall now learn.\n\nLike their physical plane counterparts, all the astral colors are formed\nfrom three Primary Colors, namely (1) Red; (2) Blue; and (3) Yellow.\nFrom these three primary colors, all other colors are formed. Following\nthe Primary Colors, we find what are known as the Secondary Colors,\nnamely: (1) Green, derived from a combination of Yellow and Blue; (2)\nOrange, formed from a combination of Yellow and Red; and (3) Purple,\nformed from a combination of Red and Blue. Further combinations produce\nthe other colors, as for instance, Green and Purple form Olive; Orange\nand Purple form Russet; Green and Orange form Citrine.\n\nBlack is called an absence of color, while White is really a harmonious\nblending of all colors, strange as this may appear to one who has not\nstudied the subject. The blending of the Primary Colors in varied\nproportions produce what is known as the \"hues\" of color. Adding white\nto the hues, we obtain \"tints;\" while mixing Black produces \"shades.\"\nStrictly speaking Black and White are known as \"neutral\" colors.\n\nNow for the meaning of the astral colors--that is, the explanation of\nthe mental or emotional state represented by each. I ask that the\nstudent familiarize himself with the meaning of the Primary Colors and\ntheir combinations. A clear understanding of the key of the astral\ncolors is often an aid in the development of astral sight.\n\n\nKEY TO THE ASTRAL COLORS.\n\nRED. Red represents the physical phase of mentality. That is to say, it\nstands for that part of the mental activities which are concerned with\nphysical life. It is manifested by the vitality of the body, and in\nother hues, tints and shades, is manifested by passions, anger,\nphysical cravings, etc. I shall describe the various forms of Red\nmanifestation, a little later on.\n\nBLUE. Blue represents the religious, or spiritual, phase of mentality.\nThat is to say, it stands for that part of the mental activities which\nare concerned with high ideals, altruism, devotion, reverence,\nveneration, etc. It is manifested, in its various hues, tints, and\nshades, by all forms of religious feeling and emotion, high and low, as\nwe shall see as we proceed.\n\nYELLOW. Yellow represents the intellectual phase of mentality. That is\nto say, it stands for that part of the mental activities which are\nconcerned with reasoning, analysis, judgment, logical processes,\ninduction, deduction, synthesis, etc. In its various hues, tints and\nshades, it is manifested by the various forms of intellectual activity,\nhigh and low, as we shall see as we proceed.\n\nWHITE. White stands for what occultists know as Pure Spirit, which is a\nvery different thing from the religious emotion of \"spirituality,\" and\nwhich really is the essence of the ALL that really is. Pure Spirit is\nthe positive pole of Being. We shall see the part played by it in the\nastral colors, as we proceed.\n\nBLACK. Black stands for the negative pole of Being--the very negation of\nPure Spirit, and opposing it in every way. We shall see the part played\nby it in the astral colors as we proceed.\n\nThe various combinations of the three Astral Primary Colors are formed\nin connection with Black and White as well as by the blending of the\nthree themselves. These combinations, of course, result from the shades\nof mental and emotional activity manifested by the individuality, of\nwhich they are the reflection and the key.\n\nThe combinations and blending of the astral colors, however, are\nnumberless, and present an almost infinite variety. Not only is the\nblending caused by the mixing of the colors themselves, in connection\nwith black and white, but in many cases the body of one color is found\nto be streaked, striped, dotted or clouded by other colors. At times\nthere is perceived the mixture of two antagonistic color streams\nfighting against each other before blending. Again we see the effect of\none color neutralizing another.\n\nIn some cases great black clouds obscure the bright colors beneath, and\nthen darken the fierce glow of color, just as is often witnessed in the\ncase of a physical conflagration. Again, we find great flashes of bright\nyellow, or red, flaring across the field of the aura, showing agitation\nor the conflict of intellect and passion.\n\nThe average student, who has not developed the astral vision, is\ninclined to imagine that the astral colors in the human aura present the\nappearance of an egg-shaped rainbow, or spectrum, or something of that\nsort. But this is a great mistake. In the first place, the astral colors\nare seldom at rest, for all mental and emotional activity is the result\nof vibration, change, and rhythmic motion. Consequently, the colors of\nthe aura present a kaleidoscopic appearance, of constant change of\ncolor, shape and grouping--a great electrical display, so to speak,\nconstantly shifting, changing, and blending.\n\nGreat tongues of flamelike emanations project themselves beyond the\nborder of the aura, under strong feeling or excitement, and great\nvibratory whirls and swirls are manifested. The sight is most\nfascinating, although somewhat terrifying at first. Nature is wise in\nbestowing the gift of astral vision only gradually and by almost\nimperceptible stages of advance. There are many unpleasant, as well as\npleasant, sights on the Astral Plane.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nTHE ASTRAL COLORS (Continued).\n\n\nRemembering, always, the significance of the three primary colors on the\nastral plane, let us consider the meaning of the combinations, shades,\nhues, and tints of these colors.\n\nTHE RED GROUP. In this group of astral colors seen in the human aura, we\nfind strongly in evidence the clear bright red shade, similar to that of\nfresh, pure arterial blood as it leaves the heart, filled with pure\nmaterial freshly oxygenated. This shade, in the aura, indicates health,\nlife-force, vigor, virility, etc., in pure and untainted form. The aura\nof a healthy, strong child shows this shade of color very plainly and\nstrongly.\n\nStrong, pure natural emotions, such as friendship, love of\ncompanionship, love of physical exercise, healthy clean sports, etc.,\nare manifested by a clear clean shade of red. When these feelings become\ntainted with selfishness, low motives, etc., the shade grows darker and\nduller. Love of low companionship, unclean sports, or selfish games,\netc., produce an unpleasant muddy red shade.\n\nA shade of red, very near to crimson, is the astral color of Love, but\nthe tint and shade varies greatly according to the nature of this form\nof emotional feeling. A very high form of love, which seeks the good of\nthe loved one, rather than the satisfaction of oneself, manifests as a\nbeautiful rose tint--one of the most pleasing of the astral tints, by\nthe way. Descending in the scale, we find the crimson shade becoming\ndarker and duller, until we descend to the plane of impure, sensual,\ncoarse passion, which is manifested by an ugly, dull, muddy crimson of a\nrepulsive appearance, suggesting blood mixed with dirty earth or\nbarnyard soil.\n\nA peculiar series of red shades are those manifesting anger in its\nvarious forms, from the vivid scarlet flashes of anger color, arising\nfrom what may be called \"righteous indignation,\" down the scale to the\nugly flashes of deep, dull red, betokening rage and uncontrolled\npassion. The red of anger generally shows itself in flashes, or great\nleaping flames, often accompanied by a black background, in the case of\nmalicious hate, or by a dirty, greenish background when the rage arises\nfrom jealousy, or envy. The color of avarice is a very ugly combination\nof dull, dark red, and a dirty ugly green. If persons could see their\nown astral colors accompanying these undesirable mental states, the\nsight would perhaps so disgust them with such states as to work a cure.\nAt any rate, they are most disgusting and repulsive to the occultist who\nbeholds them in the human aura, and he often wonders why they do not\nsicken the person manifesting them--they often do just this thing, to\ntell the truth.\n\nTHE YELLOW GROUP. In this group of astral colors seen in the human aura\nwe find as many varieties as we do in the red group. Yellow, denoting\nintellect, has many degrees of shade and tint, and many degrees of\nclearness.\n\nAn interesting shade in this group is that of Orange, which represents\ndifferent forms of \"pride of intellect,\" intellectual ambition, love of\nmastery by will, etc. The greater degree of red in the astral orange\ncolor, the greater the connection with the physical or animal nature.\nPride and love of power over others, has much red in its astral color,\nwhile love of intellectual mastery has much less red in its composition.\n\nPure intellectual attainment, and the love of the same, is manifested by\na beautiful clear golden yellow. Great teachers often have this so\nstrongly in evidence, that at times their students have glimpses of a\ngolden \"halo\" around the head of the teacher. Teachers of great\nspirituality have this \"nimbus\" of golden yellow, with a border of\nbeautiful blue tint, strongly in evidence.\n\nThe paintings of the great spiritual teachers of the race usually have\nthis radiance pictured as a \"halo,\" showing a recognition of the\nphenomenon on the part of the great artists. Hoffman's celebrated\npainting of the Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane shows this nimbus so\naccurately depicted that the occultist is convinced that this artist\nmust have actually witnessed a similar scene in the astral light, so\ntrue to the astral facts are its details. The images of the Buddha also\nshow this radiance.\n\nThe rich golden shades of intellectual yellow are comparatively rare, a\nsickly lemon color being the only indication of intellectual power and\nfound in the aura of the great run of persons. To the sight of the\noccultist, employing his power of astral vision, a crowd of persons will\nmanifest here and there, at widely separated points, the bright golden\nyellow of the true intellect, appearing like scattered lighted candles\namong a multitude of faintly burning matches.\n\nTHE GREEN GROUP. This is a peculiar group, consisting as of course it\ndoes of various combinations of blues and yellows, tinted and shaded by\nwhite or black. Even skilled occultists find it very difficult to\naccount for the fact of certain green shades arising from the spiritual\nblue and the intellectual yellow--this is one of the most obscure points\nin the whole subject of the astral colors, and none but the most\nadvanced occultists are able to explain the \"why\" in some instances. To\nthose who are fond of analysis of this kind, I will drop the following\nhint, which may help them out in the matter, viz. The key is found in\nthe fact that Green lies in the centre of the astral spectrum, and is a\nbalance between the two extremes, and is also influenced by these two\nextremes in a startling manner.\n\nA certain restful green denotes love of nature, out of door life, travel\nin the country, etc., and also, slightly differing in tint, the love of\nhome scenes, etc. Again, a clear beautiful lighter tint of green\nindicates what may be called sympathy, altruistic emotion, charity, etc.\nAgain, illustrating variety in this group of astral colors, another\nshade of green shows intellectual tolerance of the views of others.\nGrowing duller, this indicates tact, diplomacy, ability to handle human\nnature, and descending another degree or so blends into insincerity,\nshiftiness, untruth, etc. There is an ugly slate-colored green\nindicating low, tricky deceit--this is a very common shade in the colors\nof the average aura, I am sorry to say. Finally, a particularly ugly,\nmuddy, murky green indicates jealousy and kindred feelings, envious\nmalice, etc.\n\nTHE BLUE GROUP. This interesting group of astral colors represents the\nvarying forms and degrees of religious emotion, \"spirituality,\" etc. The\nhighest form of spiritual, religious feeling and thought is represented\nby a beautiful, rich, clear violet tint, while the lower and more gross\nphases of religious emotion and thought are represented by the darker\nand duller hues, tints, and shades until a deep, dark indigo is reached,\nso dark that it can scarcely be distinguished from a bluish black. This\nlatter color, as might be expected, indicates a low superstitious form\nof religion, scarcely worthy of the latter name. Religion, we must\nremember, has its low places as well as its heights--its garden grows\nthe rarest flowers, and at the same time the vilest weeds.\n\nHigh spiritual feelings--true spiritual unfoldment--is indicated by a\nwonderfully clear light blue, of an unusual tint, something akin to the\nclear light blue of the sky on a cool autumn afternoon, just before\nsunset. Even when we witness an approach to this color in Nature, we are\ninspired by an uplifting feeling as if we were in the presence of higher\nthings, so true is the intuition regarding these things.\n\nMorality, of a high degree, is indicated by a series of beautiful shades\nof blue, always of a clear inspiring tint. Religious feeling ruled by\nfear, is indicated by a shade of bluish gray. Purple denotes a love of\nform and ceremony, particularly those connected with religious offices\nor regal grandeur of a solemn kind. Purple, naturally, was chosen as the\nroyal color in the olden days.\n\nTHE BROWN GROUP. The brown group of astral colors represents desire for\ngain and accumulation, ranging from the clear brown of industrious\naccumulation, to the murky dull browns of miserliness, greed and\navarice. There is a great range in this group of brown shades, as may be\nimagined.\n\nTHE GRAY GROUP. The group of grays represents a negative group of\nthought and emotions. Gray represents fear, depression, lack of\ncourage, negativity, etc. This is an undesirable and unpleasant group.\n\nBLACK. Black, in the astral colors, stands for hatred, malice, revenge,\nand \"devilishness\" generally. It shades the brighter colors into their\nlower aspects, and robs them of their beauty. It stands for hate--also\nfor gloom, depression, pessimism, etc.\n\nWHITE. White is the astral color of Pure Spirit, as we have seen, and\nits presence raises the degree of the other colors, and renders them\nclearer. In fact, the perception of the highest degree of Being known to\nthe most advanced occultist is manifested to the highest adepts and\nmasters in the form of \"The Great White Light,\" which transcends any\nlight ever witnessed by the sight of man on either physical or astral\nplane--for it belongs to a plane higher than either, and is absolute,\nrather than a relative, white. The presence of white among the astral\ncolors of the human aura, betokens a high degree of spiritual attainment\nand unfoldment, and when seen permeating the entire aura it is one of\nthe Signs of the Master--the token of Adeptship.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nTHE AURIC KALEIDOSCOPE.\n\n\nAs we have seen, the human aura is never in a state of absolute rest or\nquiet. Motion and change is ever manifested by it. It has its periods of\ncomparative calm, of course, but even in this state there is a pulsing,\nwave-like motion apparent. The clouds of changing color fly over its\nsurface, and in its depth, like the fast driven fleecy clouds over the\nsummer sky, illumined by the rays of the setting sun.\n\nAgain, fierce storms of mental activity, or emotional stress, disturb\nits comparative calm, and the wildest scenes are witnessed in the aura\nby the observer. So intense are the vibrations of some of these mental\nstorms that their effect is plainly felt by the average person, though\nhe is not able to distinguish the colors or the great whirls and swirls\nof auric substance accompanying them.\n\nA person sunk in reverie, dream-states, or sleep, presents an\ninteresting auric kaleidoscope, which possesses great beauty if the\nperson be normal and of average morality. In such a case there is a\ncloudy-clearness (if the term may be used) tinged with tints and shades\nof varying colors, blending in strange and interesting combinations,\nappearing gradually from previous combinations, and sinking gradually\ninto new ones.\n\nTo the observer of the aura the term \"opalescent\" instinctly presents\nitself, for there is a striking resemblance to the opaline peculiar play\nof colors of delicate tints and shades in a body of pearly or milky hue.\nColor shades into color, tint into tint, hue into hue, as in the color\nscale of the spectrum of which the rainbow is the most familiar example.\nBut the rainbow or spectrum lacks the peculiar semi-transparency of the\nauric colors, and also the constantly changing and dissolving body of\ncolors of the aura.\n\nAt this point, I wish to call your attention to a phase of the aura\nwhich I purposely passed over in the preceding chapters. I allude to the\nphase of the aura which presents the \"pearly\" appearance of the\nopalescent body, which we have just noted. This appearance is manifested\nneither by any of the mental or emotional states, nor is it the\nprana-aura or vital force which I have described in a previous chapter.\nIt is the manifestation of what is known to occultists as \"etheric\nsubstance,\" and is a very interesting feature of the auric phenomena.\n\nThis etheric substance, which manifests this peculiar radiance in the\nbody of the aura, composes that which is called by some occultists \"the\nastral body,\" but this latter term is also employed in another sense,\nand I prefer to use the term \"etheric double\" to indicate what some\nothers know as \"the astral body.\" Etheric substance is much finer form\nof substance than that which composes the physical body. It is really\nmatter in a very high degree of vibration--much higher than even the\nultra-gaseous matter of physical substance. It may be sensed,\nordinarily, only on the astral plane, which is its own particular plane\nof activity.\n\nThe etheric double, composed of this etheric substance, is the exact\ncounterpart of its physical counterpart--the ordinary physical body of\nthe individual--although it is capable of great expansion or shrinking\nin space. Like the physical body it radiates an aura, and this combining\nwith the other forms of the auric body, gives to it its peculiar pearly\nappearance, which is the background of its opalescence previously noted.\n\nThe etheric double explains the phenomenon of spectral appearances or\nghosts, for it persists for a time after the death of the physical body,\nand under some conditions becomes visible to the ordinary sight. It\nsometimes is projected from the physical body, and at such times appears\nas an apparition of the living, of which there are many cases recorded\nby the societies investigating psychical subjects.\n\nThe etheric double, or astral body, is referred to here, however, merely\nto explain the peculiar pearly tint of the background, or body, of the\naura, in and through which the mental and emotional auric colors play\nand move. It may interest you, however, to know that this phase of aura\nis always present around and about a \"ghost\" or dematerialized\ndisembodied soul, or \"spirit\" as common usage terms it.\n\nThe aura of the wide-awake person is, of course, far more active and\nmore deeply colored than is that of the person in reverie, dream, or\nsleep. And, again the aura of the person manifesting a high degree of\nmental activity, or strong feeling or passion, is still brighter and\ndeeper than the ordinary person performing his daily routine work. In\nthe state of anger, or love-passion, for instance, the aura is\nviolently disturbed, deep shades of color whirling and swirling in the\ndepths and surface of the auric body. Lightning-like flashes shoot forth\nand great bodies of lurid smoky clouds fly on the surface. Looking into\nthe aura of a man wild with rage and passion, is like peering into\nInferno. The astral plane, in the region of a lynching mob, or other\nbody of persons filled with rage, becomes a frightful scene of auric\nradiation.\n\nA person filled with the emotion of pure love, fills his aura with the\nmost beautiful tints and shades of high rosy color, and to behold the\nsame is a pleasure fully appreciated by the occultist. A church filled\nwith persons of a high devotional ideality, is also a beautiful place,\nby reason of the mingling of auric violet-blue vibrations of those\ntherein assembled. The atmosphere of a prison is most depressing and\npresents a most unpleasant appearance to one possessing the astral\nvision. Likewise the astral atmosphere of an abode of vice and passion,\nbecomes really physically nauseating to the occultist of high ideals and\ntaste. Such scenes on the astral plane are avoided by all true\noccultists, except when the call of duty leads them to visit them to\ngive aid and help.\n\nThere are two distinct features connected with the auric coloring of\nevery person. The first is the coloring resulting from the more habitual\nthoughts and feelings of the person--from his character, in fact; while\nthe second is the coloring resulting from the particular feelings, or\nthoughts, manifested by him at that particular moment or time.\n\nThe color of the feeling of the moment soon disappears and fades away,\nwhile the more habitual feeling, bound up with his character, causes its\ncorresponding color to abide more permanently, and thus to give a\ndecided hue to his general auric color appearance.\n\nThe trained occultist is, therefore, able to ascertain not only the\npassing thoughts and feelings of a person, but also to determine\ninfallibly his general character, tendencies, past character and\nactions, and general nature, simply from a careful examination and study\nof the auric colors of the person in question.\n\nAs all occultists well know, every place, dwelling, business place,\nchurch, courtroom--every village, city, country, nation--has its own\ncollective aura, known as \"astral atmosphere,\" which is simply but a\ncombined reflection of the individual auras of the human units of which\nits body of inhabitants is made up. These atmospheric vibrations are\nplainly felt by many persons, and we are instinctively attracted or\nrepelled by reason thereof. But, to the developed occultists, these\nplaces manifest the auric colors, in the combinations arising from the\nnature of the mentalities of the persons dwelling in them.\n\nEach place has its collective aura, just as each person has his\nindividual aura. The astral plane presents a wonderful scene of color by\nreason of this and similar causes. The harmony of the color scheme, in\nsome cases, is marvellously beautiful; while the horrible aspect of\nscenes resemble a nightmare vision of the worst kind.\n\nIt is easy to understand why some of the ancients who stumbled into\nglimpses of the astral plane, while in dream-state or trance, reported\nthe vision of terrible hells of unquenchable fire, fiery lakes of\nsmoking brimstone, etc., for such ideas would naturally come to the mind\nof the uninformed person who had peered into the astral plane in such\ncases.\n\nAnd, in the same way, the visions of heaven reported by the saints, and\nothers of high spirituality, are explainable on the theory that these\npersons had sensed some of the beautiful scenes of the higher astral\nplanes, filled with the combined auric tints and hues of souls of high\ndevelopment. The principle of auric colors holds good on all the many\nplanes of being and existence--high as well as low.\n\nI merely hint at a great occult truth in making the above statements.\nThe thoughtful will be able to read between my lines. I have given you a\nlittle key which will unlock the door of many mysteries, if you will but\nuse it intelligently.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nTHOUGHT FORMS.\n\n\nThat interesting phase of occult phenomena, known as \"thought forms,\" is\nso closely related to the general subject of the human aura that a\nmention of one must naturally lead to the thought of the other.\nThought-forms are built up of the very material composing the aura, and\nmanifest all of the general characteristics thereof, even to the auric\ncolors. An understanding of the facts of the human aura is necessary for\na correct understanding of the nature of the thought-forms composed of\nthe same substance.\n\nA \"thought form\" is a peculiar manifestation of mental activity on the\nastral plane. It is more than a powerful disturbance in the body of the\nhuman aura, although this is the place of its embodiment or birth in the\nobjective world. It is formed in the following manner: A person\nmanifests a strong desire, feeling or idea, which is naturally filled\nwith the dynamic force of his will. This sets up a series of strong\nvibrations in the body of the aura, which gradually resolve themselves\ninto a strong whirling centre of thought-force involved in a mass of\nstrongly cohesive auric substance, and strongly charged with the power\nof the prana of the person.\n\nIn some cases these thought forms survive in the auric body for some\nlittle time, and then gradually fade away. In other cases they survive\nand maintain an almost independent existence for some time, and exert a\nstrong influence upon other persons coming in the presence of the\nperson. Again, these thought forms may be so strongly charged with\nprana, and so imbued with the mental force of the person, that they will\nactually be thrown off and away from the aura itself, and travel in\nspace until they exhaust their initial energy--in the meantime exerting\nan influence upon the psychic aura of other persons.\n\nA thought-form is more than merely a strongly manifested thought--it\nreally is such a thought, but surrounded by a body of ethereal\nsubstance, charged with prana, and even carrying with it the vibration\nof the life energy of its creator. It is a child of the mind of its\ncreator, and acquires a portion of his life-essence, so to speak, which\nabides with it for a longer or shorter time after its birth. In extreme\ninstances it becomes practically a semi-living elemental force, of\nnecessarily comparatively short life.\n\nTo those who find it difficult to understand how a thought-form can\npersist after separation from the presence of the thinker, I would say\nthat the phenomena is similar to that of light traveling in space, long\nafter the star which originated it has been destroyed. Or, again, it is\nlike the vibrations of heat remaining in a room after the lamp or stove\ncausing it has been removed, or the fire in the grate having died out.\nOr like the sound waves of the drum-beat persisting after the beat\nitself has ceased. It is all a matter of the persistence of vibrations.\n\nThought forms differ greatly one from the other in the matter of shape\nand general appearance. The most common and simple form is that of an\nundulating wave, or series of tiny waves, resembling the circles caused\nby the dropping of a pebble into a still pond. Another form is that of a\ntiny rotating bit of cloud-like substance, sometimes whirling towards a\ncentral point, like a whirlpool; and sometimes swirling away from the\ncentral point like the familiar \"pin-wheel\" fireworks toy. Another form\nis akin the ring of smoke projected from the coughing locomotive, or\nthe rounded lips of the cigar smoker, the movement in this kind being a\nform of spiral rotation. Other thought forms have the appearance of\nswiftly rotating balls of cloudy substance, often glowing with a faint\nphosphorescence.\n\nSometimes the thought form will appear as a great slender jet, like\nsteam ejected from the spout of a tea-kettle, which is sometimes broken\nup into a series of short, puffed-out jets, each following the jet\npreceding it, and traveling in a straight line. Sometimes the thought\nform shoots forth like a streak of dim light, almost resembling a beam\nof light flashed from a mirror. Occasionally, it will twist its way\nalong like a long, slender corkscrew, or auger, boring into space.\n\nIn cases of thought-forms sent forth by explosive emotion, the thought\nform will actually take the form of a bomb, which literally explodes\nwhen it reaches the presence of the person toward whom it is aimed.\nEvery person has experienced this feeling of a thought bomb having been\nexploded in his near vicinity, having been directed by a vigorous\npersonality. This form is frequently found in the thought forms sent out\nby a strong, earnest, vigorous orator.\n\nThere are strong thought forms which seem to strive to push back the\nother person, so correctly do they represent the idea and feeling back\nof their manifestation. Others seem to strive to wind around the other\nperson, and to try to literally drag him toward the first person, this\nform often accompanying strong appeal, persuasion, coaxing, etc., when\naccompanied by strong desire. A particularly vigorous form of this kind\nof thought form takes on the appearance of a nebulous octopus, with\nlong, winding, clinging tentacles, striving to wrap around the other\nperson, and to draw him toward the center.\n\nThe force of the feeling behind the manifestation of the thought form\nwill often travel a long distance from the sender--in fact, in cases of\ngreat power of concentration, space seems to be no barrier to its\npassage. In striking instances of thought transference, etc., it will be\nfound that thought forms play an important part.\n\nThe variety of shapes of thought forms is almost endless. Each\ncombination of thought and feeling creates its own form, and each\nindividual seems to have his own peculiarities in this respect. The\nforms I have above described, however, will serve as typical cases to\nillustrate the more common classes of appearances. The list, however,\nmight be indefinitely expanded from the experience of any experienced\noccultist, and is not intended to be full by any means. All varieties of\ngeometrical forms are found among the thought forms, some of them being\nof remarkable beauty.\n\nIn considering the subject of projected thought forms, moreover, it must\nbe remembered that they partake of, and manifest, the same colors as\ndoes the aura itself, for they are composed of the same material and are\ncharged with the same energy. But, note this difference, that whereas\nthe aura is energized from the constant battery of the organism of the\nindividual, the thought form, on the contrary, has at its service only\nthe energy with which it was charged when it was thrown off--being a\nstorage battery, as it were, which in time expends all of its power and\nthen is powerless.\n\nEvery thought form bears the same color that it would possess if it had\nbeen retained in the body of the aura itself. But, as a rule, the colors\nare plainer, and less blended with others--this because each thought\nform is the representation of a single definite feeling or thought, or\ngroup of same, instead of being a body of widely differing mental\nvibrations. Thus the thought form of anger will show its black and red,\nwith its characteristic flashes. The thought form of passion will show\nforth its appropriate auric colors and general characteristics. The\nthought form of high ideal love will show its beautiful form and\nharmonious tinting, like a wonderful celestial flower from the garden of\nsome far off Paradise.\n\nMany thought forms never leave the outer limits of the aura, while\nothers are projected to great distances. Some sputter out as they\ntravel, and are disintegrated, while others continue to glow like a\npiece of heated iron, for many hours. Others persist for a long time,\nwith a faint phosphorescent glow. A careful study of what has been said\nregarding the characteristics of the various feelings and emotions, as\nmanifested in the auric body, will give the student a very fair general\nidea of what may be the appearance of any particular variety of thought\nform, for a general principle runs through the entire series of auric\nphenomena. An understanding of the fundamental principles will lead to\nan understanding of any of the particular varieties of the manifestation\nthereof.\n\nFinally, remember this: A thought form is practically a bit of the\ndetached aura of a person, charged with a degree of his prana, and\nenergized with a degree of his life energy. So, in a limited sense, it\nreally is a projected portion of his personality.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nPSYCHIC INFLUENCE OF COLORS.\n\n\nIn all of Nature's wonderful processes we find many evidences of that\ngreat principle of Action and Reaction, which, like the forward and\nbackward swing of the pendulum, changes cause into effect, and effect\ninto cause, in a never ending series. We find this principle in effect\nin the psychic relation of mental states and colors. That is to say,\nthat just as we find that certain mental and emotional states manifest\nin vibrations causing particular auric astral colors, so do we find that\nthe presence of certain colors on the physical plane will have a decided\npsychic effect upon the mental and emotional states of individuals\nsubject to their influence. And, as might be expected by the thoughtful\nstudent, the particular astral colors manifested in the aura by the\npresence of some particular mental or emotional state exactly correspond\nwith the particular physical colors which influence that particular\nmental or emotional state.\n\nIllustrating the statements in the preceding paragraph, I would say that\nthe continued presence of red will be apt to set up emotional\nvibrations of anger, passion, physical love, etc., or, in a different\ntint, the higher physical emotions. Blue, of the right tint, will tend\nto cause feelings of spirituality, religious emotion, etc. Green is\nconducive to feelings of relaxation, repose, quiet, etc. Black produces\nthe feeling of gloom and grief. And so on, each color tends to produce\nemotional vibrations similar to those which manifest that particular\ncolor in the astral aura of the person. It is a case of \"give and take\"\nalong the entire scale of color and emotions, according to the great\nnatural laws.\n\nWhile the explanation of these facts is not known to the average person,\nnevertheless nearly everyone recognizes the subtle effect of color and\navoids certain colors, while seeking certain others. There is not a\nsingle living human being but who has experienced the sense of rest,\ncalm, repose, and calm inflow of strength, when in a room decorated in\nquiet shades of green. Nature, herself, has given this particular shade\nto the grass and leaves of trees and plants, so that the soothing effect\nof the country scene is produced. The aura of a person experiencing\nthese feelings, and yielding to them, will manifest precisely the tint\nor shade of green which is shown on the grass and leaves around him, so\ntrue is this natural law of action and reaction.\n\nThe effect of scarlet upon animals, the bull for instance, is well\nknown--to use the familiar term, it causes one to \"see red.\" The sight\nof the color of blood is apt to arouse feelings of rage, or disgust, by\nreason of the same law. The sight of the beautiful clear blue sky tends\nto arouse feelings of reverence, awe or spirituality. One can never\nthink of this shade of blue arousing rage; or red arouse feelings of\nspirituality.\n\nIt is a well known fact that in insane asylums, the use of red in\ndecorations must be avoided, while the proper shades of blue or green\nare favored. On the other hand, the use of a proper red, in certain\ncases, will tend to arouse vitality and physical strength in a patient.\nIt is not by mere chance that the life giving blood is a bright, rich\nred color when it leaves the heart.\n\nWhen one \"feels blue\" he does not have the impression of a bright or\nsoft blue--but he really is almost conscious of the presence of a dull\nbluish gray. And the presence of such a color in one's surroundings,\ntends to cause a feeling of depression. Everyone knows the effect of a\n\"gray day\" in the Fall or Spring.\n\nAgain, who does not know the feeling of mental exaltation coming from\nthe sight of a day filled with golden sunshine, or from a golden sunset.\nWe find proofs of this law of Nature on all sides, every day of our\nlives. It is an interesting subject, which will repay the student for\nthe expenditure of a little time and thought upon it.\n\nSpeaking of the general class characteristics of the three primary\ngroups of colors, all occultists, as well as many physiologists and\npsychologists, are agreed on the following fundamental propositions,\nviz.: that (1) Red is exciting to the mind and emotions; (2) Yellow is\ninspiring and elevating, and intellectually stimulating; and (3) Blue is\ncool, soothing, and calming. It is also universally conceded that the\nright shades of green (combining the qualities of blue and yellow in\nappropriate proportions) is the ideal color of rest and recuperation,\nfollowed by a stimulation and new ambition. The reason for this may be\nseen, when you consider the respective qualities of blue and yellow\nwhich compose this color.\n\nIt is interesting to note that the science of medicine is now seriously\nconsidering the use of colors in the treatment of disease, and the best\nmedical authorities investigating the subject are verifying the\nteachings of the old occultists, regarding the influence of colors on\nmental states and physical conditions.\n\nDr. Edwin Babbitt, a pioneer in this line in the Western world, gave the\ngeneral principles in a nutshell, when he laid down the following rule:\n\"There is a trianal series of graduations in the peculiar potencies of\ncolors, the center and climax of electrical action, which cools the\nnerves, being in violet; the climax of electrical action, which is\nsoothing to the vascular system, being in blue; the climax of luminosity\nbeing in yellow; and the climax of thermism or heat being in red. This\nis not an imaginary division of qualities, but a real one, the flamelike\nred color having a principle of warmth in itself; the blue and violet, a\nprinciple of cold and electricity. Thus we have many styles of chromatic\naction, including progression of hues, of lights and shades, of fineness\nand coarseness, of electrical power, luminous power, thermal power,\netc.\"\n\nRead the above statement of Dr. Babbitt, and then compare it with the\noccult teaching regarding the astral colors, and you will perceive the\nreal basis of the science which the good doctor sought to establish, and\nin which cause he did such excellent pioneer work. The result of his\nwork is now being elaborated by modern physicians in the great schools\nof medicine, particularly on the Continent, in Europe--England and\nAmerica being somewhat behind the times in this work.\n\nThe advanced occultist also finds much satisfaction in the interest, on\nthe part of physicians and jurists, in the matter of the influence of\ncolor upon the mental, moral and physical welfare of the public. The\neffect of color upon morality is being noticed by workers for human\nwelfare, occupying important offices.\n\nThe American journals report the case of a judge in a large Western city\nin that country, who insisted upon his courtroom being decorated in\nlight, cheerful tints, instead of in the old, gloomy, depressing shades\nformerly employed. This judge wisely remarked that brightness led to\nright thinking, and darkness to crooked thinking; also that his court,\nbeing an uplift court, must have walls to correspond, and that it was\nenough to turn any man into a criminal to be compelled to sit in a dark,\ndismal courtroom, day after day.\n\nThis good judge, who must have had some acquaintance with the occult\nteachings, is quoted as concluding as follows: \"White, cream, light\nyellow, and orange are the colors which are the sanest. I might add\nlight green, for that is the predominant color in Nature; black, brown\nand deep red are incentives to crime--a man in anger sees red.\" Surely a\nremarkable utterance from the bench!\n\nThe effect of color schemes upon the moral and mental welfare of persons\nis being recognized in the direction of providing brighter color schemes\nin schools, hospitals, reformatories, prisons, etc. The reports\nnaturally show the correctness of the underlying theory. The color of a\ntiny flower has its effect upon even the most hardened prisoner; while\nthe minds of children in school are quickened by a touch of brightness\nhere and there in the room. It needs no argument to prove the beneficial\neffect of the right kind of colors in the sickroom, or hospital ward.\n\nThe prevailing theories, and practice, regarding the employment of color\nin therapeutics and human welfare work, are in the main correct. But, I\nurge the study of the occult significance of color, as mentioned in this\nbook in connection with the human aura and its astral colors, as a sound\nbasis for an intelligent, thorough understanding of the real psychic\nprinciples underlying the physical application of the methods referred\nto. Go to the center of the subject, and then work outward--that is the\ntrue rule of the occultist, which might well be followed by the\nnon-occult general public.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nAURIC MAGNETISM.\n\n\nThe phenomenon of human magnetism is too well recognized by the general\npublic, to require argument at this time. Let the scientists dispute\nabout it as much as they please, down in the heart of nearly all of the\nplain people of the race is the conviction that there is such a thing.\nThe occultists, of course, are quite familiar with the wonderful\nmanifestations of this great natural force, and with its effect upon the\nminds and bodies of members of the race, and can afford to smile at the\nattempts of some of the narrow minds in the colleges to pooh-pooh the\nmatter.\n\nBut the average person is not familiar with the relation of this human\nmagnetism to the human aura. I think that the student should familiarize\nhimself with this fundamental relation, in order to reason correctly on\nthe subject of human magnetism. Here is the fundamental fact in a\nnutshell: The human aura is the great storehouse, or reservoir, of human\nmagnetism, and is the source of all human magnetism that is projected by\nthe individual toward other individuals. Just how human magnetism is\ngenerated, is, of course, a far deeper matter, but it is enough for our\npurpose at this time to explain the fact of its storage and\ntransmission.\n\nIn cases of magnetic healing, etc., the matter is comparatively simple.\nIn such instances the healer by an effort of the will (sometimes\nunconsciously applied) projects a supply of his pranic aura vibrations\ninto the body of his patient, by way of the nervous system of the\npatient, and also by means of what may be called the induction of the\naura itself.\n\nThe mere presence of a person strongly charged with prana, is often\nenough to cause an overflow into the aura of other persons, with a\nresulting feeling of new strength and energy. By the use of the hands of\nthe healer, a heightened effect is produced, by reason of certain\nproperties inherent in the nervous system of both healer and patient.\n\nThere is even a flow of etheric substance from the aura of the healer to\nthat of the patient, in cases where the vitality of the latter is very\nlow. Many a healer has actually, and literally, pumped his life force\nand etheric substance into the body of his patient, when the latter was\nsinking into the weakness which precedes death, and has by so doing been\nable to bring him back to life and strength. This is practically akin\nto the transfusion of blood--except that it is on the psychic plane\ninstead of the physical.\n\nBut the work of the magnetic healer does not stop here, if he be well\ninformed regarding his science. The educated healer realizing the potent\neffect of mental states upon physical conditions--of mental vibrations\nupon the physical nerve centers and organs of the body--endeavors to\narouse the proper mental vibrations in the mind of his patient.\nOrdinarily, he does this merely by holding in his mind the corresponding\ndesired mental state, and thus arousing similar vibrations in the mind\nof the patient. This of itself is a powerful weapon of healing, and\nconstitutes the essence of mental healing as usually practiced. But\nthere is a possible improvement even upon this, as we shall see in a\nmoment.\n\nThe advanced occultist, realizing the law of action and reaction in the\nmatter of the auric colors, turns the same to account in healing work,\nas follows: He not only holds in his mind the strong feeling and thought\nwhich he wishes to transmit to the patient, but (fix this in your mind)\nhe also pictures in his imagination the particular kind of color which\ncorresponds with the feeling or thought in question.\n\nA moment's thought will show you that by this course he practically\nmultiplies the effect. Not only do his own thought vibrations (1) set up\ncorresponding vibrations in the mind of the patient, by the laws of\nthought transference, but (2) his thought of the certain colors will set\nup corresponding vibrations not only (a) in his own aura, and thence (b)\nto that of the patient, but will also (3) act directly upon the aura of\nthe patient and reproduce the colors there, which (4) in turn will\narouse corresponding vibrations in the mind of the patient, by the law\nof reaction.\n\nThe above may sound a little complicated at first reading, but a little\nanalysis will show you that it is really quite a simple process, acting\nstrictly along the lines of Action and Reaction, which law has been\nexplained to you in preceding chapters of this book. The vibrations\nrebound from mind to aura, and from aura to mind, in the patient,\nsomething like a billiard ball flying from one side of the table to\nanother, or a tennis ball flying between the two racquets over the net.\n\nThe principle herein mentioned may be employed as well in what is called\n\"absent treatment\" as in treatments where the patient is present. By\nthe laws of thought transference, not only the thought but also the\nmental image of the appropriate astral color, is transmitted over space,\nand then, impinging on the mind of the patient, is transmitted into\nhelpful and health-giving vibrations in his mind. The healer of any\nschool of mental or spiritual healing will find this plan very helpful\nto him in giving absent as well as present treatments. I recommend it\nfrom years of personal experience, as well as that of other advanced\noccultists.\n\nOf course the fact that the ordinary healer is not able to distinguish\nthe finer shades of astral color, by reason of his not having actually\nperceived them manifested in the aura, renders his employment of this\nmethod less efficacious than that of the developed and trained\noccultist. But, nevertheless, he will find that, from the knowledge of\nthe auric or astral colors given in this little book, he will be able to\nobtain quite satisfactory and marked results in his practice. The\nfollowing table, committed to memory, will be of help to him in the\nmatter of employing the mental image of the auric colors in his healing\nwork.\n\n\nTABLE OF HEALING COLORS.\n\nNervous System--\n Cooling and soothing: Shades of violet, lavender, etc.\n Resting and invigorating effect: Grass greens.\n Inspiring and illuminating: Medium yellows, and orange.\n Stimulating and exciting: Reds (bright).\n\nBlood and Organs--\n Cooling and soothing: Clear dark blues.\n Resting and invigorating: Grass greens.\n Inspiring and illuminating: Orange yellows.\n Stimulating and exciting: Bright reds.\n\nThe following additional suggestions will be found helpful to the\nhealer: In cases of impaired physical vitality; also chilliness, lack of\nbodily warmth, etc., bright, warm reds are indicated. In cases of\nfeverishness, overheated blood, excessive blood pressure, inflammation,\netc., blue is indicated. Red has a tendency to produce renewed and more\nactive heart action; while violets and lavenders tend to slow down the\ntoo rapid beating of the heart. A nervous, unstrung patient, may be\ntreated by bathing her, mentally, in a flood of violet or lavender\nauric color; while a tired, used up, fatigued person may be invigorated\nby flooding him with bright reds, followed by bright, rich yellows,\nfinishing the treatment with a steady flow of warm orange color.\n\nTo those who are sufficiently advanced in occult philosophy, I would say\nthat they should remember the significance of the Great White Light, and\naccordingly conclude their treatment by an effort to indicate an\napproach to that clear, pure white color in the aura--mentally, of\ncourse. This will leave the patient in an inspired, exalted, illuminated\nstate of mind and soul, which will be of great benefit to him, and will\nalso have the effect of reinvigorating the healer by cosmic energy or\npara-prana.\n\nEverything that has been said in this chapter regarding the use of color\nin magnetic treatments, is equally applicable to cases of self-healing,\nor self-treatment. Let the patient follow the directions above given for\nthe healer, and then turn the healing current, or thought, inward--and\nthe result will be the same as if he were treating another. The\nindividual will soon find that certain colors fit his requirements\nbetter than others, in which case let him follow such experience in\npreference to general rules, for the intuition generally is the safest\nguide in such cases. However, it will be found that the individual\nexperience will usually agree with the tables given above, with slight\npersonal variations.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nDEVELOPING THE AURA.\n\n\nWhen it is remembered that the aura of the individual affects and\ninfluences other persons with whom he comes in contact--and is, in fact,\nan important part of his personality--it will be seen that it is\nimportant that the individual take pains to develop his aura in the\ndirection of desirable qualities, and to neutralize and weed out\nundesirable ones. This becomes doubly true, when it is also remembered\nthat, according to the law of action and reaction, the auric vibrations\nreact upon the mind of the individual, thus intensifying and adding fuel\nto the original mental states which called them forth. From any point of\nview, it is seen to be an important part of self development and\ncharacter building, to develop the aura according to scientific occult\nprinciples.\n\nIn this work of aura development, there is found to be two correlated\nphases, namely: (1) the direct work of flooding the aura with the best\nvibrations, by means of holding in the mind clear, distinct and repeated\nmental pictures of desirable ideas and feelings; and (2) the added\neffect of mental images of the colors corresponding to the ideas and\nfeelings which are deemed desirable and worthy of development.\n\nThe first of the above mentioned phases is probably far more familiar to\nthe average student, than is the second. This from the fact that the\naverage student is apt to be more or less familiar with the teachings of\nthe numerous schools or cults which agree in the axiom that \"holding the\nthought\" tends to develop the mind of the individual along the\nparticular lines of such thought.\n\nThis is a correct psychological principle, for that matter, even when\nthose practicing it do not fully understand the underlying facts. Mental\nfaculties, like physical muscles, tend to develop by exercise and use,\nand any faculty may be developed and cultivated in this way.\n\nAnother teaching of these same schools is that the character of the\nthoughts so \"held\" by the individual, effects other persons with whom he\ncomes in contact, and, in a way attracts to him objective things,\npersons, and circumstances in harmony with such thoughts. This also is\nin accordance with the best occult teaching--from which, of course, it\nwas originally derived.\n\nI heartily endorse the facts of these teachings, and pronounce them\nfundamentally correct. And, in this connection, I may say that every\nhealer may apply his own methods PLUS this teaching regarding the aura,\nand thus obtain greatly increased results.\n\nBy the faithful, persevering, holding in mind of certain ideas and\nfeelings, the individual may flood his aura with the vibrations and\ncolors of such ideas and feelings, and thus charge it with auric energy\nand power. By so doing, he gains the benefit of the reaction upon his\nown mind, and also secures the advantage of the effect thereof upon\nother persons with whom he comes in contact. In this way he not only\nbuilds up his individual character along desirable lines, but at the\nsame time develops a strong, positive, attractive \"personality\" which\naffects others with whom he comes in contact.\n\nI do not consider it necessary to go into details here regarding this\nphase of \"holding the thought,\" for, as I have said, the average student\nis already familiar with the rules regarding the same. In a nutshell,\nhowever, I will say that each individual is largely the result of the\nthoughts he has manifested, and the feelings which he has harbored.\nTherefore, the rule is to manifest and exercise the faculties you would\ndevelop, and inhibit or refrain from manifesting the ones you would\nrestrain or control. Again, to restrain an undesirable faculty, develop\nand exercise its opposite--kill out the negatives by developing the\npositives. The mind produces thought; and yet, it tends to grow from the\nparticular portion of its own product which you may choose to feed to\nit--for it not only creates thought, but also feeds upon it. So,\nfinally, let it produce the best kind of thought for you, and then throw\nthat back into the hopper, for it will use it to grind out more of the\nsame kind and grow strong in so doing. That is the whole thing in a\nnutshell.\n\nThe second phase of aura development (as above classified), however, is\nnot likely to be familiar to the average student, for the reason that it\nis not known outside of advanced occult circles, and very little has\nbeen allowed to be taught regarding it. But, the very reticence\nregarding it is a proof of its importance, and I strongly advise my\nstudents to give to it the attention and practice that its importance\nmerits. The practice, thereof, however, is extremely simple, and the\nprinciple of the practice, moreover, is based solely upon the facts of\nthe relation of color and mental states, as shown in the astral auric\ncolors, as fully explained in the preceding chapters of this book.\n\nIn order to intelligently practice the development of the aura by means\nof flooding or charging it with the vibrations of psychic colors, it is\nfirst necessary that the student be thoroughly familiar with the scale\nof colors related to each set of mental states or emotional feelings.\nThis scale and its key is found in a number of places in the preceding\nchapters.\n\nThe student should turn back the pages of this book, and then carefully\nre-read and re-study every word which has been said about the relation\nof mental states and auric colors. He should know the mental\ncorrespondence of the shades of red, yellow, and blue, so thoroughly\nthat the thought of one will bring the idea of the other. He should be\nable to think of the corresponding group of colors, the moment he thinks\nof any particular mental state. He should be thoroughly familiar with\nthe physical, mental, and spiritual effect of any of the colors, and\nshould moreover, test himself, psychically, for the individual effects\nof certain colors upon himself.\n\nHe should enter into this study with interest and earnestness, and then\nby keeping his eyes and ears open, he will perceive interesting facts\nconcerning the subject on every side in his daily work and life. He will\nperceive many proofs of the principle, and will soon amass a stock of\nexperiences illustrating each color and its corresponding mental state.\nHe will be richly repaid for the work of such study, which, in fact,\nwill soon grow to be more like pleasure than like work.\n\nHaving mastered this phase of the subject, the student should give\nhimself a thorough, honest, self-examination and mental analysis. He\nshould write down a chart of his strong points and his weak ones. He\nshould check off the traits which should be developed, and those which\nshould be restrained. He should determine whether he needs development\nalong physical, mental, and spiritual lines, and in what degree. Having\nmade this chart of himself, he should then apply the principles of\ncharging the aura with the color vibrations indicated by his self\ndiagnosis and prescription.\n\nThe last stage is quite simple, once one has acquired the general idea\nback of it. It consists simply in forming as clear a mental image as\npossible of the color or colors desired, and then projecting the\nvibrations into the aura by the simple effort of the will. This does\nnot mean that one needs to clinch the fist or frown the brow, in\nwilling. Willing, in the occult sense, may be said to consist of a\nCOMMAND, leaving the rest to the mechanism of the will and mind. Take\naway the obstacle of Doubt and Fear--then the Royal Command performs the\nwork of setting the will into operation. This, by the way, is an\nimportant occult secret, of wide application--try to master its all\nimportant significance.\n\nThe mental imaging of colors may be materially aided by concentration\nupon physical material of the right color. By concentrating the\nattention and vision upon a red flower, for instance; or upon a bit of\ngreen leaf, in another instance; one may be able to form a clear,\npositive mental image of that particular color. This accompanied by the\nwilling, and demand, that the vibrations of this color shall charge the\naura, will be found to accomplish the result. Have something around you\nshowing the desirable colors, and your attention will almost\ninstinctively take up the impression thereof, even though you may be\nthinking of, or doing something else. Live as much as possible in the\nidea and presence of the desirable color, and you will get the habit of\nsetting up the mental image and vibration thereof. A little practice\nand experience will soon give you the idea, and enable you to get the\nbest results. Patience, perseverance, and sustained earnest\ninterest--that is the key of success.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nTHE PROTECTIVE AURA.\n\n\nAmong the very oldest of the teachings of occultism, we find\ninstructions regarding the building up and maintenance of the protective\naura of the individual, whereby he renders himself immune to undesirable\nphysical, mental, psychic or spiritual influences. So important is this\nteaching, that it is to be regretted that there has not been more said\non the subject by some of the writers of recent years. The trouble with\nmany of these recent writers is that they seem to wish to close their\neyes to the unpleasant facts of life, and to gaze only upon the pleasant\nones. But this is a mistake, for ignorance has never been a virtue, and\nto shut one's eyes to unpleasant facts does not always result in\ndestroying them. I consider any teaching unfinished and inadequate which\ndoes not include instruction along protective lines.\n\nPhysical auric protection consists in charging the aura with vital\nmagnetism and color, which will tend to ward off not only the physical\ncontagion of ill persons, but, what is often still more important, the\ncontagion of their mind and feelings.\n\nThe student who has really studied the preceding chapters will at once\nrealize that this protection is afforded by filling the aura with the\nvibrations of health and physical strength, by means of the mental\nimaging of the life-preserving reds, and the exercise of the mind in the\ndirection of thought of strength and power. These two things will tend\nto greatly increase the resistive aura of anyone, and enable him to\nthrow off disease influences which affect others.\n\nThe aura of the successful physician and healer, in the presence of\ndisease, will invariably show the presence of the bright, positive red\nin the aura, accompanied by the mental vibrations of strength, power and\nconfidence, and the absence of fear. This in connection with the Auric\nCircle, which shall be described presently, will be of great value to\nhealers, physicians, nurses, etc., as well as to those who are brought\ninto intimate contact with sick persons.\n\nOf practically the same degree of importance, is the charging of the\naura with the vibrations of mental protection, viz, the vibrations of\norange, yellow and similar colors. These are the colors of intellect,\nyou will remember, and when the aura is charged and flooded with them it\nacts as a protection against the efforts of others to convince one\nagainst his will, by sophistical arguments, plausible reasoning,\nfallacious illustrations, etc. It gives to one a sort of mental\nillumination, quickening the perceptive faculties, and brightening up\nthe reasoning and judging powers, and finally, giving a sharp edge to\nthe powers of repartee and answer.\n\nIf you will assume the right positive mental attitude, and will flood\nyour aura with the vibrations of the mental orange-yellow, the mental\nefforts of other persons will rebound from your aura, or, to use another\nfigure of speech, will slip from it like water from the back of the\nproverbial duck. It is well to carry the mental image of your head being\nsurrounded by a golden aura or halo, at such times--this will be found\nespecially efficacious as a protective helmet when you are assaulted by\nthe intellect or arguments of others.\n\nAnd, again, there is a third form of protective aura, namely protection\nof one's emotional nature--and this is highly important, when one\nremembers how frequently we are moved to action by our emotions, rather\nthan by our intellect or reason. To guard one's emotions, is to guard\none's very inmost soul, so to speak. If we can protect our feeling and\nemotional side, we will be able to use our reasoning powers and\nintellect far more effectively, as all know by experience.\n\nWhat color should we use in this form of auric protection? Can anyone be\nin doubt here, if he has read the preceding chapters? What is the\nemotional protective color?--why, blue, of course. Blue controls this\npart of the mind or soul, and by raising ourselves into the vibrations\nof positive blue, we leave behind us the lower emotions and feelings,\nand are transported into the higher realms of the soul where these low\nvibrations and influences cannot follow us. In the same way, the blue\ncolored aura will act as an armor to protect us from the contagion of\nthe low passions and feelings of others.\n\nIf you are subjected to evil influences, or contagion of those harboring\nlow emotions and desires, you will do well to acquire the art of\nflooding your aura with the positive blue tints. Make a study of bright,\nclear blues, and you will instinctively select the one best suited for\nyour needs. Nature gives us this instinctive knowledge, if we will but\nseek for it, and then apply it when found. The aura of great moral\nteachers, great priests and preachers, advanced occultists, in fact all\nmen of lofty ideals working among those lower on the moral scale, are\nalways found to be charged with a beautiful, clear blue, which acts as a\nprotection to them when they are unduly exposed to moral or emotional\ncontagion. Ignorance of the occult laws have caused the downfall of many\na great moral teacher, who could have protected himself in this way, in\ntimes of strong attack of low vibrations, had he but known the truth.\nThe individual who knows this law, and who applies it, is rendered\nabsolutely immune from evil contagion on the emotional plane of being.\n\n\nTHE GREAT AURIC CIRCLE.\n\nBut no occult instruction on this subject would be complete without a\nreference to the Great Auric Circle of Protection, which is a shelter to\nthe soul, mind, and body, against outside psychic influences, directed,\nconsciously or unconsciously against the individual. In these days of\nwide spread though imperfect, knowledge of psychic phenomena, it is\nespecially important that one should be informed as to this great shield\nof protection. Omitting all reference to the philosophy underlying it,\nit may be said that this Auric Circle is formed by making the mental\nimage, accompanied by the demand of will, of the aura being surrounded\nby a great band of PURE CLEAR WHITE LIGHT. A little perseverance will\nenable you to create this on the astral plane, and, though (unless you\nhave the astral vision) you cannot see it actually, yet you will\nactually FEEL its protective presence, so that you will know that it is\nthere guarding you.\n\nThis White Auric Circle will be an effective and infallible armor\nagainst all forms of psychic attack or influence, no matter from whom it\nmay emanate, or whether directed consciously or unconsciously. It is a\nperfect and absolute protection, and the knowledge of its protective\npower should be sufficient to drive fear from the heart of all who have\ndreaded psychic influence, \"malicious animal magnetism\" (so-called), or\nanything else of the kind, by whatever name known. It is also a\nprotection against psychic vampirism, or draining of magnetic strength.\n\nThe Auric Circle is, of course, really egg-shaped, or oval, for it\nfringes the aura as the shell cases the egg. See yourself, mentally, as\nsurrounded by this Great White Auric Circle of Protection, and let the\nidea sink into your consciousness. Realize its power over the influences\nfrom outside, and rejoice in the immunity it gives you.\n\nThe Auric Circle, however, will admit any outside impressions that you\nreally desire to come to you, while shutting out the others. That is,\nwith this exception, that if your inner soul recognizes that some of\nthese desired influences and impressions are apt to harm you (though\nyour reason and feeling know it not) then will such impressions be\ndenied admittance. For the White Light is the radiation of Spirit, which\nis higher than ordinary mind, emotion, or body and is Master of All. And\nits power, even though we can but imperfectly represent it even\nmentally, is such that before its energy, and in its presence, in the\naura, all lower vibrations are neutralized and disintegrated.\n\nThe highest and deepest occult teaching is that the White Light must\nnever be used for purpose of attack or personal gain, but that it may\nproperly be used by anyone, at any time, to protect against outside\npsychic influences against which the soul protests. It is the armor of\nthe soul, and may well be employed whenever or wherever the need\narises.\n\nThroughout the pages of this little book have been scattered crumbs of\nteaching other than those concerning the aura alone. Those for whom\nthese are intended will recognize and appropriate them--the others will\nnot see them, and will pass them by. One attracts his own to him. Much\nseed must fall on waste places, in order that here and there a grain\nwill find lodgment in rich soil awaiting its coming. True occult\nknowledge is practical power and strength. Beware of prostituting the\nhigher teachings for selfish ends and ignoble purposes. To guard and\npreserve your own will is right; to seek to impose your will upon that\nof another is wrong. Passive resistance is often the strongest form of\nresistance--this is quite different from non-resistance.\n\n\nTHE END.","title":"The Human Aura: Astral Colors and Thought Forms","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":16151}