This is the twelfth chapter of the book
"The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians."
One of the most interesting points
of the Rosicrucian teachings to the average student is that which is concerned
with the Aura, or Psychic Atmosphere of the Human Individual, and the Astral
Colors which manifest in that Aura, and otherwise.
By "Aura" is meant "A
subtle invisible emanation or exhalation creating an atmosphere around the
person or thing emanating it" — at least this is the popular definition of
the term. In occult writings and teachings, however, the term has a more
special meaning, and is employed to indicate the "psychic atmosphere"
surrounding each human individual, invisible to the ordinary sense of sight,
but perceptible by clairvoyant vision.
The human aura is an emanation from
the soul, or souls, or the person whom it surrounds. It is akin to the rays of
the sun, or the fragrance of the flower. It is a form of energy rather than of
matter, yet is possesses a certain substantiality which justifies some writers in
treating it as being composed of a very subtle form of matter. The human aura
is egg-shaped, and extends to an average distance of two or three feet from the
body of the person emanating it.
The human aura is composed of
numerous elements, some of a low and some of a high order, corresponding to the
elements manifesting in the soul of the person. Just as the manifestations of
the souls of different persons vary greatly one from the other, so do their
auras vary in the same degree. An advanced occultist, with trained clairvoyant
vision, is able to read the mental and emotional character of a person like an
open book, by means of the appearance and coloring of his or her aura.
The lowest element in the human aura
is that which occultists call the "physical emanation," which is
almost colorless, and which is marked by minute and thin "streaks" or
bristle-like marks standing out from the body like bristles on a brush. When
the person is in good health these "bristles" stand out stiffly,
while when the person is in poor health or is suffering from impaired vitality
they droop like the soft hair on the coat of an animal. This element of the
aura appears to detach minute particles of itself from the aura as the person
moves about, and it is believed that it is by these particles that dogs and
other animals are able to track persons — it is this which is the essence of
the so-called "scent" followed by the animals mentioned.
Another low element in the human
aura is that which may be called the auric element of "vital energy."
This element is perceived by clairvoyants as having a very faint pinkish glow,
sometimes filled with tiny sparks of vital magnetism if the person be very
magnetic. It is occasionally visible to persons lacking clairvoyant vision, and
appears to them in the form of vibrating air, similar to the heated air arising
from a field on a very warm day, or from a heated stove.
Passing over several unimportant
auric elements of a lower degree, the student is asked to consider the most
interesting phenomena of the "auric colors" which represent the
mental and emotional elements in the soul of the man or woman. These elements
are the characteristic features of the aura when perceived by clairvoyant
vision. The aura, seen in this way, presents the appearance of a luminous cloud
composed of varied and shifting colors, extending in egg-shape to a distance of
about two or three feet from the body, and gradually growing fainter toward its
outward limits until it finally disappears.
Each one of the colors in the aura
represents some particular thought, mental state, emotion of feeling in the
soul of the person. It will be seen at once that there is an almost infinite
variation and shading of these auric colors, owing to the complexity in the
emotional states of the average person.
The following table of the Auric
Colors will give you the key to the blending and shading in the luminous cloud
composing the human aura.
Table
of the Auric Colors
Black indicates hatred, malice, revenge, and similar low
feelings.
Gray (bright shade) indicates
selfishness; (ghastly shade) indicates fear and terror; (dark shade) indicates
melancholy.
Green (bright live shade) indicates
diplomacy, worldly wisdom, suavity, tact, politeness, and "polite
deceit" in general; (dirty, muddy shade) indicates low deceit, low cunning
falsehood, trickery of a low order; (dark, dull shade) indicates jealousy,
envy, covetousness.
Red is the color of the passions in
general, but there is a great variety in its manifestations, for instance: Red
(dull and appearing as if mixed with smoke) indicates sensuality and the lower
animal passions; Red (appearing as bright flashes, sometimes light lightning in
form) indicates anger. In this case the red usually is shown on a black back
ground when the anger arises from hatred or malice and on a greenish background
when the anger arise, from jealousy, envy, etc., and without any back ground
when the anger arises from "righteous indignation" and the defense of
what is believed to be righteous cause. Red (crimson shade) represent Love, and
varies in shade according to the character of the passion named. For instance,
a dull and heavy crimson shade indicates a gross, sensual love, while the
brighter, clearer and more pleasing shades indicate love blended with higher
feelings and accompanied by higher ideals; and the highest form of human love
between the sexes manifests in a beautiful rose color.
Brown (reddish shade) indicates avarice
and greed.
Orange (bright shade) represents pride and
ambition.
Yellow, in its various shades, represents
intellectual power in its various forms. A beautiful, clear. golden yellow
indicates high intellectual attainment logical reasoning, unprejudiced judgment
and discrimination. A dark dull yellow shade indicates. intellectual power
contenting itself with thoughts and subjects of a low, selfish order. The shade
between the two just indicated denote the presence of higher or lower thought,
respectively, the dark rep. resenting the lower, and the light the higher.
Blue (dark shade) represents religious
emotion. feeling, and tendencies in general. The dull shades; however, indicate
religious emotion of a low order, while the clearer brighter shades indicate
religious emotions of a high order. These shades vary and range from a dull
indigo to a beautiful bright violet. Light Blue (of a peculiar hue and shade)
indicates spirituality. This spiritual blue is of a peculiarly clear,
transparent, and luminous appearance, which is difficult to describe in words.
In the auras of some persons of a very high degree of spirituality there appear
tiny luminous spark-like points, often twinkling and sparkling like the stars
in the heavens on a clear night.
In addition to the ordinary colors
named above, there are several shades which cannot be named, for they
correspond to colors outside of the field of human vision, such as "infra
red" and "ultra violet." Without going deeply into this phase of
the subject, it may be said that the "ultra violet" auric colors
denote high spiritual powers manifested in the direction of the highest and
most worthy aims and ends; while the "infra red" auric colors denote
psychic powers employed in unworthy ways and for base ends — as for instance,
that which the occultists know as "black magic."
There are two other auric colors
which are impossible to describe in words, for there are no terms adequate for
such expression. These colors are as follows: (1) the true primary yellow,
which indicates the highest spiritual illumination of the intellect; and (2)
true pure white, or a peculiar brilliancy and transparency, which indicates the
presence of the awakened spirit.
A writer on the subject has said of
the manifestations of the auric colors:
« Even when the mind is calm
there hover in the aura the shades indicative of the predominant tendencies in
the man. so that his stage of advancement and development, as well as his
tastes and other features of his personality, may be readily discerned. When
the mind is swept by a strong passion, feeling or emotion, the entire aura
seems to be colored by the particular shade or shades representing it. For
instance, a violent fit of anger causes the whole aura to show bright red
flashes upon a black background, almost eclipsing the other colors. This state
lasts for a longer or shorter time, according to the strength of the passion.
If people could but have a glimpse of the human aura when so colored, they
would become so horrified at the dreadful sight that they would never again
permit themselves to fly into a rage — it resembles the flame and smoke of the
'pit' which is referred to in the orthodox churches, and, in fact, the human
mind in such a condition becomes a veritable hell for the time being.
A strong wave of love sweeping over
the mind will cause the aura to show crimson, the shade depending upon the
character of the passion. Likewise a burst of religious feeling will bestow
upon the entire aura a blue tinge. In short, a strong emotion, feeling, or
passion causes the entire aura to take on its color while the feeling lasts.
You will see from what we have said that there are two aspects to the color
feature of the aura, the first depending upon the predominant thoughts
habitually manifesting in the mind of the person; the second depending upon the
particular feeling, emotion or passion (if any) being manifested at that
particular time. The passing color disappears when the feeling dies away,
although a feeling, passion, or emotion repeatedly manifested shows itself in
time upon the auric color. The habitual color shown in the aura, of course,
changes gradually from time to time as the character of the person improves or
changes.
The habitual colors shown indicate
the “general character” of the person; the passing colors show what feeling,
emotion, or passion (if any) is dominating him at that particular time. »
Another writer, describing the
appearance of the aura of a person, has said:
« The shades and colors of the
aura present an ever-changing kaleidoscopic spectacle. The trained occultist is
able to read the character of any person, as well as the nature of his passing
thoughts and feelings, by simply studying the shifting colors of his aura. To
the developed occultist the mind and character becomes as an open book, to be
studied carefully and intelligently. Even the student of occultism who has not
been able to develop the clairvoyant vision to such a high degree, is soon able
to develop the sense of psychic perception whereby he is able to at least “feel”
the vibrations of the aura, though he may not see the colors, and thus be able
to interpret the mental states which have caused them.
The principle of course is the same,
as the colors are but the outward appearance of the vibrations themselves, just
as the ordinary colors on the physical plane are merely the outward
manifestations of vibrations of matter. But it must not be supposed that the
human aura is always perceived in the appearance of a luminous cloud of
ever-changing color. When we say that such is its characteristic appearance, we
mean it in the same sense that we describe the ocean as a calm, deep body of
greenish waters. We know, however, that at times the ocean presents no such
appearance, but, instead, is seen as rising in great mountainous waves,
white-capped, and threatening the tiny vessels of men with its power. Or again,
we may define the word “flame” in the sense of a steady, bright stream of
burning gas, whereas, we know only too well that the word also indicates the
great hot tongues of fiery force that stream out from the windows of a burning
building and lick to destruction all with which it comes in contact.
So it is with the human aura. At
times it may be seen as a beautiful, calm, luminous atmosphere, presenting the
appearance of a great opal under the rays of the sun. Again, it blazes like the
flames of a great furnace, shooting forth great tongues of fire in this
direction and that, rising and falling in great waves of emotional excitement,
or passion, or perhaps whirling like a great fiery maelstrom toward its centre,
or swirling in an outward movement away from its centre. Again, it may be seen
as projecting from its depths smaller bodies or centres of mental vibration,
which like sparks from a furnace detach themselves from the parent flame and
travel far away in other directions — these are the projected thought forms of
which all occultists are fond of speaking and which make plain many strange
psychic occurrences. »
The
Three Primary Auric Colors
Like their physical counterparts,
the Auric Colors are derived from three Primary Colors, from which. all the
various combinations and colors are formed. These three primary colors,
together with White and Black, give us the key to the entire auric spectrum.
The Three Primary Colors are as follows: (1) Red; (2) Blue; and (3)
Yellow. From these three primary colors all others are formed by combinations
and blendings, or by the addition of Black or White. Thus, the Secondary Colors
are formed as follows: (1) Green, derived from a combination of Yellow and
Blue; (2) Orange, derived from a combination of Yellow and Red; (3) Purple,
derived from a combination of Red and Blue. Further combinations produce other
colors, for instance: Green and Purple form Olive; Orange and Purple form
Russet; Green and Orange form Citrine.
Black is really an absence of color,
while White is really a
harmonious blending of all colors. The blending of the Primary Colors in varied
proportions produce what are known as the "hues" of color; and adding
White we obtain "tints," while mixing Black produces
"shades."
Key
to the Auric Colors
An understanding of the basic
character of the Three Primary Auric Colors, and of Auric Black and Auric
White, gives the student the key to the whole range of auric coloring. For this
purpose the following table is presented:
The Red
Group. Red
represents the physical nature, and its presence always indicates the existence
and activity of that part of the nature of man.
The Blue
Group. Blue
represents the religious, or spiritual nature, and its presence always
indicates the existence and activity of that part of the nature of man.
The Yellow
Group. Yellow
represents the intellectual nature, and its presence always indicates the
existence and activity of that part of the nature of man.
White. White represents Pure Spirit, and
its presence always indicates the presence and activity of that Reality in the
nature of man.
Black. Black represents the negation of
Pure Spirit, and opposes it in every way, and its presence always indicates the
existence and activity of this negative principle in the nature of man.
The various combinations of the
three Primary Annie Colors are formed in connection with White and Black, as
well as by the blending of the three themselves. These combinations of course
result from the shades of mental and emotional activity manifested by the
individual. But not only is the blending caused by the mixing of the colors
themselves, in connection with Black and White, but in certain cases the body
of one color is found to be streaked, striped, dotted, or clouded by other
colors. At times there is perceived the mixture of two antagonistic color
streams fighting against each other before blending. Again we see the effect of
one color neutralizing another. In some cases great black clouds obscure the
bright colors beneath, and then darken the fierce glow of color, just as is
often witnessed in the case of a physical conflagration. Again, we find great
flashes of bright yellow, or red, flaring across the field of the aura, showing
agitation or the conflict of intellect and passion.
It should be noted by the student,
in passing, that the Green group of auric colors seems, at first glance, to be
an exception to the general rule regarding the blending of the primary auric
colors; and to manifest contradictions in character. For instance, it is
difficult for the average student to comprehend why a blending of the spiritual
blue and the intellectual yellow should yield a green indicating deceit, etc. A
subtle analysis of deceit, however, gives the secret of this combination,
particularly when it is noted that in certain of the less desirable of the
green combinations there is combined a slight mixture of black and of red. It
is not necessary to go into details concerning this particular point — it is
enough to indicate the nature of the solution of the mystery. Again, there is a
certain shade of Green, that which manifests in the prevailing colors of trees,
plants, etc., which when shown in the auric coloring indicates a love of
nature, etc. The following words from a celebrated occultist gives a valuable
hint to those whose minds tend to keen analysis concerning these matters; this
occultist says:
« To those who are fond of
analysis of this kind, I will drop the following hint, which may help them in
the matter, viz.: The key is found in the fact that Green lies in the centre of
the spectrum, and is a balance between the two extremes, and is also influenced
by these two extremes in a startling manner. »
Important
Suggestions
The Rosicrucian teachers do not
content themselves with instructing their students concerning the particular
colors which, when seen in the aura, indicate the presence and activity of
certain mental or emotional states in the person. They also instruct the
student according to the celebrated principle of Action and Reaction, which
forms an important feature of certain branches of the Rosicrucian teachings.
That is to say they instruct the student that if he will hold in his mind the
mental image of a certain color, there will result a reaction in the direction
of the production in the student's mind or emotional nature of the feeling or
emotion corresponding to that particular color. For instance, if the student
will hold his thought and attention firmly concentrated on the Red group of
colors, there will be awakened in him a strong passional emotion, and the
manifestation of animal vitality and vigor, virility, courage, etc.
Again, if he will hold in his mind
in the same way the Blue group of colors, he will experience an uplift of
spiritual or religious emotional feelings, and his nature will be quickened
along those lines. Again, if he would stimulate his intellectual faculties, or
reinvigorate a tired mind, he has but to concentrate on the Yellow group of
colors to obtain the desired result. So, it is seen, not only do mental and
emotional states manifest appropriate colors, but the colors themselves tend to
produce their corresponding mental and emotional states. The action of Red upon
the bull and other animals is explained in this way; also we have here a
suggestion as to why a man "sees red" under moments of great
excitement leading to physical action of punishment, etc.
It is also a part of the teachings
that the Three Primary Colors have a decided therapeutic effect, and that one
may apply the principle in healing work. The colors may be applied either by
means of physical colors placed in the environment of the person, or else held
in the mind of the mental healer giving the treatment. Here is the Therapeutic
Scale of Colors:
Therapeutic
Scale of Colors
Blues,
Violet, Lavender, etc., have a cooling and soothing effect upon the nervous
system, and upon the blood and bodily organs.
Grass
Greens, have a
resting and invigorating effect upon the same.
Yellows
and Orange have an
inspiring and illuminating effect upon the mental faculties.
Reds have an exciting and stimulating
effect upon mind and body (this is particularly true of starlets and other
bright reds).
The Protective Aura
The Rosicrucian teachers also
instruct their pupils in the matter of the creation and maintenance of The
Protective Aura, which is a shelter of soul, mind, and body against evil
influences directed against them consciously or unconsciously. This Protective
Aura is an effective armor against all forms of psychic attack and invasion, no
matter from whom they emanate. It affords a simple but very powerful and
efficient means of protection against adverse psychic influences,
"malicious mental magnetism," black magic, etc., and is also a
protection against psychic vampirism or the draining of magnetic strength.
The method of forming the Protective
Aura is very simple. It consists merely of the formation of a mental image
(accompanied by a demand of the will) of yourself as being surrounded by an
aura of Pure Clear White Light — the symbol and indication of Spirit. A little
practice will enable you to actually feel the presence and power of this
Protective Aura. The White Light is the radiation of Spirit, and Spirit is
master of All Things. As a teacher has said:
« The highest and deepest occult
teaching is that the White Light must never be used for purpose of attack or
personal gain, but that it may properly be employed by anyone, at any time, to
protect himself or herself against adverse outside psychic influences no matter
by whom exerted. It is the armor of the soul, and may well be employed in such
way whenever or wherever the need arises. »
In the explanation given here
concerning the aura will be found a key to very interesting phenomena along the
lines of Personal Magnetism, Magnetic Influence, Personal Atmosphere, etc.
OBSERVATIONS
The first quote mentioned, William Atkinson
took from his book "Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy and Oriental
Occultism” and the following quotes he took from his book “The Human Aura: Astral
Colors and Thought Forms”.
This is not a Rosicrucian teaching but is in fact a summary of what
William Atkinson studied about the aura and its colors; and I perceive that
some of his statements are correct, such as when he says that a trained
clairvoyant could discover the person's character by observing his aura.
But Atkinson also tells lies, as for
example when he claims that the bull reacts to seeing the color red. This is wrong because bulls cannot perceive the color red. What really bother the bull are
the movements the bullfighter makes with his cape, and this cape is red to hide
the blood that is spilled.
Unfortunately, I cannot tell you how
much of what William Atkinson said about the characteristics of colors is true,
because I have not yet studied that subject much, but since Atkinson adopted
several of the statements made by various liars such as Charles Leadbeater and
Max Heindel, I am suspicious of the claims he made.
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