Aura Colors & Their Meanings: A Comprehensive Guide

The human body radiates a very low level of electricity that’s otherwise known as an electromagnetic field — or an aura. Though there are no scientific studies to prove the existence of auras, many practices and philosophies throughout the world have long believed in their existence. 

However, the interpretation of what an aura actually is, or what it might mean, can vary. Shall we explore? 

What Is an Aura?

Auras refer to the largely unseen field of energy surrounding a human’s physical body, although other living things, such as trees, flowers, or animals, can also have an energy field. 

The appearance of your own aura is impacted by your mood and emotional state. Much like a mood ring, different colors are associated with different traits and emotions. An aura reader (or aura readings) might tell you that these colors and their meanings are actually a combination of different colors, with one being more dominant than the rest. 

It’s believed that these layers of colorful light emanating from our bodies can demonstrate our state of being—be it associated with physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional health. Ancient systems of medicine, such as Hindu scriptures like the Vedas, believe that a person’s aura is expressed in layers of color. 

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The aura color wheel consists of seven main colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Each of these colors corresponds to one of the seven main energy points in your body, AKA chakras, though auras are by no means limited to these colors. These chakras include the throat chakra, the root chakra, the sacral chakra, the third eye chakra, the crown chakra, the heart chakra and the solar plexus chakra. 

We can study and learn more about our auras by getting an aura reading. During a reading, a person trained to see auras may do a reading without the need for any special equipment. Alternatively, a reading may involve photographing your aura with a camera specialized in capturing electromagnetic fields. 

The Layers of Your Aura

The seven layers of your aura (also known as bodies or planes) each represent something different.

Physical aura plane

The physical aura plane is the layer representing your physical health -- in the physical realm. Fittingly, it’s the layer closest to your skin.

Emotional aura plane

The emotional aura plane is associated with your emotions. If you’re currently ruled by your emotions, it’s going to show up here. Your emotional plane changes color depending on your mood. If you’re stressed or overwhelmed, it may look dull or smudged. 

Mental aura plane

The third layer out from your body, your mental aura plane corresponds to your sense of logic, reasoning, and your thinking mind. 

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Astral body aura plane

Your astral plane is connected to your spiritual health. It also happens to be where you store your capacity to feel and express love. 

Etheric aura plane

The etheric aura plane is where your psychic abilities live. When unimpeded, your etheric plane helps you tap into the energy of others, so you can connect with those “on a similar wavelength," emoting universal energy.

Celestial aura plane

The celestial plane is the dwelling place of your dreams and intuition. It’s also known as the plane of enlightenment. Highly creative people tend to have a strong celestial plane.

Causal aura plane

The causal plane is the final layer. It serves to create harmony between all the other layers, and ultimately acts as a guide to keep you on your life path. 

Aura Meanings Based On Color

Red aura 

Red corresponds to the root chakra, and it relates to our physical body, as well as the physical world that surrounds us. Those with red in their auras are powerful people who rarely deny themselves the pleasures of the physical plane. 

Red tends to show up in the auras of people who are fearless, passionate, and unapologetic, and possess an inbuilt understanding of their physicality. Typically unafraid of death, over-indulgence, sensuality, or risk, they enjoy manifesting their desires on a material level and are no strangers to adventure. 

In part, it's their restlessness that keeps them so driven. As the brightness of a color in your aura can indicate different things too, it’s worth noting that dark or murky red might indicate anger, frustration, trauma, or exhaustion.

Pink aura

Pink vibrates at a similar frequency as green, which corresponds to the heart chakra, and is typically associated with feminine energy. Pink is rarely seen in an aura, but it does happen. Light pink can be seen in the auras of those who are gentle and give off pleasant, loving energy to everyone they meet, inspiring feelings of comfort in those around them. 

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Deeply sensitive, they fully embrace the ideals of romantic love, and are often adept at keeping romance alive and kicking. People with pink in their auras tend to be natural creatives and healers with strong intuition. Even at the worst of times, a person with a pink aura can help heal others by sheer virtue of their presence. They remind us to be gentle with each other and with the world.

Magenta aura

People with magenta in their aura are rare and true. A combination of red and blue, magenta mixes a potent understanding of the physical world with an elevated ability to think intuitively. This powerful combination makes people with magenta auras extremely well-suited to creative endeavors. They have boundless energy, and are fueled by innovative ideas. 

While they can sometimes seem eccentric, their bonafide originality generally drums up positive attention from others. These individuals are not the kind to follow the crowd. They relish shaking people from their ordinary routines. Unique and optimistic, they tend to look at life overall with a well-developed sense of humor. Although strong-willed and intelligent, they are rarely understood. Fortunately, they aren’t usually worried about the judgments of others, and are happy simply doing justice to themselves.

Orange aura 

Orange is the color of the sacral chakra, which is linked to creativity, sensuality, and the emotional plane. People with orange auras have a hard time being idle—they love a thrill and want to experience all they can in the span of their life. Orange is also the energetic center for relationships and interactions, with a high value placed on friendship. 

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Orange in an aura indicates a person who tends to flow with joyful exchanges, whether relating to work, love, or family. These highly perceptive and dynamic people have a natural ability to be relatable and sociable, which makes them great at teamwork. Friendships develop rapidly for those with orange auras. Because they yearn for newness and all things sensual, those with a dulled orange in their auras may be dealing with addiction or trouble sticking to commitments.

Yellow aura

Yellow corresponds to the solar plexus chakra, which rules the intellect, self-confidence, and personal power. Those with yellow in their aura have strong self-esteem and tend to be happy individuals capable of inspiring greatness in others. 

People with yellow auras glow like the sun and have a natural ability to encourage and support others simply by being who they are. There is a fount of inner joy at the core of their being, so it’s no wonder that they draw other people to them the way that they do. These radiant souls are  also skilled at complex analysis. When the yellow is darker or denser in our aura, it may indicate a propensity for self-criticism, perfectionism, overconfidence, or self-ruled by the ego (or an ego-driven self).

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Tan aura

A tan colored aura shows up for those who are extra logical or analytical, with a strategic, linear way of thinking. These are methodical, practical people who never cut corners—they aim to build relationships step by baby step, slowly but surely. 

Unsurprisingly, these detail-oriented folks are highly tactical, and often have the ability to accomplish tedious or mind-numbing tasks that overwhelm others. Although they are very down-to-earth and place a high value on long-term commitments, they are quite risk-averse and have a hard time sharing their feelings with others.

Green aura 

Green auras bridge the divide between spiritual and physical worlds, and are associated with the heart chakra, AKA the center of healing and personal growth. Those with green in their auras radiate unconditional love and peaceful life force energy sensed by all who enter their presence. They are often drawn to nature and animals and are skilled self healers. 

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These are the most balanced people in the whole color spectrum, as they can just as easily give focus to their own goals as they can to the people they care about. They have a strong sense of responsibility to others, while also being powerful self advocators. They are focused, deeply creative, and do not shy away from high ideals. If the green is dark or muddy, it may, however, indicate envy, or feeling like a victim.

Blue aura

A light turquoise blue is the color corresponding to the throat chakra, which rules one’s power of communication and self-expression. Someone with a true, bright blue in their aura has natural gifts of self-expression, and a powerful ability to speak their truth under a variety of circumstances. 

Individuals with light blue in their aura possess great inner wisdom and tend to rely on their feelings to make decisions without the need for external or factual data. These true blue dreamers place a great deal of importance on their personal relationships and connections. Honest, clear, and direct communication is crucial to them. Their ability to share knowledge makes them great philosophers. The lighter the blue in an aura, the more peaceful and positive a person’s energy happens to be.

Indigo aura 

Indigo blue corresponds to the third eye chakra, and is associated with inner knowledge and intuition. Those with indigo in their aura trust said intuition and can easily tell the difference between truth and illusion. They are very sensitive to the energy of others and are extremely ‘tapped in.’ In other words, they often know things before they happen, and are known to have premonitory and/or lucid dreams. 

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Highly sensitive and empathetic, they operate from the depths of feeling rather than logic. They truly understand that being present in the here and now is integral. Natural explorers, they view the world as something much bigger than themselves. As great communicators, they help others to gain a better understanding of the mysterious beauty that surrounds them. A dark or cloudy indigo can indicate self doubt, uncertainty, or a break with intuition.

Purple aura

Purple or violet corresponds to the crown chakra, which is linked to a connection with the dreamworld and higher consciousness. Purple vibrates at a very high speed, signaling a close connection with the universe. Those with purple in their auras are highly dynamic, charming, and have strong personalities. They have highly active minds and are able to manifest their projections in the material world with ease. Their goal in life is to show humankind the way to a new era of happiness and prosperity. 

These unique souls are no strangers to insightful ideas that take the wellbeing of the entire world as we know it into account. They have an unshakeable drive to do something significant while alive. True visionaries, they are gifted with both knowledge and intuition, and are generally adept at seeing ‘the big picture’ related to any given situation. Natural empaths, they sense others' vibrations easily.

White aura 

An all-white aura is indicative of someone who has transcended the physical world. Unsurprisingly, these people are exceedingly rare—it’s possible there are only a few inhabiting this earth. 

People with white auras exist free from personal problems, disturbances, addictions, or health issues. Slightly more common are those with white in their auras, along with other colors. These are people who live in a spiritually centered state while projecting a certain receptiveness to the universe at large. 

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Typically unconcerned with worldly matters like ambition, they tend to focus their energies instead on pursuits like truth or purity. These seekers of cosmic wisdom have energy that is uplifting and non judgemental. When there is white in an aura but it looks cloudy or murky, this can signify a state of flux or confusion.

Multi-colored aura

Those with multiple colors in their aura are said to be “rainbowing.” They tend to experience life a little chaotically. While this usually points to multiple positive things happening simultaneously, it can still get overwhelming at times. 

Rainbow people are often being pulled in many different directions at once, compared to those who have fewer colors in their auras and are focused on just a few main facets of their lives. If you stop to think about each color in your aura as a different state of consciousness you're swimming in, or a different aspect of yourself, it can quickly become a lot to deal with. While those with multicolored auras can accomplish a lot, rainbows are the double-edged sword of auras.

Aura Anomalies

Aside from color itself, you may notice any of the following details in your aura rendering as well. Here’s what they mean!

Bars of light

If bars or rays of light show up in your portrait (usually white), this can indicate that you are directly connected to the universe, the spirit, or the divine. Those with rays in their auras are in a state where their crown chakra is open, and they are open to receiving messages or energies from other frequencies or dimensions. 

Orbs of light

When orbs of light appear in aura portraits, they often represent protective or spiritual energy that lives with the person, as a sort of guiding light. The color meanings of orbs are somewhat mysterious, however. Most singular orbs show up in the same spot in photographs—the upper left corner, or over the right shoulder. In general, orbs don’t appear over or near our bodies. Rather, they surround us in the consciousness area of our aura. 

Black or transparent 

When you are feeling burnt out, exhausted or ill, it's highly likely that the color(s) of your aura will be less bright, and your aura photo will appear dark. It’s important to understand that there is no such thing as a black aura—rather, anything resembling black is simply a lack of energy. Colors may appear subdued or transparent, which depicts a depletion of energy and a real need to rest, recharge, and revitalize.

There are many more aura color meaning possibilities to be named, but this rough guide gives you a basic understanding upon which you can launch a more thorough reading of your auric energies! 

Our different aura colors showcase thought, intention, and desire at any given point in time. The more colorful, clear, and bright the palate, the stronger and more balanced the person tends to be. Auras can reveal a lot about us, be it our character traits, our personality, or our feelings. They speak louder than we do, after all—all we have to do is see them.