We once watched a woman describe her husband’s aura as “deep violet, like the inside of a belladonna flower.” She was certain it meant he was psychic. The next week, another reader called it blue, the color of a clear sky after rain. A purple aura and a blue aura are distinct energy signatures: purple corresponds to the crown chakra and spiritual insight, blue to the throat chakra and truthful expression. The confusion is common. The two sit next to each other on the visible spectrum, and in dim light or poor training, one can easily be mistaken for the other. This article gives you the tools to tell them apart, with historical context, practical observation methods, and the meanings each carries.
What Exactly Is a Purple Aura?
A purple aura appears as a violet, lavender, or deep indigo-violet light around the head and shoulders. In the Western esoteric system codified by the Theosophical Society, purple is linked to the crown chakra (Sahasrara) and the highest spiritual centers. Charles Webster Leadbeater, in his 1903 book Man: Visible and Invisible, described the violet aura as belonging to “the spiritual man,” someone who has transcended ordinary concerns and opened to divine knowledge. Later, Barbara Brennan in Hands of Light (1987) associated purple with the “ketheric” level, the outermost layer of the human energy field, where pure consciousness resides.
A purple aura is not static. It can shift from a pale lilac to a rich royal purple, sometimes flecked with silver or gold. Those who see auras consistently report that purple tends to recede into a deeper violet near the skin, as if the color is pulling inward toward the crown. That inward pull is the key visual clue: purple feels like it is gathering, not radiating outward.
What Exactly Is a Blue Aura?
A blue aura ranges from a soft sky blue to a deep navy. It is associated with the throat chakra (Vishuddha) and the element of ether or sound. In Leadbeater’s system, blue indicated devotion, sincerity, and a calm temperament. Edgar Cayce, the “sleeping prophet,” often described blue auras in his readings as signs of a person who was “in tune with the spiritual laws” but expressed them through communication and service rather than mystical withdrawal.
Blue auras hold a steady hue. Unlike purple, which seems to deepen and contract, blue radiates outward from the throat area. A person with a strong blue aura often appears to have a clear, bright band of color around the neck and shoulders, sometimes extending to the chest. The color does not shift into violet unless the person is moving into a meditative state. That stability is the main visual difference: blue stays blue.
Where Did the Color Classifications Come From?
The modern system of aura colors is largely a product of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875 by Helena Blavatsky, Henry Olcott, and others, introduced the idea that the human subtle body could be seen by trained clairvoyants. Leadbeater and Annie Besant developed the first detailed color charts. In Thought-Forms (1905), they illustrated how emotions and thoughts produced specific colors in the aura: blue for devotion, purple for spiritual aspiration.
Earlier traditions also described luminous bodies. The Neoplatonist philosopher Plotinus (204–270 CE) wrote of the “splendor” that surrounds the soul. Jewish Kabbalah speaks of the ayin hara and the light of the sefirot. But these did not assign discrete colors to personality traits. The color-based personality reading we use today is a Theosophical invention, later refined by New Age authors like Barbara Brennan and Richard Gerber (author of Vibrational Medicine, 1988).
That history matters because it explains why purple and blue are so often conflated. The Theosophical system placed purple at the top of the spiritual hierarchy, but later writers sometimes swapped indigo for violet, or merged the two. The confusion is baked into the tradition.
How Do You Tell Them Apart in Practice?
We sit in dim light, not total darkness. The subject faces a neutral wall, white or pale gray. We soften our gaze, looking just past the crown of the head, and wait for the afterimage effect to settle. After a minute or two, a faint color appears at the edge of the physical body.
For purple: The color appears first as a thin violet line at the very top of the head. It may look like a cap. If you shift your focus to the forehead, the purple seems to gather there, around the third eye area. It does not extend far beyond the body, usually no more than an inch or two. The color deepens the longer you hold the gaze.
For blue: The color appears around the throat and upper chest. It is brighter, more diffuse. It may spread outward two to three inches. If the person speaks, the blue pulses or brightens. That is a reliable test: ask the person to say a sentence. A blue aura will intensify at the throat. A purple aura will not react noticeably.
We also use the “hand test.” Hold your own hand, palm facing you, about six inches from the subject’s crown. If the aura is purple, you may feel a slight pressure or coolness at the center of your palm. If blue, the sensation is warmer and more diffuse. This is subjective but many practitioners report it.
What Does Each Color Mean?
A purple aura indicates a person who is oriented toward the transcendent. They may be naturally psychic, drawn to meditation, or engaged in spiritual practice. They often have a strong connection to intuition and may receive insights in dreams or visions. The shadow side of a purple aura is detachment from the material world: these people can seem aloof, impractical, or lost in their own inner reality.
A blue aura indicates a person who values truth and communication. They are often teachers, writers, speakers, or healers who work with voice. They are calm under pressure and tend to speak with clarity and purpose. The shadow side is rigidity: a blue aura person may become dogmatic, insisting on their version of the truth and resisting ambiguity.
Both colors can appear together. A person with a strong spiritual practice who also communicates that practice effectively will show bands of both. In that case, the purple sits above the blue, like a crown over a collar. The two do not blend into a single color; they remain distinct layers.
Common Misconceptions
“Purple always means psychic.” Not exactly. A purple aura indicates potential for psychic ability, but it does not guarantee it. A person with a purple aura who never develops their intuition will still carry the color, but it will be duller, less vibrant. The color is a sign of capacity, not achievement.
“Blue auras are always calm.” Blue is the color of calm, but it can also indicate suppressed emotion. A very dark blue aura, almost navy, can mean a person is holding back their feelings, afraid to speak. The calm is a mask.
“You cannot have both purple and blue.” You can. The aura is not a single color. It has layers, bands, and shifting patches. Many people have a blue throat area and a purple crown. The two colors coexist.
“Aura colors never change.” They change constantly. Mood, health, environment, and spiritual practice all affect the aura. A person who meditates regularly may show more purple after a session. A person who is angry may show red or orange over the blue. The colors are dynamic, not fixed.
FAQ
Can someone have both purple and blue in their aura? Yes. The two often appear together, with purple at the crown and blue at the throat. They remain separate layers and do not blend into a single color.
What does a dark purple aura mean? A dark or muddy purple can indicate spiritual confusion, a person who is drawn to the occult but has not grounded their practice. It can also mean the person is absorbing others’ energy without clearing it.
Is a blue aura rare? No. Blue is one of the more common aura colors. It appears in people who are honest, calm, and communicative. It is less common than green or yellow, but not rare.
How do I know if I am seeing purple or blue? Look at the location: purple appears at the crown, blue at the throat. Check the behavior: purple deepens and contracts, blue radiates and brightens when the person speaks. Use the hand test for confirmation.
Closing
The difference between purple and blue is not just a matter of hue. It is a difference in orientation: one turns inward, the other outward. One seeks the unseen, the other gives voice to what is seen. If you are learning to read auras, start with these two. They are the most commonly confused and the most revealing. For a deeper look at how to read auras from scratch, see our guide to aura reading. For the full spectrum of color meanings, visit our aura colors reference. And for the basic vocabulary of the subtle body, our glossary entry on the aura will ground you in the terms we use here.