The palm hovers an inch above the skin. A warmth, a tingle, a subtle resistance. That is the aura. Then the attention turns inward, to the base of the spine, where a wheel of energy spins. That is a chakra. The aura is the luminous energy field surrounding the body, while chakras are specific energy centers within it. The key difference: one is a field, the other a system of points. They are not the same thing, but they speak to each other constantly.
What Exactly Are the Aura and the Chakra?
The aura is the subtle electromagnetic field that extends beyond the physical body. It is often described as a layered oval of light, sometimes called the “auric egg.” It reflects the state of the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. Colors shift with mood, health, and environment. The chakras, by contrast, are seven (or more) focal points aligned along the spine, from the perineum to the crown of the head. Each chakra governs specific organs, emotions, and aspects of consciousness. They are not fields but vortices, spinning wheels that draw in and radiate prana (life force). The aura is the atmosphere; the chakras are the engines.
Where Do These Concepts Come From? A History of Two Traditions
The idea of a human energy field is ancient. Hindu texts describe the prakasha (luminosity) of the enlightened. Buddhist scriptures speak of a halo of light around the Buddha. Christian iconography uses the nimbus and aureole. But the modern concept of the aura as a multicolored, layered field was largely shaped by the Theosophical Society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Helena Blavatsky, co-founder of the Theosophical Society, wrote of the “astral body” and its luminous emanations in Isis Unveiled (1877) and The Secret Doctrine (1888). Her colleague Charles Webster Leadbeater systematized the aura in Man Visible and Invisible (1902), where he described the seven layers of the aura and their corresponding colors. Leadbeater claimed to see these layers clairvoyantly and mapped them with meticulous detail. His work became the standard reference for Western aura readers.
The chakras have a different lineage. They appear in the Upanishads (circa 800–200 BCE) as chakra (wheel) and padma (lotus). The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (circa 400 CE) mention subtle energy channels (nadis) but not chakras explicitly. The full seven-chakra system emerged in Tantric texts of the 10th to 16th centuries, especially the Sat-Cakra-Nirupana (16th century), a commentary on the Kubjikamata Tantra. This text describes the six lower chakras and the thousand-petalled lotus above the crown.
The chakras entered Western esotericism through Sir John Woodroffe, who wrote under the pen name Arthur Avalon. His book The Serpent Power (1919) translated and explained the Sat-Cakra-Nirupana and became the primary source for later occultists. Theosophists like Leadbeater then integrated chakras into their aura system, creating the hybrid model many practitioners use today. That fusion is why the two concepts are so often tangled.
Symbolism and Meaning: Field Versus Wheel
The aura symbolizes the whole. It is the boundary between the self and the world, a dynamic membrane that both protects and communicates. Its layers correspond to the planes of existence: physical, etheric, emotional, mental, astral, etheric template, and celestial (in Leadbeater’s scheme). Each layer has a dominant color, but the overall field is a shifting mosaic. A person in grief may show a muddy grey around the chest. A person in meditation may radiate a clear gold from the crown.
The chakras symbolize specific functions. Each is a wheel with a number of spokes (petals), a color, an element, a bija mantra, and a deity. The root chakra (Muladhara) is red, earth, and survival. The sacral (Svadhisthana) is orange, water, and creativity. The solar plexus (Manipura) is yellow, fire, and will. The heart (Anahata) is green, air, and love. The throat (Vishuddha) is blue, ether, and communication. The third eye (Ajna) is indigo, light, and intuition. The crown (Sahasrara) is violet or white, beyond elements, and pure consciousness.
Where the aura is a continuous field, the chakras are discrete centers. The aura can be read as a whole; the chakras are read individually. The condition of a chakra influences the corresponding area of the aura. A blocked throat chakra, for example, may show as a dark patch in the blue region of the aura around the neck.
How We Work with Aura and Chakra in Practice
In our library, we teach both sensing and balancing. For the aura, we begin with the hands. Sit facing a partner. The receiver stands or sits with eyes closed. The sender holds a palm a few inches from the receiver’s body, slowly scanning from head to foot. The sensation may be warmth, coolness, tingling, or a magnetic push. That is the edge of the aura. With practice, the distance at which you feel the field expands. Some see colors with the inner eye; we do not require that. The tactile sense is enough.
For the chakras, we work with the spine as a vertical axis. We sit in stillness and focus on each chakra in sequence, starting at the root. We visualize a spinning wheel of the appropriate color. We chant the bija mantra (LAM, VAM, RAM, YAM, HAM, OM, silence). We may place a hand on the corresponding body area. The goal is not to “open” the chakras but to clear blockages and restore balanced spin. A chakra that spins too fast or too slow creates disharmony.
The two practices meet in a session. A practitioner may first read the aura to identify imbalances, then trace the imbalance to a specific chakra. A dark patch in the red region of the aura often points to the root chakra. A yellow aura that is patchy may indicate solar plexus issues. The aura gives the overview; the chakras give the diagnosis.
Notable Figures and Texts That Shaped the Modern View
Charles Leadbeater’s Man Visible and Invisible (1902) remains the most detailed Western text on the aura. He described the seven layers with color charts and illustrations. His student Annie Besant wrote Thought-Forms (1905) with Leadbeater, showing how emotions and thoughts create specific shapes in the aura. These books are still used by aura readers today.
For chakras, the key text is The Serpent Power by Arthur Avalon (1919). It provides the Sanskrit names, mantras, and descriptions of each chakra. Avalon’s work is scholarly but accessible. Later, C.W. Leadbeater wrote The Chakras (1927), which merged the Theosophical aura model with the Tantric chakra system. He added colors and correspondences that are not in the original texts. For example, the seven colors of the rainbow mapped to the seven chakras is a Theosophical invention, not a Tantric one. We note this because it matters for historical accuracy.
Another influential figure is Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, a Japanese researcher who studied chakras through bioelectrical measurements in the 1960s and 1970s. His work attempted to bridge Eastern tradition and Western science. He found correlations between chakra activity and skin conductance, heart rate, and brain waves. His book Theories of the Chakras (1981) is a rigorous source.
Common Misconceptions About Aura and Chakra
The most common mistake is treating aura and chakra as synonyms. They are not. The aura is a field; the chakras are points. You cannot “balance your aura” in the same way you balance a chakra. The aura reflects the whole; the chakras are specific levers.
Another misconception: that chakras are physical organs. They are not. They are subtle energy centers that correspond to nerve plexuses and endocrine glands, but they are not the glands themselves. The root chakra is near the coccyx, but it is not the coccyx.
Some believe that only gifted psychics can see auras. In our experience, most people can learn to feel the aura with their hands within a few minutes of practice. Seeing colors takes more time, but the tactile sense is immediate.
A final misconception: that chakras must always be “open.” An open chakra without grounding can lead to overwhelm. The goal is balanced spin, not maximum openness. A closed chakra is not always bad; sometimes it is protective.
FAQ
Can you see auras without training?
Some people see auras naturally, often as a faint shimmer around people or objects. Most need to train the peripheral vision and the mind’s eye. The tactile method is easier for beginners.
How many chakras are there?
The most common system has seven. Tibetan Buddhism uses five. Some Tantric texts describe twelve or more. The seven-chakra model is a Western standard, not a universal truth.
Do animals have auras and chakras?
Yes. Animals have energy fields and centers, though the chakra system is less complex. Many pet owners report seeing a glow around their animals, especially cats and dogs.
Which is more important for healing: aura or chakra?
Neither is more important. They are interdependent. A blocked chakra will show in the aura, and a damaged aura will affect the chakras. Effective work addresses both.
Closing
The aura and the chakra are two sides of the same subtle body. One is the atmosphere, the other the engine. Learning to read the field and feel the wheels gives a practitioner a complete map of the energetic self. For a deeper look at how to sense and interpret the aura, see our guide to aura reading. For the terminology and history of the energy field itself, visit the aura glossary. And for the full collection of articles on energy bodies, start at the auras hub.