Are auras real? I always heard about them. My Dad would tell me about spiritually enlightened beings believed to be able to see these fields of energy and colour that apparently surround us all. And depending on our state of mind and emotions, this unseen hue halo can change.
Spiritual Glow
Depictions of Jesus, Buddha and Radha Krishna usually feature a golden glow which I assume represents compassion, kindness, and oneness with the creator of these divine beings. Even prehistoric cave paintings show auras and plants and animals have them too. So does this mean there are some of us lucky enough to see them?
Seeking Wisdom
As a spiritual seeker myself, I was curious when Jewels de Hoyos the aura photographer behind Mixed Feels, offered to take my picture.
I entered her cozy little tent and sat down, placing my hands on two sensors. "The hand plates are bio sensors with accupressure points that pick up body heat," Jewels explains.
I looked straight into the camera smiling and Jewels snapped away.
While we waited for my polaroid to develop, Jewels told me about the many interesting client pictures she's taken. "There was a guy who had a vibrant picture with so many colours, but the next day I noticed he had some black on one side," says Jewels. "It made sense because he said he went through a sad period."
Aura's True Colours
After a few minutes, the polaroid start to reveal my true colours-a blissful blur of violet, turquoise, white and pink.
Jewels tells me the placement of turquoise and blue is on my throat chakra meaning I use my voice to communiate, I speak my truth and march to the beat of my own drum without worrying about social norms.
So far, my aura seemed to give a pretty precise personality description.
"The indigo ray at the top means you're empathetic, intuitive, super unconventional, tranquil and need your alone time because people's energy can drain you," explains Jewels.
Also correct. Even though I love being out and about, I often need to retreat to my cocoon to recharge.
Indigo is also a manifesting colour for someone with big ideas who want to inspire others. Hmmm sounds a lot like my vision for Chand & Radha.
Jewels tells me the white and pink are for the spiritually enlightened, the wise and feeling connected to other realms.
I'm blown away by the accuracy.
The brighter pink on my right, my mother energy-giving and nurturing. Being a Mom to my little boy and giving him all the love and affection in the world is my number one priority.
The remainder of my photograph is violet. "You're super intuitive, a visionary and charismatic," says Jewels.
Connecting with my Ancestors
But what really brought me to tears was the two white orbs, "You have two guardian angels," says Jewels. "Who are they?" I question.
She shrugged her shoulders and asked me who they might be.
Then I realised, it must be my Grandmothers. Both had struggled so much in their lives, yet remained strong and made the effort to pass stories about our culture and ancestry to their children and grandchildren. Despite life's knocks, both my Grandmothers remained kind. A quality I deeply appreciate.
My Nani (maternal Grandmother) passed away just one year ago. She was my link to my mother tongue (Gujarati) and taught me to cook traditional Gujarati food-her receipes I still cherish today in a handwritten book.
And although I was only 12 when my Ba (paternal Grandmother) left this earth, I still always felt connected to her and sympathized with the difficulties she faced as a young woman. For some reason, sometimes I can feel the pain she must have endured. So to see that there two orbs floated above me, gave me great solace.
An aura is a constant companion that we often forget is there, But seeing it in colour like this was an emotional revelation. "People start to cry when they see their pictures," says Jewels. "Getting their aura photograph taken is an affirming moment."