Why Knowing Your S.O.'s Aura Colors Can Improve Your Relationship (2024)

If you’ve ever heard someone talk about aura colors—maybe you ended up on aura reading TikTok or your super spiritual friend is always trying to determine yours—it’s okay if you’re a little bit confused by the concept. After all, the term “aura” is commonly used to describe someone’s vibe, even though they don’t *really* mean the same thing.

To get technical for a sec, an aura is an electromagnetic field, also called an energy field, that radiates off of everything, including the human body, says Pamala Oslie, a professional psychic intuitive, aura expert, and author of Life Colors: What the Colors in Your Aura Reveal. "According to quantum physics, we're all energy, so the fact that we're radiating energy makes sense," she explains. Basically, the idea is that an individual's energy radiates different colors, which some people can see and others can’t.

Meet the Experts: Pamala Oslie is a professional psychic intuitive, an aura expert, and author of Life Colors: What the Colors in Your Aura Reveal. Eileen Lee is an aura reader, photographer, and founder of AURA AURA, an experiential aura portrait practice.

And naturally, every color has its own meaning. Keep reading to learn how to find your aura colors and what they mean.

Because many people don't possess an inherent aura-detecting ability, electronic equipment is often used to see auras. The most accurate way to find your aura colors is to "access somebody who's able to photograph your aura," says Eileen Lee, an aura reader, photographer, and founder of AURA AURA, an experiential aura portrait practice. (Kirlian photography, for example, is created using an electrified photographic plate to show a glowing discharge of energy, similar to a halo or aura, around an object, per Adobe.)

Personality tests claiming to reveal your aura do exist, but they "aren't necessarily accurate because our auras sort of change [over time]," she explains.

In fact, it's a myth or, at least a misconception, that aura colors are purely based on personality. That's a factor, sure, but your aura is more about the energy you embody at a certain time, Lee says, hence the need for a photograph. It functions similarly to a snapshot of your life—capturing a moment of it, rather than telling the whole story. That said, "some people's lives are very consistent, so their aura colors probably wouldn't shift very much," she explains. "Versus somebody whose life is very dynamic and always has different experiences, their energy would be a bit more all over the place."

Red often signifies tangible life changes, a.k.a., anything that feels like starting a new chapter, says Lee, noting that relationship changes, job or career shifts, and literally moving somewhere new all fit the bill.

Because aura colors relate back to the chakra system within our bodies (which you probably recall hearing something about in a yoga class), "red is our foundation," says Lee. "The function of our root chakra is to ground us, to make us feel safe and secure within ourselves, but then also, literally [within] the life that you're trying to mold and shape in some way."

The problem with this crimson color? "When we have a lot of red energy, it tends to be misunderstood," says Lee. "I've heard in the past that if your aura is all red, it's a negative thing, like you're out of balance." However, she interprets a red aura as a crucial color because "when you go through a lot of change, sometimes it feels chaotic," she says. The red aura, with its grounding energy courtesy of the root chakra, could be just what you need to navigate that chaos.

Purely in terms of personality traits, red means taking action and emphasizing leadership, says Lee: "It's the energetic archetype of a leader—somebody who takes initiative—because tangible change literally never comes about just sitting at home and wishing it to happen, right?" Interestingly, those who embody that adventurous doer spirit always tend to have red in their aura, no matter what life throws at them.

Because Lee uses the chakra system, the second aura color is orange, which is linked to our sacral chakra. "That deals with your emotions, relationships, how we experience things," says Lee. "It's literally the color of experiencing life."

The sunny shade aligns with the solar plexus. "From a big picture perspective, that color deals with our power, our confidence, our ego self, and also our intellect," says Lee.

"A green aura is reflective of the heart chakra, and when we have a lot of heart chakra energy, it's about self-love, self-nurturing energy," says Lee, noting that it often signals being more generous and open with others as well. (Think about it: When you love yourself, it's easier to spread that love around.)

The avocado-esque hue usually shows up in your aura when going through personal growth or transformation because you're using so much of that self-love energy to overcome a challenging situation, says Lee. That can be anything from going through grief to starting a new job, or even stepping into a new life role, like first-time parenthood. Turns out, Kermit said it best: It's not easy being green. But this aura color does offer an opportunity to self-reflect, learn, and grow.

Exact shade is important here as true cyan blue (not too light, not too dark) and indigo not only mean different things, but are different auras entirely. Cyan is reflective of the throat chakra, which "governs how we communicate and how we express ourselves," says Lee. But it's not all talk. Lee makes a point of noting that humans can express themselves in different ways beyond simple chitchat, through things like art, music, and cooking, for instance.

First things first: Indigo may be considered a shade of blue on the color spectrum, it is its own aura. The indigo aura is aligned with the third eye chakra (or the brow chakra), which deals with awareness, understanding, intuition, and being more deeply connected to yourself, says Lee.

When you see an aura of a dark blue color it's most likely is in the indigo realm, Lee adds. Again, exact shade matters: A deep navy "can indicate a disconnect from your intuition, second guessing or resisting flow," while a lighter indigo shade can represent positive traits like trusting yourself and the universe, she says.

This pretty purple is connected to the crown chakra, which, Lee says, is all about our dreams and possibilities. When violet shows up in your aura, you're likely embodying an energy that's trying (or, hopefully, succeeding!) to tap into a more imaginative space.

You likely talk in visual terms, like "I have a vision" and "I have a dream," adds Oslie. Sometimes, though, your dreams are so big, you wonder if you'll ever achieve them. (Don't worry, happens to the best of us.)

White is a little tricky, but that's what makes it interesting. It's kind of like all the colors, but it's also technically an extension of the crown chakra, says Lee, adding that the color white connects you to spiritual energy.

"Usually, it represents somebody who, instead of being governed by logic and is always in their head, understands that there are things bigger than themselves," she says. "They just tend to be more open, so they connect into that sort of spiritual energy." Instead of sweating the small (and medium and big) stuff, they trust that clarity will just come through naturally.

A lot of white in your aura can also reflect a state of feeling confused or overwhelmed mentally, Lee adds. "It's just almost like there's too much to take in at once...[It's] almost like you're in a fog, and instead of trying to wade through it, you're just waiting for the fog to dissipate," she says.

Now, I know what you're thinking (because tbh, I thought it, too): Tan is an aura color? It sure is, according to Lee and Oslie, and a pretty solid one at that. Almost like a darker shade of yellow, tan "reflects more of a linear thinking process," says Lee.

Someone who has a lot of tan in their aura tends to be more analytical and embodies a left brain kind of energy, she adds. You know your super-rational friend who talks you down every time you think about blowing your whole paycheck on a really cute pair of boots? Yep, they've got a healthy dose of tan going on.

"Tans want security and stability," adds Oslie. They also appreciate practicality—and want as much of it in their life as possible. If you have tan in your aura, you're likely the textbook definition of "detail-oriented" and live by the motto "slow and steady wins the race."

When Lee sees magenta in someone's aura photograph, she also tends to see white on top of it. "[It's] almost like if you think about your aura like a tiered birthday cake," she explains. "Magenta is a color that's literally in between red and an indigo blue, so it reflects things like acting on your intuition." Juxtaposed with white, that can be interpreted as using intuition to realize your dreams.

On its own, magenta energy is associated with someone prioritizing themself and marching to the beat of their own drum. This aura color also has a bit of a rebellious rep, but Lee says "it's rebellious in the sense of not needing external validation from anybody." Someone with a lot of magenta is authentically themselves and makes no apologies about it.

What's most interesting about this aura color, adds Lee, is that when you're not used to being magenta, but then it comes into your energy field, it signals that you're trying to connect more with what you were like as a kid—when you were free to do whatever you wanted and didn't care what others thought. "I always love seeing magenta in people's auras because they're just doing what lights them up," she says.

"There's actually no such thing as black in your aura," Lee says. Rather, if you see areas of darkness in your aura or your aura colors look dim, that's a sign of burnout. You may be exhausted from any number of things, such as a stressful work environment or being around a person who depletes your energy, explains Lee. Whatever the situation, it's showing up as more of a hole in your aura than a color itself.

When you're "rainbowing," as Lee calls it (fun new phrase alert!), you tend to feel like life is a little chaotic. Granted, it's usually a bunch of good stuff happening all at once, she says, but it's still a lot to handle. You're literally being pulled in many different directions, whereas those who have fewer colors in their auras tend to be more focused on just a couple of aspects in their life.

If you think about each color as a different state of consciousness or a different dimension of yourself, you're operating from all of these different places at once, and for some people, that's overwhelming, Lee says. "I always say it's like a double-edged sword: While rainbows look beautiful, you don't necessarily feel so beautiful when you're experiencing it," she adds.

"I don't see a real pink too often," says Lee, meaning a lighter, bubblegum-esque shade than magenta.

"A true pink reflects somebody who's almost like an innocent child in their nature—who's very just open hearted, very gentle, very compassionate," she explains. "It's almost saint-like kind of qualities." (Think of someone like Mother Teresa.)

When it comes to everyday aura detection, you likely don't have fancy electronic equipment to read someone's energy rainbow. Instead, think of when you meet someone and you have a gut reaction to whether or not you’ll be friends—that can be boiled down to their aura. "Even if people can't see the aura, we can all feel it," says Oslie. "That's why you can meet somebody for the first time and feel comfortable around them...and other people you don't even want to be in the same room with. You're feeling their energy throughout their aura."

Everyone is innately born with the ability to see others' auras, according to Lee, but as we grow older, she says, we start to tune that intuition out.

However, some people still possess the ability to see them, and there are different ways to go about it. To start practicing, use your own (or someone else's) hand to "start seeing if you can kind of focus around and see at least its energy field," Lee suggests. At first, it might look white or gray, but colors will show up when you’ve had practice in opening yourself up and not trying to see anything in particular. She also encourages doing research online and reading books to teach yourself more about aura reading. "Different things work for different people," Lee adds, so there’s not necessarily one right way to do it.

You can also try to meditate and notice "the colors that are closest to you," she encourages, which is similar to the feeling of falling asleep and seeing colors when you’re in that in-between sleep and normal state of consciousness.

Aside from that, you and another person can compare photographs of your auras, so you can see their aura colors at that moment in time.

The tricky part of interpreting aura colors and their meanings is that misconceptions abound on both ends of the spectrum—that auras are just one color and don’t change, or that they change all the time. "It's not one or the other. There isn't necessarily a set rule for how long your aura is going to be like this," says Lee. "Everybody's just so different based on what you're experiencing, [and] more importantly, how you're experiencing it."

For example, two people who go through the same experience, such as moving in together, will both likely have a lot of red in their aura, since that's related to starting new life chapters, according to Lee. But their auras can still change at different times because "how you individually process that [shared] experience can be so different," she explains. Basically, your aura is as special and unique as you!

Knowing the color of your aura, including if/when it's changed, is key, Oslie says, because it can not only help you understand who you are, but also empower you to be who you are. (Feel stuck in a dead-end job? Check your aura color. Keep fighting with your S.O.? Compare those auras. Need to better manage your cash? Use. Your. Aura.)

And now that you've got the rundown on all the different aura colors and their meanings, you can also better understand your friends, family, and even that cool rando you met at a party last week. "Then, it's easier to communicate, get along, and bring the best out of each other," Oslie says. Who doesn't want that?