ircle
of Protection. The crumbs of teaching scattered through this
book, other than those concerning the Aura. Those for whom these
teachings are intended will recognize and appreciate them. A
shelter for soul, mind and body against psychic influence. An
infallible Armor against all force of attack. The Great White
Light. Words from the Master.

CHAPTER I.

WHAT IS THE HUMAN AURA?

The above question is frequently asked the student of occultism by some
one who has heard the term but who is unfamiliar with its meaning.
Simple as the question may seem, it is by no means easy to answer it,
plainly and clearly in a few words, unless the hearer already has a
general acquaintance with the subject of occult science. Let us commence
at the beginning, and consider the question from the point of view of
the person who has just heard the term for the first time.

The dictionaries define the word aura as: "Any subtle, invisible
emanation or exhalation." The English authorities, as a rule, attribute
the origin of the word to a Latin term meaning "air," but the Hindu
authorities insist that it had its origin in the Sanscrit root _Ar_,
meaning the spoke of a wheel, the significance being perceived when we
remember the fact that the human aura radiates from the body of the
individual in a manner similar to the radiation of the spokes of a wheel
from the hub thereof. The Sanscrit origin of the term is the one
preferred by occultists, although it will be seen that the idea of an
aerial emanation, indicated by the Latin root, is not foreign to the
real significance of the term.

Be the real origin of the term what it may, the idea of the human aura
is one upon which all occultists are in full agreement and harmony, and
the mention of which is found in all works upon the general subject of
occultism. So we shall begin by a consideration of the main conception
thereof, as held by all advanced occultists, ancient and modern,
omitting little points of theoretical variance between the different
schools.

Briefly, then, the human aura may be described as a fine, ethereal
radiation or emanation surrounding each and every living human being. It
extends from two to three feet, in all directions, from the body. It
assumes an oval shape--a great egg-shaped nebula surrounding the body on
all sides for a distance of two or three feet. This aura is sometimes
referred to, in ordinary terms, as the "psychic atmosphere" of a pe