I Got My Aura Photographed & It Was Scarily Accurate About My Love Life

Tarot card readings, astrology, scrying boards, spellcasting, you name it; ever since I was little, I've been drawn to all things mystical and otherworldly. It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that deciphering my auric energy has always been at the top of my list. After being uprooted from my native Los Angeles to spend a few weeks on the East Coast, I finally got the chance to get my aura photographed in NYC. The experience was so validating that I had goosebumps by the time it was over.

If you're not sure what an aura is beyond a haze of beautiful colors, let me explain. We each radiate our own raw and unique energy. It surrounds you as a protective field, and has an effect on whoever you come in contact with. Each of the seven chakras in your soul give off their own specific color. The vibrancy of the colors that your aura radiates says a lot about your current focus in life. If anyone has ever told you that you give off "good vibes," chances are that your aura is brimming with brightness. If you've been a tangled ball of negativity lately, not to worry. Auras alter and transform with time. Whatever you put into the universe will always come back to you.

To reinforce how bizarre the endeavor of getting your aura photographed truly is, the parlor was situated in an eerie strip mall on the corner of Centre Street in Chinatown. After getting lost through the maze of a few dark hallways, I finally stumbled upon Magic Jewelry, a tiny shop full of crystals and talismans. It was an ordinary Wednesday afternoon and yet the place was crammed with other people eagerly waiting to get their auras photographed, too. To say this is a popular metaphysical phenomenon is an understatement.

When it was finally my turn, I was shown to a seat, instructed to place my hands on two aura sensors, and then told sit still for 10 to 20 seconds. Once the camera had fully captured my energy, the film was removed from the photograph and voila! There I was, surrounded by the beauty of my own aura.

The photograph cost me $20 and included a reading from a man who's presence simply emanated peace and tranquility. However, his eye for the meaning behind auras was surprisingly sharp. He explained that the left side of your aura expresses your past, the center signifies your present state, and the right side is your future to come.

He began by asking if I've been traveling a lot lately because the intense red color of my aura signifies a lot of deliberate action, movement, and ambition. Well, he got that right, making me that much more excited to see if he's really worth his salt.

He then explained that the murky quality of the red color on the left, plus the fact that my energy is a bit on the smaller side, signifies exhaustion, defense mechanisms, and perhaps that I've been spending a little too much time around energy vampires. Right again! While I love traveling, I do tend to feel off-kilter when I'm far away from home. The fact that NYC is such a fast-paced and unapologetic city also probably contributed to my instinct to protect myself. To boot, I had been dealing with a few disagreements with people back home in the days leading up to my reading.

What really knocked me out was how he noticed painful energy located in the bottom-center portion of the photograph, which he said could indicate stress in the digestive or reproductive area. Shaking my head in disbelief, I knew exactly what he was talking about. I had started my period just that day and I could literally feel the ache of menstrual cramps in that very moment. Clearly, I had picked a very strange day to have my energy photographed.

On the bright side, he noticed the intense violet color emanating from my heart. This signifies psychic energy, meaning that I'm naturally tuned-in to my intuition and that I can sense spiritual vibrations around me quite easily. I've always considered myself skilled at reading the emotions and intentions of others, of knowing whether or not I can trust someone at the drop of a hat. If that has anything to do with the presence of violet, then it all made sense to me.

He also noted that the violet becomes a vibrant pink, with even a slight tinge of blue, in my future. This indicates harmony, love, and contentment, with the pink specifically exposing feelings of romance. Was I excited to be reunited with my boyfriend back in LA soon? Um, extremely.

The bright, potent red on the right side also showed that the next week would be filled with productivity, that I'd perhaps get a lot of interesting things done in the near future. He was right. At that moment, I felt so inspired by my trip to NYC and I was eager to go after my dreams with everything I've got.

All in all, the experience was incredibly worthwhile. It helped me understand the importance of refocusing my energy whenever I feel stressed, because let's be real: A murky aura is a bit disappointing. It also reminded me of my innate strengths as a human being, which includes a powerful intuition and a love for others.

While I can't tell you for sure whether or not aura photography truly captures one's soul, I can tell you that you'll walk away feeling like it did.