IV. The Centers and the Personality

3. The Sphere of Radiation. This obviously concerns the radius of influence or the outgoing vibratory effect of the centers, as they are gradually and slowly brought into activity. These centers, or their vibrations, are in reality what creates or constitutes the so-called aura of the human being, even though that aura is frequently confused with the health aura. Instead of the word "frequently" I had almost said "usually," because that would be more definitely correct. It is the etheric body which indicates and conditions the aura, which is presumed to demonstrate what the personality is, emotionally and mentally, and (occasionally) what is indicated of soul control. This is not a false premise, and I would have you register this fact. It is, however, excessively limited in its import, because the aura is in reality indicative of the subject's centers. From the study of this aura certain things can be ascertained:

1. Whether the development is above or below the diaphragm.
2. Whether the centers are undeveloped or developed. [174]
3. Whether the nature of the controlling rays is adequately clear.
4. Whether the point at the center and the petals of the lotus are controlled, or whether a balance is being achieved.
5. Whether the personality is outgoing, and is therefore in a state of livingness, or whether a withdrawing is taking place due to introspection and self-centeredness, or to the slow oncoming of the death process.
6. Whether the personality or the soul is in control, and whether, therefore, a struggle between the two is going on.

You can see, therefore, how revealing the aura can be to the individual who has the ability to read it with accuracy, and how thankful you should be that such a capacity is relatively rare, or is in the possession of an Initiate or of a Master Whose nature is LOVE.

The "sphere of radiation" is a potent instrument in service, and its extent and purity of contact should be cultivated by the pledged disciple. There is true occult teaching in the statement in The New Testament that "the shadow of Peter passing by healed." His aura was of such a nature that it had a beneficent effect wherever and whenever it touched or contacted those in his environment. The control of the Christ over His aura was such that "He knew when virtue had gone out of Him" - He knew, therefore, that healing energies had poured through one of His centers to a needy person or group of persons. It is the aura, and its potency of attraction, and its stability, which also holds a group together, which also keeps an audience listening, and which makes an individual of importance along some definite [175] line of approach to his fellowmen. The "sphere of radiation" is easily determined by those who seek it out and who watch the effect of the radiation upon people in their community and environment. One highly emotional person, working through an over-developed and uncontrolled solar plexus center, can wreck a home or an institution. I give this as an illustration. One radiant, creative life, consciously using the heart or the throat centers, can carry inspiration to hundreds. These are points well worth careful consideration. You must, however, bear in mind that these centers are brought into activity by the cultivation of certain major virtues, and not by meditation or concentration upon the centers. They are brought automatically into the needed radiatory condition by right living, high thinking and loving activity. These virtues may seem to you dull and uninteresting, but they are most potent and scientifically effective in bringing the centers into the desired radiatory activity. When the task is done, and when all the centers are living spheres of outgoing, radiatory activity, they swing into each others' orbit so that the initiate becomes a center of living light and not a composite of seven radiant centers. Think on this.