Quick Specs
- Author: Richard Webster
- Publisher: Llewellyn
- Format: Paperback, 185 pages
- Best for: Anyone new to aura reading who wants a structured, exercise-based approach taught by an experienced practitioner
What Aura Reading Is and Why It Needs a Guide
Aura reading is the practice of perceiving the subtle energy field that surrounds a living body. Unlike tarot or oracle card work, which gives you a symbolic system to interpret, aura reading asks you to perceive something directly with your eyes or hands, which is a different kind of skill and one that many people find difficult to develop on their own. Richard Webster spent years teaching psychic development classes before writing this book, and he discovered something that changed how he taught: people learned to see auras far more easily when they were relaxed and having fun than when they were straining to succeed. That insight shapes every exercise in this guide. Find it alongside related titles in my mind, body, soul books collection.
Webster is a prolific New Zealand-based metaphysical author who has published extensively on psychic development, palmistry, feng shui, and related subjects. His writing style is notably accessible, direct, and practical. He does not dress up technique in elaborate philosophy when a clear exercise will do the job. Aura Reading for Beginners has been translated into Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish, a breadth of adoption that reflects its effectiveness across different practitioner traditions.
What the Book Teaches
The core skill Webster teaches is seeing the aura visually, starting with the etheric layer closest to the body before moving outward to the emotional and mental fields. He provides multiple methods, since different approaches work for different people, and structures them as experiments rather than tests so there is no sense of failure if a first attempt yields nothing. The color interpretation section is thorough, covering health, emotion, career, and spiritual development aspects of each color. A numerology chapter lets readers predict what colors they might expect in another person’s aura, which makes it easier to train the eye before attempting an unguided reading. The book also covers aura balancing, chakra connections, and mood auras.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I carry Webster’s aura book because it teaches a skill that most metaphysical books only gesture at. You can read dozens of books that mention auras in passing, but very few actually walk you through a structured practice for developing the perception. Webster does exactly that, and the book has proven its usefulness across more than two decades of continuous publication. It pairs well with any intuitive development practice, and if you work with crystals or chakra tools, the aura connection those systems share will deepen your understanding of both. Browse related tools in my chakra and meditation products.
How to Use Aura Reading for Beginners
Webster designed these exercises for real learning environments. Follow his sequence and resist the urge to rush toward seeing color right away.
- Start with Relaxation
Begin with Webster’s relaxation-first approach: do not strain to see an aura. Work through his early exercises in a well-lit room with a plain background, focusing on the space just beyond a person’s shoulders rather than on the body directly.
- Use the Color Appendix
Use the color appendix to interpret what you see. Webster organizes aura colors by their meanings in health, emotion, and career. Cross-reference the numerology section to narrow likely colors before attempting your first live aura reading.
- Practice in Groups
Practice with willing friends using Webster’s group exercises before attempting solo readings on strangers. He notes that group practice builds skill faster than solo attempts, and that relaxed laughter accelerates aura perception significantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aura reading is distinct from tarot or oracle card work. It involves perceiving the subtle energy field around a living body directly with your eyes or hands, rather than working through a symbolic system or interpreting imagery on a card layout.
Webster found that relaxation and humor unlocked aura perception far faster than effortful focus. His book replicates this by presenting exercises as experiments rather than tests, removing the performance pressure that typically blocks perception.
The book has been translated into Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. Webster first published it with Llewellyn in 1998, and it remains among his most widely read and recommended beginner-level titles.
Yes, Webster includes a chapter on using auras for health awareness, describing color changes that may indicate stress or emotional tension in different body zones. He frames these observations as awareness tools rather than any form of diagnosis.
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