Aura-Soma

­My Japanese translator in Okayama this year, fresh to the Aura-Soma world but already a student of astrology, told me excitedly one evening that an interesting connection had just struck her. Coco Chanel was a Leo sun sign, her signature product was the perfume Chanel No. 5, and now she realised that 5 is the number of the Aura-Soma Equilibrium colour combination which signifies the Leo energy.

Her comment reminded me of another fact I had learnt years ago from my brother. Coco Chanel had been the one who had shocked the world when she disembarked from a transatlantic liner in the 1920’s. The crowd gasped, she was suntanned; brown, not white. The European ideal of sophistication was about to change. Being brown no longer meant you worked in the fields, it meant you had leisure and money to follow the sun.

And then these two items together led me to make a third connection. Coco Chanel was a Leo. Leo is the sign that is associated with the Sun. It is amazing to me that this lion - sun - woman should have been the one to lead people back out into the sunlight. Coco Chanel as a Leo sun person created a whole new cult of sun worshippers.

Vicky Wall

A word about Vicky Wall, the founder of the Aura-Soma system. She too was a Leo and, like Coco Chanel, a charismatic pioneer. Throughout her life she set precedents. Leaving home at an early age her achievements were her own. She was the first lady to be a member of the College of Surgical Chiropody. She also, remarkably, weaned herself of insulin in the managing of her diabetic condition. Remarkable in that nobody on such a high dosage of insulin had ever before managed to come off insulin entirely through diet management alone.

Her greatest achievement though, her enduring legacy, is surely the creation of the Aura-Soma Colour System. A Colour System she received in inspiration and which, since its birth in 1983, has now spread around the world. As I write today there are more than 44,000 students in more than 50 countries. Much can be found about her story and the Aura-Soma system elsewhere, the fascinating point here is the way that two Leos, Vicky Wall and Coco Chanel, each led people back into the light.

Into the Light

Coco Chanel led people into the sunlight in the 20^th century. Vicky Wall, as the founder of the Aura-Soma system, has led the way into a different kind of light for the 21^st century. It is the light of a spiritual consciousness. The Aura-Soma system awakens us to a soul awareness, a light of love and understanding, in which we may become whole and grow.

Vicky Wall and Coco Chanel, two pioneers, two ladies related to Number 5 (Vicky Wall’s most beloved colour combination was the Yellow / Red which carries the number 5 on its top), and two Leos who each invited the population at large to step into the light.

B5 Leo bottle "Sunrise, Sunset"

This item follows on from the ideas in the article entitled “The Value of Simplicity”. It explains more of my underlying view on the potential of th Aura-Soma Consultation. An understanding i reached during  a  course i taught during the occasion of a solar eclipse.

Last autumn in Japan one particular course I was presenting led me to a deeper view of the simple way in consultations. It was stimulated by the presence on this course of a lady who was having difficulty with accepting the Aura-Soma consultation. She came from a more traditional problem-solving counselling tradition; for a consultation to be effective the majority of attention had to be given to the problem. Try as I might (and I did with my second example consultation) I could not engage with the example students’ problems in a way that satisfied this particular student. This led to some soul searching for me that evening. However the following morning in feedback the striking thing was that both the students who had received consultations reported that they felt considerably different about the subject that had come up, deeply healed one could say, the first student indeed said that she felt free of this particular issue we had explored for the first time on 10 years. It was a great learning experience for me because, although challenging, it helped me to find a deeper articulation of the potential of Aura-Soma.

The Alchemy of Consciousness

By the end of the course my sense was that the healing that can come from the Aura-Soma consultation is ultimately not something that the practitioner gives the client, it is not something that occurs at the mental level between the practitioner and the client and it is not in the information that is shared per se. My conclusion at the end of this course was that the Aura-Soma consultation gives the opportunity for the gold within the person, and by that I mean a soul energy, the soul presence, to join with their personality story, the layers of consciousness that they habitually inhabit. The consultation, the selection of four bottles, is the opportunity for the client to receive an impulse from the soul level; and that this soul level, which I consider a golden energy, provides an alchemical moment. It can be likened to when water reaches a seed within the earth. The water enters the seed and something happens within the seed. A process is initiated which changes the content of the seed from a hard inert material into a growing living thing; something which opens from the inside. The waters interact with the material of the seed and life begins.

I feel it is that life process which the soul of the client, through the agency of their Aura-Soma colour selection, can trigger within the consciousness of the client during a consultation. I see the recommendations of Equilibrium, Pomander, Quintessence, Colour Essence etc. being as the water and nutrients that nourish this alchemical process, supporting the seed to grow, to become a reality in the client’s consciousness and life, and more than something that was merely talked about during a 90 minute consultation.

A different order of light

The interesting thing is that this course which stimulated this deeper view occurred during the period of a significant solar eclipse (October 2005). In my understanding a solar eclipse is an event that allows something new to be sown into world consciousness. A solar eclipse precipitates a moment of potential that is out of the normal order of things. Normally this state of potential occurs at night, in the hours of darkness. It is the time when generally speaking we sleep, we dream, the time we experience thoughts and emotions in a way that is less defined and controlled by our ego.

During a solar eclipse the moon creates a shadow of darkness that falls across the earth like a scar, gouging a space of nothingness in the biosphere. Into this nothingness (that would normally arise only when we are collectively asleep) a new seed can be sown directly into daily consciousness. That this course and new view coincided with the solar eclipse suggested to me that the opportunity offered by this world event was one of accessing a deeper state of being. Yellow ego meeting soul gold; that the Aura-Soma consultation is one way for this meeting to take place. This meeting of ego with soul results in the ego consciousness receiving an alchemical jolt, like water entering a seed; and from this meeting something new can grow in the person’s consciousness.

The role of the practitioner

As a practitioner I do not, and I believe should not, seek to stand between the person and their soul. What I can do is be an observer to the process, offering a helpful intention and a loving, open attention to the meeting. Often this meeting happens by- the-by, nearly always the consciousness of the client is focused on a story in their life, and yet still I believe the soul presence has come closer to the surface within them during this process. This is another way of saying what has been in the training from the beginning. The greater guide is within each person. Aura-Soma supports people to take responsibility for their own life. The soul has its own wisdom, it doesn’t need the knowledge of Aura-Soma. It is a simple thing, and in simplicity is great potential

A new Archangeloi has just been released by Aura-Soma Products. It is Archangeloi Chamael and it is connected to the Pink over Magenta colour combination B104. Though originally Mike Booth was given to understand there would only be 8, evolving times make for new possibilities, and the truth of the Aura-Soma system, as of life itself, is everything is always possible. Here is an idea to consider in relation to the significance and gifts of this latest Archangeloi.

Chamael is traditionally attributed to the sphere of Geburah in the Tree of Life. This sphere is on the feminine side of the Tree, the side of the Tree connected to the energy of saying “No”. The name Geburah means Strength. It is through Strength that discipline is developed. Vicky Wall for example said it was the severity of her experience with her step mother that tempered the steel of her soul. I mention this because we are currently in a time of severity. The Global Credit Crunch is a big “No” energy that is causing contraction. Geburah is under Binah in the Tree. Binah is the sphere of Saturn, and so Geburah is the agent or servant of contraction.

We can also notice that we are in the year 2008, and 08 is the bottle Yellow /Blue which is located on the path of Justice in the Tree. This makes another Chamael connection because Justice is one of the paths that flows into Geburah. The Credit Crunch is very much connected to this theme of Justice. Have we been living according to the truth? Have we been living according to our means? We have had a period of too much “Yes” and now in 2008 we are experiencing the correction of this.

Approaching Geburah from beneath is the Path of the Hanged Man – B12 Clear / Blue. When our world seems to be falling down around us then we need to find trust. Trust is what is lacking at the moment. Fear rules. If bankers would trust in each other then lending would start and expansion could begin again.

Chamael is the archangel of this sphere of Strength. The energy of the Archangeloi will support our ability to shine the light into this contracting energy. It can help us to find the positive essence within the challenge of saying “No”. Though I have used the example of the Credit Crunch which is affecting us collectively, this archangeloi will be equally helpful wherever we have to either give or receive a “No”; for example in relationships and love, when we either have to be the strong one, or stand in the face of strength.

Two examples from my current trip in Japan. The first is a lady whose partner has recently finished their long term relationship. She has been very upset. For her this archangel helps her to receive the No from her ex partner, accept and let go. The second example is a lady who chose B104 Chamael in the 3^rd position in her consultation. Her current theme is also strength, but this time the message for is to be as the agent of strength. Her story is that she takes on too much responsibility, always trying to finish everything perfectly, often making herself late for the next appointment, and having to take medicine each morning to give her the energy to get up and go. During the consultation we found she needs to learn to say “No.” “No” to what can’t be finished in time, freeing herself from the tyranny of having to complete everything. She is a part of life but not responsible for everything. By saying “No” to the outside, she is developing strength to be present, present to what is right for her and what she can truly give.

We are in a time of “No.” Archangeloi Chamael is a timely and welcome gift and support to develop our ability to stand in the face of and with the “No”.

“There is no way to Happiness. Happiness is the way.”

This is my favourite quote from the first morning of the course. The Level 2 is the yellow course- between the blue of the Foundation course and the red of the Advanced course. Feeling is the theme, and happiness is the opportunity of this course, confusion and anxiety are the perils.

The other idea that gave me food for thought on this first morning was a talk about the latest bottle, B106. Pale olive/pale violet. One of the olive associations is bitterness and the pale violet - new to me - was the assocaition with salt. Salt is a vital part of the treatment process for making olives edible. They grow on the tree hard and bitter, salt softens them and releases the bitterness that is in the watery part of the fruit. Of course i am used to associating salt with clear - suffering and the release of suffering.

The question I am left with is what is this salt within that can, if introduced at the right moment, create the alchemy of release. Is salt the light of insight. How to access this salt?

There is a postscript to this

I have this same night seen a programme about Robert Kennedy - Jack Kennedy’s brother. He was almost destroyed by his brothers assassination and yet finally emerged from it reforged, having found himself, his voice, his courage and his purpose. When Martin Luther King was assassinated, Robert Kennedy was in Indiannopolis and that night quoted to the shocked crowd the words of his favourite poet Aeschyllus

In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.

Two months later Robert Kennedy was assassinated too. The same words were enscribed on his gravestone. Time and again during the documentary those who knew Robert Kennedy testified to his genuine transformation. He grew to discover his true convictins and the courage to find and live his way, having always supported his elder brother and having grieved so deeply that he knew the truth of Aeschyluss’s words. Salt in his wound. The salt of personal transformation.

Today is the first day of the Teacher Level 2 here at Dev Aura. It is a beautiful morning. Slightly hazy, soft sunlight, an autumn day to make up for the summer we missed here in England this year. A day of light and warmth.

There will be 60 people on the course and i am looking forward to it. For me it is a resit and an opportunity to deepen relationships and to learn more about teaching potential and energy dynamics of larger classes, as well as meet the latest ideas at tools to use at this level.

The two previous Teacher Level 2 courses that stand out for me are the original one  presented in a huge pink and white tent near Lincoln, a week of storms, ropes straining and canvas flapping in the wind, but also one evening meditation of great laughter and a feeling of good times shared, that now i am away from the big courses i miss. The other course was last June in Switzerland, up in the mountains surrounded by giants. It was a huge ball room this time, enormous windows onto the mountains and valley, with pillars at either end of the room - making an 11:11.  Similar to the pink white of the first course as the colours of B11 are clear pink. In the opening session exploring the purpose and potential of Level 2 the theme of committment came up. Students going on to Level 2 are willing to go deeper with themselves, beyond the honeymooon of Level 1 to also face the challenges and shadow that always accompanies the light. B11 Clear / Pink is the conception bottle and in coming to earth we necessarily meet both sides of life.  My strong impression there was that through one set of pillars at one end of the room we all entered as students, at the far end or the room was the top of the class and the bottles, and here Aura-Soma entered the room. Two worlds meeting, an opportunity for magic and healing to take place.

Lets see what today and this course brings.