I'm sure cultural traditions play a big role but I see auras too and its not part of my Native cultural tradition.

Oddly enough, I see different colours around different people. I use it as a guide to my personal interraction with them. If its yelowish-green, I sense danger, disease or perversion. If its very green, its healthy. Purple is spiritual. Orange is aggression. Red is energy. Blue is emotional, etc. Thats just a quick summary.

I don't always see auras but when I do, the aura is strong and clear.

I like what you said about the mind shaping the spirit into a human form. The mind can play funny tricks on us and it takes the knowledge of elders to explain the meaning and guide us in the right direction. Often it is what we fear the most that is there to guide us.

I'll give an example: My daughter was afraid of spiders. Most would call it a phobia. The spider terrified her because it was so big in her mind. I told my grandmother. She said the spider was a symbol of design. She said I should help my daughter to develop those talents and to help my daughter understand the significance of her guide. 25 years later, my daughter became an urban planner and an environmental architect.

She is no longer afraid of spiders. She uses the spider on her logo.