Rainbows are caused by reflection and refractions of sunlight with water droplets in the atmosphere, resulting in a spectrum of seven colors. The water droplets act as a prism and when met with sunlight, they disperse the light into a rainbow. Rainbows caused by sunlight appear in the section of the sky, opposite of the sun. The double rainbow has a second arc where the colors are reversed, the reds face towards each other when this occurs. Rainbows can be full circles, but we usually only see the arc from our viewpoint. The rainbow effect can be seen around waterfalls. A rainbow’s spectrum of color goes from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and then violet. These seven colors also represent the seven spheres of heaven, and are associated with the seven main Chakras. In turn, the colors represent the Divine in all of us.
Rainbows have been around since the dawn of man. They have been studied by great scholars, mentioned in the bible, used in numerous mythologies, displayed in works of art, and written about in epic Babylonia poems. One of the earliest references to the rainbow is mentioned in the Bible’s Book of Genesis 9, in the story of Noah after the great flood. Christians view the rainbow as a symbol of promise. Greek philosopher, Aristotle, devoted great attention to rainbows in his studies. Roman philosopher, Seneca the Younger, wrote a book of his observations and hypotheses. Hindu and Buddhist Tantra followers try to reach the highest meditative state available so to experience the “rainbow body.” In Hindu mythology, Indra, the goddess of thunder and war, shoots rainbow arrows of light.
In Norse mythology, the rainbow symbolized a burning bridge connecting earth with Asgard, the home of the gods. In ancient Greece, the virgin rainbow goddess, Iris communicated with the mortals on behalf of Zeus and Hera. The Egyptians also believed the rainbow a bridge to the heavens. The degree of a rainbow is similar to the outer slope of the Great Pyramid, intermingling the symbolism of the rainbow with the pyramid. The Irish leprechaun hiding gold at the end of rainbow comes from the ancient Celts, who saw the rainbow and the cauldron as feminine symbols, while the gold was symbolic of offspring. So to the Celts, the rainbow represented a promise of new life provided by the divine feminine. The pot of gold in the end is the manifestation of your dreams coming true. The ancient Japanese believed the rainbows served as bridges to their ancestors, while the Navajo Indians believed the rainbow to be the path of the holy spirit.
For thousand of years, rainbows have inspired awe and wonder with their beauty. Rainbows remind us to take a moment and thank the Divine for the gifts in our lives.
A special thank you to http://www.whats-your-sign.com/symbolic-meaning-of-rainbows.htmlhttp://www.aseekersthoughts.com/2012/03/rainbow-as-symbol.html and http://www.datalyse.dk/Rainbow/history.htm
