Rainbows: Mother Nature's Elusive Gift

“I believe the rainbow is the true flag of our planet”

Fred Stern - environmental artist

It is the rainbow so prevalent in the Zambian quartz, and the current global narrative of the pandemic that has inspired me to write about the beauty of the rainbow and it’s therapeutic qualities.

When we find a rainbow in a quartz or other crystal, it is a bounty that makes the crystal that little extra special. Rainbows are more topical than ever since the COVID pandemic appeared; they have been a symbol of hope and a way to boost morale and show support and solidarity for the NHS and key workers. Rainbows are also a symbol of diversity and are associated with the LGBT community.

It is not surprising that rainbows have held symbolic meaning down the ages and myth and legend from around the world abounds with rainbow symbolism. For many earlier cultures they represented a bridge, or path, from earth to heaven, from humans to the gods. The Ancients often personified the rainbow. In ancient Greek mythology Iris was a messenger of the gods and the personification of the rainbow that connects heaven and earth, gods and men. In Hawaiian legend the Rainbow Maiden would dance across the rocks and sky painting a bridge of colours. In Norse mythology the rainbow was known as Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, that reached between Earth and Asgard, the realm of gods.

For some North American Indians the rainbow is the path of the dead. In Hindu mythology the rainbow represents an archers bow, and in Australian aboriginal mythology there exists a rainbow serpent, that is the creator of all things. The Berbers of North Africa believe the rainbow to be the bride of the sky. The Turkish word for ‘bow’ is ‘bridge’.

In the Old Testament the bow was the sign given as a token of a covenant from god to Noah for all things on earth after the flood. In Revelations the rainbow was a halo or aura around the throne.

The Fon people of Dahomey in Central Africa believe in Danh, the serpent god who is the rainbow snake that encircles the world with his tail in his mouth as a symbol of unity and wholeness.

In shamanic traditions the rainbow is the symbolic road or path to the heavens and the realm of the gods. In Australian shamanic culture the rainbow is a serpent, which the shaman climbs up as if on a rope. These shamans also use rock crystals to work with the power of the rainbow.

In Buddhism the rainbow represents the state of Nirvana because in reaching true enlightenment one becomes a luminous and blissful rainbow body free from desire.

Rainbows are often seen in art and written about in literature and song. They are seen in religious paintings and many landscape paintings, often symbolically.

Noah's Thank Offering (c. 1803)

by Joseph Anton Koch

The rainbow serpent is commonly depicted in Aboriginal art.

Aboriginal Rainbow Serpent motif

The Romantic poets mentioned rainbows in their pastoral poetry to represent the permanence of nature in contrast to the fast developing industrial and commercial world.

My heart leaps up when I behold

A rainbow in the sky:

So was it when my life began;

so is it now I am a man;

So be it when I shall grow old.

Or let me die!

William Wordsworth

D H Lawrence in his novel The Rainbow depicted the rainbow as a symbol of life, hope, happiness and continuity. And we all know the famous song Over The Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy sings about dreams coming true.

The elusive ‘pot of gold’ at the end of the rainbow represents hidden treasures in Celtic folklore. It is also seen as a metaphor for an alchemical cauldron or vessel for turning lead in to gold, representing the spiritual development and growth, and transformation of consciousness.

Through the ages there has been variants of the number of colours within the rainbow. In Homer’s Illiad ‘Jove paints the rainbow with a purple dye’, which suggests it is shown as one colour; Xenophanes (pre-socratic) writes, ‘what is called Iris is also a cloud, red, purple and greenish-yellow to see’. The belief by some that the rainbow was made up of three colours lasted through to the middle ages, commonly thought to be due to the connection with the trinity. Others, including Plato and Aristotle, believed the rainbow was of four colours, which represented the four elements.

Colour Spectrum

Then along came Isaac Newton who offered a scientific explanation for the mystical rainbow phenomena when he came up with his colour spectrum theory in Optics in 1704. The colour spectrum, which he explains is caused by visible white light vibrating at different wavelengths, is seen as the seven colours of the rainbow. The rainbow occurs as light from the sun hits the raindrop and enters and then bounces off the back of the raindrop, bending and creating a colour. The colours are always in the same order because of their differing wavelengths, red highest, violet lowest.

Colour Therapy

And with this new scientific enlightenment, theories on colour developed. The German philosopher Goethe wrote a book about his theory on colour therapy and wrote about the physiological aspect of colour. He associated colour to moods and personal qualities.

Others joined in the conversation and Austrian philosopher, Rudolph Steiner wrote about how human beings have a direct relationship with colours and demonstrated how different colours behave and how colours can affect the mood, feelings, temperature and experience of a person. Rudolph Steiner’s colour theories are much of the basis of colour therapy today.

Chakras

It is no coincidence that the rainbow colours relate to the colours of the seven main chakras. The chakras form a rainbow bridge from our earthly world to our spiritual world. Each chakra is associated with parts of the endocrine system, and regular maintenance of the chakras can bring about holistic healing on an emotional, mental, physical and spiritual level.

Sun and Water

Sun and water are the yin and yang of life. The rainbow is a beautiful example of the precious moments of complete harmony when the sunlight merges with the raindrops and creates the bow, forming that perfect balance of the yang of the sun and the yin of the water.

When we can achieve that perfect balance and harmony we are at oneness with the universe, we are whole.

The longest lasting rainbow on record was seen in Taipei on 30th December, 2017, it lasted for nine hours! Previous to that, the record was six hours for a rainbow that appeared in Sheffield on 14th March, 1994!

Crystals

Rainbows in crystals can have the same effect on our emotional and mental well being. Who doesn’t love to hang a crystal in the window to capture that elusive rainbow when the sun shines. Quartz often displays an internal rainbow and due to the directive and amplifying qualities of quartz, it is ideal for therapeutic healing, made extra powerful when containing a rainbow.

Rainbow Healing

Rainbows are a visual and sensory experience and have the ability to support us to expand our consciousness and journey through the many dimensions of our Self.

Immersing our Self in colour can influence and change our body’s energy flow and even the amount of energy we have in our body. Colours can change how we think, feel, live and act.

With our conscious mind we can work with one or more of the seven cosmic rays to balance our energies. We receive from them what we need at any given time to heal us and whole us.

Rainbows are healing and wholing, spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically.

Meditation

You can experience the benefits of a beautiful rainbow cleanse by listening to my 10 minute guided rainbow meditation. Click on the link below to request a FREE audio copy.

*** https://www.thenaturalcrystalcollection.co.uk/rainbow-meditation ***

**Please note: therapeutic healing with crystals and minerals is not a substitute for seeking medical advice. If you have a health problem, please consult your GP.

Many thanks for taking the time to read my blog.

Discussion, comments and questions are welcome in relation to this blog. If you would like to contact me directly, please go to our contact page, or send an email . I will do my best to respond within 24 hours.

Blessings

Jo 💜