As you can see, I live in a beautiful place. Since I moved
here I have seen more rainbows than any other location I have ever been.
I recently started an abstract series featuring water, fire and rainbows
(among other things). As I was contemplating my first one of this series,
I discovered connections in the archetype of a rainbow to myself, to others and
onward.
Rainbows are a symbol of hope, protection and new beginnings.
Eric Clapton, Over the Rainbow
The birth of each rainbow begins with millions of tiny rain
droplets. The rain droplets serve as a type of reflector of light.
White light enters one individual rain droplet and exits as one specific color
of the spectrum. Without millions of rain droplets, a rainbow would not
occur. I see this as a metaphor of us as the Human race. Each one
of us is a reflector of light, and we are not intended to be isolated from each
other. When light enters our being, it combines with our unique
characteristics, making our unique color statement to the world.
If you only had a few rain droplets you would only see a few
colors. This is typically why rainbows appear after a storm.
Each rain droplet has a function in the formation of the rainbow.
Sunlight enters the rain droplet at a specific angle and the rain droplet
separates the white light into many different colors. This angle is a fixed
measurement between your eye and the sun. What color is refracted depends
upon the
critical angle, which is the angle the sunlight
strikes the back of the rain droplet. In Alchemy, the most
powerful combination of elements is the combination of fire and water. A
rainbow is one representation of this combination.
Another archetypal meaning of the rainbow...great power.
Red light bends the least, exiting the rain droplet at a 42 degree
angle, while Violet light bends the most, exiting the rain droplet at a 40
degree angle. All of the other colors of the rainbow exit the rain
droplets at some angle between 40 and 42 degrees, thus making up the colors of
the rainbow...Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. This order
never changes. Our color wheel is a depiction of this order.
Each rain droplet reflects all colors at a given point and time,
but only one color comes back to your eye, requiring million of rain droplets
to create a rainbow. As the rain droplets fall through the sky, the
colors of the spectrum being reflected and refracted are constantly changing.
Rainbows form a complete
circle, however only half is visible.
The horizon only allows us to see half of the rainbow circle,
so we see just an arc.
For me, there is an uncanny connection between this fact and the philosophy of the Native American Medicine Wheel.
The Medicine Wheel is many things on many various levels and has many different meanings and uses. It is a circle which represents natural and personal powers in complete balance, and which shows that everything is interconnected and part of one cosmic whole. It is the circle of awareness of the individual self, and a circle of knowledge that gives power over one's life. It is a shamanic map, or philosophical system, that can be used as a guide to help us find our way and ground us when we embark on inner journeys. We can use it to understand ourselves as well as life itself. It can be used for finding direction in life and for aligning physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual realities. And, we can use it to attune to Earth influences and to the natural energies that affect their lives.
Other cultures have special meanings associated with the rainbow as well. Remember the Irish the rainbow and their pot-of-gold? The unique thing about this story is the special trait that a rainbow has...it can never be reached. As you move towards it, it moves away at equal speed. The Irish have a special sense of humor...they knew this about rainbows.
As
we look to the rainbow, on an archetypal level we are reminded to look
within. In the lovely song above is a
line that says..”follow the fellow that follows a dream”. Our rainbow, our pot-of-gold lies within us. Attuning with Earths influences starts with paying
attention. Next time you see a rainbow
then, remember YOU are a glowing droplet in this universe and the power of fire
and water lives within you.
