Rainbow

A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that is caused by both reflection and refraction of light in water droplets in Earth's atmosphere, resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky.  It takes the form of a multicolored arc.  Rainbows caused by sunlight always appear in the section of sky directly opposite the sun.

All rainbows are full circles, however, the average observer only sees approximately the upper half of the arc, the illuminated droplets above the horizon from the observer's line of sight.

For colors seen by the human eye, the most commonly cited and remembered sequence is Newton's sevenfold red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.  In a double rainbow, a second arc is seen outside the primary arc, and has the order of its colors reversed, red facing toward the other one, in both rainbows.  This second rainbow is caused by light reflecting twice inside water droplets.

The rainbow has been a favorite component of art and religion throughout history.  In Greco-Roman mythology, the rainbow was considered to be a path made by a messenger Iris between Earth and Heaven.  In Chinese mythology, the rainbow was a slit in the sky sealed by Goddess Nuwa using stones of five different colors. 

In New Age and Hindu philosophy, the seven colors of the rainbow represent the seven chakras, from the first chakra (red) to the seventh chakra (violet).  The rainbow has been adopted as a symbol of Gay Pride in the West.  In Wicca, the rainbow symbolizes hope, the close interconnections between sky and Earth, spirituality and physicality, and the principles of connection, coalition and unity.

 

In Norse Mythology, a rainbow called the Bifrost Bridge connects the realms of Asgard and Midgard, homes of the Gods and humans.  Bifrost was magically constructed from fire, water and air, whose quivering and changing hues it has retained.  Of all the Gods only Thor, God of Thunder, never passes over the Bridge for fear it might be demolished by his heavy tread and lightning bolts. 

Scholars have proposed that the bridge may have originally represented the Milky Way.  According to the Prose Edda, the rainbow bridge ends in Asgard and is the residence of the God Heimdall, who guards it from intruders.  

Heimdall, the God who guarded the Rainbow Bridge, taught the runes to mankind.  The runes were carved into the end of the rainbow. In this way, he passed the runes on to men, so that they, too, could learn the secrets of nature.

During Ragnarok, the giants breach Heimdall’s defenses and cross the bridge to storm Asgard and slay the Gods.  At the end of the cosmos, it is said that Bifrost will collapse and shatter beneath the weight of the monsters.

The Bifrost plays a minor role on the 2011 film, Thor.  In the film, the Bifrost allows the Asgardians to travel to Midgard and to the other realms.  This version of the bifrost is more technological in nature and instead of being a rainbow, those who travel using the Bifrost are transported at light speed throughout a worm-hole like vortex.

 

Rarely, a moonbow, lunar rainbow or nighttime rainbow, can be seen on strongly moonlit nights.  As human visual perception for color is poor in low light, moonbows are often perceived to be white.

 

Fogbows form in the same way as rainbows, but they are formed by much smaller cloud and fog droplets which diffract light extensively. They are almost white with faint reds on the outside and blues inside.

 

A rainbow is a connection to the Divine, a direct line.  So the next time you see a rainbow, say Thanks to the Divine Friends.  Blessed be!

Colors

Rainbow

Weather