What a Rainbow Means

TL;DR

What does a rainbow symbolize? The spiritual meaning of rainbows are found in nearly every belief system throughout all of time, and people today see rainbows spiritual signs everywhere. For some, the rainbow symbolizes who they are, and for others, It means things with higher meaning that transcend life and the world in general. One thing is for certain, the spiritual meaning of seeing a rainbow is much more to people than just seeing those pretty colors in the sky.

What Does a Rainbow Represent?

A rainbow happens when light goes through water drops in just the right way, creating a beautiful array of colors. Humanity has never been content to just count it as a meteorological phenomenon, instead attaching religious and spiritual significance to it.

Bifrost Bridge

For Heathens, ancient and modern, the rainbow represents the pathway their gods take from their home in Asgard to get to Earth, or Midgard. They use the rainbow to walk or ride here! They call it Bifrost Bridge.

Iris

To the ancient Greeks, Iris was their goddess of rainbows, and relayed messages between the gods and humanity. In some stories, she rides an existing rainbow, in others, she creates the rainbow herself to travel from place to place. Not only was Iris responsible for helping the gods and humans talk to one another, but she also delivered prayers from people to the gods!

The Rainbow Serpent

The indigenous Australians see the rainbow as a serpent god who is also a creator. The serpent replenishes water and if it wasn’t for that amazing Rainbow Serpent, there would be no rain or water at all on Earth! There are many different groups of indigenous Australians, and differing stories say the Rainbow Serpent is female, while others say male, and still other stories class it as androgynous. One thing is for sure, if that Serpent makes water happen on Earth, we have it to thank!

The Serpent and the Rainbow

In Voodoo, Ayida-Weddo is the goddess of serpents, rainbows, fire, wind, water, and fertility. That’s a lot! From Benin, the Fon people specifically believed she was a rainbow serpent, and she held the sky up. In The Book of Vodou, Leah Gordon wrote:

“In the beginning there was a vast serpent, whose body formed seven thousand

 coils beneath the earth, protecting it from descent into the abysmal sea.

 Then the titanic snake began to move and heave its massive form from the

 earth to envelop the sky. It scattered stars in the firmament and wound its taught

 flesh down the mountains to create riverbeds. it shot thunderbolts to the earth

to create the sacred thunderstones. From its deepest core it released the sacred waters

to fill the earth with life. As the first rains fell, a rainbow encompassed the sky

and Danbala took her, Ayida Wedo, as his wife. The spiritual nectar that they created

 reproduces through all men and women.”

Indra

The rainbow meaning in Hindi or Hindu is of the king of Svarga, or heaven, and the Devas, or of the gods, Indra. Not only does Indra destroy the forces that block human happiness and prosperity, but he also makes it rain and brings the shining of the sun. Also the god of war, Indra is a god of all forms of storms, and flowing water, lightning, and thunder. While he uses thunderbolts as one of his weapons, the rainbow is specifically seen as his bow. Such an important god and protector of humanity!

The Leprechaun’s Gold

Normally content to mind their own business cobbling shoes, Leprechauns are not to be trifled with. Hardworking Leprechauns stash their gold in pots at the end of the rainbow, and unfortunately for human treasure seekers, the more you travel towards a rainbow, the farther away the end of it looks. There have been stories of Leprechauns granting wishes but with said wishes not ending up the way the wish makers wanted them to, as Leprechauns are tricksters. We are better off earning our own money and respecting the clever Leprechaun’s personal property. If we DO get tricked or pranked by the Leprechaun, usually the Leprechaun wants no more than a chuckle, but still, why risk it?

So, we see a pattern emerge. The rainbow was seen as life giving and either the body of some deity, or the way deities interacted with humanity. The connection between rain making life possible was understood, and the gods, spirits, or goddesses responsible for the rainbow, and thus the rain were seen as extremely important and were highly revered.

What Does It Mean to See a Rainbow?

Some would insist all it means is light is shining through water after rain, but most people don’t see it that way. Some say it’s a sign the gods or spirits of the rainbow are near, and others say it means something else with seeing a rainbow meaning varying depending on who you ask.

Bad Things

Some people believe that if you point at a rainbow, you will have bad luck, so no pointing! Places that deal with floods and major storms don’t necessarily view the rainbow as a good thing, as it’s a reminder of all that catastrophe. Some people say that seeing a rainbow means you are in for an uphill battle to transcend obstacles that are about to stand in the way of what you are trying to accomplish. Roll up those sleeves and fight!

Good Things

There are people who think seeing a rainbow gives good luck in general, and others that say it’s a sign of hope. As the rainbow comes AFTER the storm, it symbolizes new life, peace, and renewed strength for some people. There are still others who feel the rainbow is telling us to keep our chins up because there is potential for great things in the face of opposition. Other people go beyond this and say the rainbow is encouraging us to pursue our life’s passions and dreams. Not bad at all.

Transitions

The rainbow meaning can be that you are about to go through some form of transition. It is time to open yourself up to whatever the Universe is offering you, and fully embrace those coming changes!

Good Endings

Rainbow meaning when you see it can be that your hard work has paid off, and that goal you have been moving towards is FINALLY coming to fruition! Hooray!

Rainbows Spiritual Meaning

Beyond being a sign or an omen, rainbows are seen as having deeper spiritual meanings. People who observe Judaism and Christianity believe the rainbow was created by their god after he had destroyed the world with floods in his anger. After the waters went down, and the surviving people and animals were able to start again, rebuilding their lives on earth, their god spread the rainbow across the sky as his promise to never again destroy the earth by flooding. This is seen by those people as a promise from their god.

Some Buddhists believe a goal is to transcend the body and have a “rainbow soul” or rainbow body of sorts. This happens when you have reached a level of complete knowledge or realization, your body begins to shrink, and different lights and rainbows accompany this. Soon, you have left the body, and it shrinks down so much, all that is left are toenails, hair, and fingernails, unless the body completely vanishes. Once you do this, in a way, YOU are a rainbow!

As the rainbow is seen as a highway between the world of men and the realms of the mighty ones, spiritually, rainbows remind us to reach out to communicate with our higher powers, and seek guidance, wisdom, and communication with them. Also, the rainbow spiritually symbolizes all the good things physically, mentally, and spiritually that come with self-improvement.

Double Rainbow Spiritual Meaning

What is a double rainbow meaning, love? As a matter of fact, in some American indigenous groups it is said that when you see a double rainbow, you will soon meet your soulmate! Beyond this the double rainbow spiritual meaning can vary from telling you to watch for transition, to trust your gut intuition, or that magic is afoot! Double rainbows spiritual signs at a funeral mean the loved one you are burying has crossed over to the next life and is letting you know that they are doing well.

The Meaning of Rainbow Colors

Rainbow colors meanings vary. Some believe due to the rainbow’s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet being seven colors, that seven is a magic number, and thus the rainbow colors symbolize magic in general. For worldwide LGBTQ communities the rainbow colors are the symbol for life, healing, sunlight, nature, harmony, and spirit. For some, rainbow colors represent the glory of their deities, and for still others it represents a very special time when people who will be known as The Rainbow Warriors will come. In a Hopi-Navajo prophecy passed down for generations, it is said,

“The great spiritual Teachers who walked the Earth and taught the basics of the

truths of the Whirling Rainbow Prophecy will return and walk amongst us once more,sharing

their power and understanding with all. We will learn how to see and hear in a sacred

manner. Men and women will be equals in the way Creator intended them to be;

 all children will be safe anywhere they want to go. Elders will be respected and valued

 for their contributions to life. Their wisdom will be sought out.

The whole Human race will be called The People and there will be no more war,

sickness or hunger forever.”

Rainbow Orb Meanings

Rainbow orb spiritual meanings are special and are seen as spiritual forces and are either beings or simply energy. Some say orbs are just flecks of dust with light shining through them, and others say they are smudges on the camera lens that creates an illusion, but some people aren’t so sure. It is believed that rainbow orbs in particular are considered guardian spirits or guardian energy forces. It is also believed that rainbow orbs wipe out all negative energy they encounter. Some rainbow orbs are believed to go beyond this and be healing orbs. Some say rainbow orbs are a manifestation of the spirit of deceased loved ones visiting or watching over us.

What Does it Mean When You Dream About Rainbows?

When you dream about rainbows, it can mean any of the spiritual or symbolic things rainbows in real life mean! It depends on the context of the rainbow sighting in the dream and what is going on in your life. For more about dreams and what they mean, read here:

What are your dreams trying to tell you?

What is a Rainbow Person?

Besides reaching absolute knowledge and transcending the body, we hear about rainbow babies and rainbow children. A rainbow baby is a healthy baby who is born after the painful tragedy of previous miscarriage. A Rainbow Child is someone quite different. Rainbow Children are experiencing their first life, or incarnation, and thus have no karma. It is believed this phenomenon began in the year 2,000, and more Rainbow Children continue to be born. High energy, and drawn to bright colors, Rainbow Children are said to be the third generation of Star Children, or special children born to heal the earth, and her inhabitants.

 Rainbow Child traits are that they are highly intuitive and psychic, very forgiving, non-competitive, strong willed natural born leaders. Rainbow Children are also said to be very special because their balance between male and female characteristics are stronger in them than in previous generations, and this is said by some to be one reason why so many people today identify as gender neutral. Finding drama, struggles, and chaos unnecessary, Rainbow Children bring harmony, and they are empathic, and spread peace. If the stories are true, Rainbow Child meaning for the Earth is one of healing and harmony.

Crystals for Work with Rainbows

The easiest way to bring rainbows into your home and spiritual working space is to get crystals, or even glass prisms, and hang them in windows where they catch the light and shine the beautiful rainbows they create all over the rooms! The power of the good things that come from rainbows won’t have to wait for a rainbow to appear in the sky if you hang the crystals to do the work for you. Titanium rainbow quartz is said by some to aid in helping you work towards your rainbow body and will heighten your personal strengths. Another crystal to use, rainbow quartz crystal contains rainbows and is used to bring healing, harmony, and is very powerful in helping you manifest your goals. Wear these as jewelry to draw their strengths or use them in spellwork. For more about how to work with crystals, read on:

How To Use Crystals

So, what is the rainbow to you? Is it a psychic rainbow phenomenon telling you about your own personal improvement, or is it more symbolic of messages from beyond? Do you feel hopeful when you see rainbows, or do you feel there is a higher meaning to them that transcend mere humanity? Watch for the rainbow, but leave the Leprechaun’s gold alone, and if you raise your awareness so high you transcend your body, you will become as a rainbow- for a moment at least!