Fascinating Rainbows: A Multifaceted Exploration

In a photograph taken in Finland on May 30, 2023, spectacular rainbow rings appear tightly around the Sun. Unlike a typical solar halo, these multicolored rings are called “pollen coronas” and are caused by an interaction between sunlight and pollen in the air. An even rarer occurrence is a twinned rainbow, which is when a single base rainbow splits into two arcs. Another captivating sight is the fogbow, also known as the white rainbow. A red rainbow occurs during sunrise or sunset when the sun’s rays are at a lower angle and have to take a longer path through the atmosphere. Sometimes, rainbows can even appear around the Sun or Moon. These colorful rings are called Halos stem from the light of the Sun or Moon interacting with ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.

A double rainbow appeared over Buckingham Palace on the afternoon of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. In the Bible, the rainbow symbolizes a promise from God to never again destroy the Earth by flood. One of the most famous myths of the Emerald Isle is that you may find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Japanese folklore depicts rainbows as floating bridges stood upon by the god and goddess Izanagi and Izanami as they created the Japanese archipelago. In one modern interpretation, the Rainbow Bridge symbolizes a place where our animal companions go after they pass on from their life here with us.

In December 2022, a Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association member (vegan) shared in a Heartline his dream experience of seeing Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) turn into a rainbow. “[…]After passing the crocodiles and snakes, Master slowly floated and flew up, facing me with Her hands clasped and eyes closed. Then, Master turned into a rainbow and I followed behind. When I was about to fly with Master, the rainbow broke into beads of colorful, shimmering Light and rained down on me. At that very moment, I realized that Master is always with us in navigating the twists and turns of life or the wheel of samsara. […]”