THE RAINBOW

From Childhood Folklore to a Symbolof Wholeness

Enhanced with AI tools, written from human experience

Images generated using DLL·E by OpenAI

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• "Edim adep Oyo ada Ekpe aman nnyin ke idak Ukana."

I heard different tales about rainbows during my childhood. One I can vividly remember was captured in the Ibibio folklore song above. It said that whenever a rainbow appeared in the sky—usually after a brief rain while the sun was still shining—a lioness had given birth to a cub beneath a mighty tree called Ukana.

I could never tell how much of the story was meant to be believed, but I knew there was something divine about rainbows. Every time one appeared, my siblings and I would excitedly announce it for everyone to hear before running into the courtyard to catch a glimpse of it.

There was a certain fulfillment in seeing a rainbow with our own eyes, and an equal disappointment when it disappeared before we reached the courtyard.

As childhood slowly faded, so did the excitement of chasing rainbows. Yet even as an adult, whenever I happened to be outdoors and a rainbow stretched across the sky, a little of that childhood wonder returned.

In my mid-twenties, I encountered the rainbow again, but this time in a digital form.

The rainbow had become widely recognized as a symbol of the LGBTQ community.

In some ways, I wasn't entirely comfortable with that, even during a period when I sometimes identified with same-sex attraction.

Not because I believed anyone shouldn't use the rainbow as a symbol, but because, for me, the rainbow had always represented something so vast, so sacred, and so universal that I found it difficult to think of it primarily as the symbol of any one movement or community.

That was simply my personal relationship with the rainbow.

Over time, I came to realize that symbols often carry different meanings for different people. For many, the rainbow represents identity, inclusion, and hope. For me, the rainbow in the sky continued to evoke something broader—a reminder of creation, mystery, and the interconnectedness of life.

There became, in my mind, two different rainbows: the rainbow in the sky and the rainbow on the screen.

Then, in my thirties, I encountered the rainbow once again.

This time it appeared in spiritual teachings, artwork, and discussions that associated each color with different aspects of human consciousness and inner growth.

Although it wasn't a path I felt drawn to explore deeply, it affirmed something I had sensed since childhood—that perhaps the rainbow had always represented something divine and universal.

This evening, I encountered the rainbow once again.

A writer and creator I admire, Zachary Fisher, shared a post about what he called the Rainbow Prophecy.

I had never heard of it before.

Whether or not I believe in it as a literal prophecy isn't what mattered most to me.

What resonated with me was its vision.

He described the Rainbow Tribe as people from every race, culture, background, religion, and tradition who feel called to help bring humanity back into balance.

He went on to describe the rainbow as a picture of the different qualities that exist within every human being.

🔴 Red reminded me that we all need roots—stability, security, and a strong foundation from which to grow.

🟠Orange spoke of creativity, emotion, joy, and our capacity to experience life with passion and openness.

🟡Yellow represented the quiet confidence to know ourselves, set healthy boundaries, and live with courage rather than fear.

🟢Green pointed toward love and compassion, reminding me that a healthy heart knows how to care for others without losing itself.

🔵Blue reflected the importance of speaking honestly, expressing ourselves authentically, and allowing our truth to be heard.

🟣Indigo symbolized intuition—the inner wisdom that often sees beyond what our physical eyes can perceive.

⚪Finally, violet and white represented our connection with the Divine, reminding us that our lives are part of something far greater than ourselves.

Rather than seeing these as separate qualities, I came to understand them as different dimensions of the same human experience. Perhaps becoming whole is not about choosing one color over another, but about allowing every part of ourselves to grow in harmony.

As I read those ideas, I found myself nodding in agreement—not necessarily with every spiritual interpretation, but with the larger vision of a humanity growing into greater consciousness, compassion, and wholeness.

One sentence from the AI-generated artwork accompanying his post stayed with me:

• "You were never meant to live just one color. You were born to embody the whole spectrum."

Those words immediately connected with something I had carried since childhood.

Long before I knew about the rainbow as a symbol of the LGBTQ community...

Long before I encountered spiritual interpretations linking its colors to human consciousness...

The rainbow had already become, in my own heart, a symbol of something much larger.

It represented wholeness.

Perhaps that is why I have always been reluctant to reduce it to a single meaning.

Today, I believe the beauty of the rainbow lies precisely in its ability to carry many meanings at once. For some, it is a symbol of identity and belonging. For others, it is a reminder of God's covenant after the flood. For others still, it represents hope, diversity, healing, or spiritual awakening.

For me, it remains a reminder that life cannot be contained within a single identity, belief, tradition, or way of seeing the world.

Like the rainbow itself, we are more than one color.

Maybe that is why, even today, I still pause whenever one appears after the rain.

Not because I believe a lioness has just given birth beneath the mighty Ukana tree.

But because somewhere deep within me, that little child still looks up and sees something sacred stretching across the sky.

And perhaps that child understood something my adult mind is still learning:

The greatest symbols are the ones that invite all of us to see a little more of ourselves—and a little more of one another—in their light.

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