a rainbow halo

a rainbow halo 

and four sun dogs surround the sun

on a frigid morning

A sun bow with four sun dogs appeared on a very cold morning in Fairfield on 7 January. This photo was sent to me by a friend, who didn't know who took it, but many people took photos that day. Unfortunately, I did not, as I was recovering from a car accident the day before. I am told that the rainbow haloed the sun as it rose and remained most of the morning. 

The sun in the middle looks like a bright white compass with rays pointing in four directions. On the surrounding arc, two bright spots flank the sun to the north and south, while a third faint rainbow tops the arc. And high above the halo hovers a fourth rainbow! Manifesting at the beginning of the new year, it feels like an auspicious sign.

This unusual display caused a lot of people to wonder what it means. Soon, someone recalled the ancient prophecies made by our indigenous peoples about sun dogs and sun bows. The following material about the the Navajo-Hopi prophecy of the whirling rainbow is taken from an article by John Black (http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/warriors-rainbow-prophecy-001577).

"There will come a day when people of all races, colors and creeds will put aside their differences. They will come together in love, joining hands in unification, to heal the Earth and all Her children. They will move over the Earth like a great Whirling Rainbow, bringing peace, understanding and healing everywhere they go. Many creatures thought to be extinct or mythical will resurface at this time; the great trees that perished will return almost overnight. All living things will flourish, drawing sustenance from the breast of our Mother, the Earth.

"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 the 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."

Black points out that references to a New Era are not new, and are found in many cultures, including the Greek mythology of Chryson Genos and the Norse legend of gullaldr. And, I would add, it appears in the most ancient Vedic tradition as the return of Sat Yuga, the golden age.

So be it!