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"....The Australian Aborigines also speak of a rainbow serpent, a protective energy grid covering the Earth. According to Lorraine Mafi-Williams, “In our old way, . . . we call the energy grid Boamie, the sacred Rainbow Serpent, whose colors reflect the beauty of the Earth and sky, the rainbow. The multicolored coils of the Rainbow Serpent are reflected in the precious stones that are concealed in the Earth's crust” (133). Mafi-Williams, too, speaks of the Earth going through changes. She teaches that according to the Aboriginal people, the Earth undergoes a seven thousand year shift every one million years. And she believes we are completing a shift now, and entering a new million year long period. Mafi-Williams believes this transition is especially dangerous because mining interests have depleted precious minerals in the Earth, necessary to maintain stability of the energy grid.
Mafi-Williams also tells of another Aboriginal myth. Wollombin is a sacred mountain. It is the first place in Australia touched by the sun each morning. Absorbing the sun's rays, Wollombin activates a large rose quartz crystal located deep within it. In turn, this quartz crystal sends rays to Uluru, or Ayers Rock, which transmits these rays to Tibet. According to Aboriginal mythology, Wollombin had originally been under the care of people who became North American Indians, when the Earth was one large land mass. When this land mass broke apart, Wollombin stayed on the east coast of what is now Australia instead of going with the North American Continent. Lorraine states that “At the time that mountain split off with the Australian continent, there was a very high, powerful shaman or medicine man of the Indian people who stayed on that mountain. Wollombin, you see, means `eagle.' The spirit is still there, and his name is Waugatha. On the night before the Harmonic Convergence, a convergence of the sun and moon resulted in a coming together of Waugatha, Wollombin, the Rainbow Feathered Serpent, Quetzalcoatl. This was confirmation that the mountain belongs to the Native American people, and in 1988 Mafi-Williams traveled to North America to return care of Wollombin to them.
Lee Brown, Cherokee and Baha'i spiritual elder, states that the Great Spirit gave each of the four colors of humanity responsibility for and teachings about the Earth as they were dispersed to the four directions: “To the Indian people, the red people, he gave the Guardianship of the earth . . . . To the South, he gave the yellow race of people the Guardianship of the wind. . . . To the West He gave the black race of people the Guardianship of the water. . . . To the North He gave the white race of people the Guardianship of the fire” (118-9).
According to the Legend of the Rainbow Warriors, it will take each, doing their respective parts, to heal the Earth. McFadden writes: “In brief, the Legend of the Rainbow Warriors says that when the Earth becomes desperately sick through the doings of human beings, some of the people will recognize that they are steadily destroying themselves and their Earth Mother. With spiritual insight and support, the Rainbow Warriors--people of all colors and faiths--will come to the rescue, eventually establishing a long and joyous reign of peace” (3). McFadden continues: “All versions of the legend sound the themes of respect for the Earth, respect for the plants and animals that make our lives possible, and respect for ourselves and other across the spectrum of viewpoints and colors: red, white, brown, yellow, and black. . . . Thomas Banyacya, an elder of the Hopi Nation, once observed that `as Native Americans, we believe the rainbow is a sign from the Spirit in all things;. It is a sign of the union of all peoples, like one big family. The unity of all humanity--many tribes and peoples--is essential” (12). McFadden writes of Banyacya: “As he saw it, the problems of our society are rooted in human thinking clouded by attachments to the world of material comforts--materialism. To solve these problems we have only to reawaken spiritually to our innate spiritual bond with all of life as our relations, and to all people as one human race, albeit with different ideas and different colored skins” (108).
In the wake of the September 11 tragedies, the Legend of the Rainbow Warriors is of added import. Clearly, human existence is experiencing profound shifts of consciousness, albeit shifts accompanied by or brought about by destruction on a massive scale. Again, human existence teeters on the edge of a crisis threatening our very existence. As one struggles to make sense of these recent events, and of how they speak to the state of the world, McFadden offers substantive insight and hope. Further, he speaks to the power of individuals to address the overwhelming and complex problems facing us today--locally as well as globally.
It is said that mythologies are fantasies which convey great truths. Legend of the Rainbow Warriors taps into the truths of indigenous mythologies, revealing ancient wisdom relevant always, but perhaps now more than ever. In the Epilogue, McFadden writes of his intentions:
"I stake no special claim of ultimate truth for the perspective shared in this book. It's a story. The voices, both ancient and modern, are authentic: the myths are recounted as faithfully as possible, and the current affairs are accurate and verifiable from standard references. But how, in the end, shall the reader put them together? . . . I offer the Legend of the Rainbow Warriors in the hope that it will raise helpful questions for you, the reader: What lies beneath the surface? What gives your life its meaning? What is your myth? How are you acting to make your myth a living part of the world's experience? If the legend of the rainbow warriors speaks to you, what can you do to make it real, to engage more directly in the ancient quest of heroes and heroines: bringing heaven to Earth" (175-6).
To his credit, McFadden neither romanticizes indigenous peoples or arrogates their traditions. Neither does he wax romantically of the task at hand. To the contrary, McFadden emphasizes the strength of diversity and the challenges facing those following the myth of the rainbow warrior. He writes:
"What might be called the New Age movement is not ultimately about crystals or channeling, it has no central leader or organization, control and hierarchy, in fact, are its antithesis. Rather, the rainbow new age myth, as I hear it, is about personal sovereignty; personal liberty to be who you are while willingly accepting responsibility for self, family, community, and planet--coupled with recognition that all these elements are inextricably bound together in a web of relationships that can be, depending upon how we weave it, ugly or beautiful. . . . It's about people following their personal visions, and offering the gift of their visions to the larger community of life on the planet" (178-9).
A myth can be compared with a world view, within which each of us is always living and being shaped by. It is not possible then, to not live mythically: consciously or unconsciously, one is always living within a myth. To live within a myth unconsciously, is to be lived by it, to be seized and possessed by it. To live consciously within a myth, is to be consciously aware of the myth one is in and to view one's life and the world through its mythic lens. Legend of the Rainbow Warriors challenges one to conscious living--to the consciousness of the myth one is living in.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Works Cited
McFadden, Steven. Legend of the Rainbow Warriors. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Chiron, 2001.
Mafi-Williams also tells of another Aboriginal myth. Wollombin is a sacred mountain. It is the first place in Australia touched by the sun each morning. Absorbing the sun's rays, Wollombin activates a large rose quartz crystal located deep within it. In turn, this quartz crystal sends rays to Uluru, or Ayers Rock, which transmits these rays to Tibet. According to Aboriginal mythology, Wollombin had originally been under the care of people who became North American Indians, when the Earth was one large land mass. When this land mass broke apart, Wollombin stayed on the east coast of what is now Australia instead of going with the North American Continent. Lorraine states that “At the time that mountain split off with the Australian continent, there was a very high, powerful shaman or medicine man of the Indian people who stayed on that mountain. Wollombin, you see, means `eagle.' The spirit is still there, and his name is Waugatha. On the night before the Harmonic Convergence, a convergence of the sun and moon resulted in a coming together of Waugatha, Wollombin, the Rainbow Feathered Serpent, Quetzalcoatl. This was confirmation that the mountain belongs to the Native American people, and in 1988 Mafi-Williams traveled to North America to return care of Wollombin to them.
Lee Brown, Cherokee and Baha'i spiritual elder, states that the Great Spirit gave each of the four colors of humanity responsibility for and teachings about the Earth as they were dispersed to the four directions: “To the Indian people, the red people, he gave the Guardianship of the earth . . . . To the South, he gave the yellow race of people the Guardianship of the wind. . . . To the West He gave the black race of people the Guardianship of the water. . . . To the North He gave the white race of people the Guardianship of the fire” (118-9).
According to the Legend of the Rainbow Warriors, it will take each, doing their respective parts, to heal the Earth. McFadden writes: “In brief, the Legend of the Rainbow Warriors says that when the Earth becomes desperately sick through the doings of human beings, some of the people will recognize that they are steadily destroying themselves and their Earth Mother. With spiritual insight and support, the Rainbow Warriors--people of all colors and faiths--will come to the rescue, eventually establishing a long and joyous reign of peace” (3). McFadden continues: “All versions of the legend sound the themes of respect for the Earth, respect for the plants and animals that make our lives possible, and respect for ourselves and other across the spectrum of viewpoints and colors: red, white, brown, yellow, and black. . . . Thomas Banyacya, an elder of the Hopi Nation, once observed that `as Native Americans, we believe the rainbow is a sign from the Spirit in all things;. It is a sign of the union of all peoples, like one big family. The unity of all humanity--many tribes and peoples--is essential” (12). McFadden writes of Banyacya: “As he saw it, the problems of our society are rooted in human thinking clouded by attachments to the world of material comforts--materialism. To solve these problems we have only to reawaken spiritually to our innate spiritual bond with all of life as our relations, and to all people as one human race, albeit with different ideas and different colored skins” (108).
In the wake of the September 11 tragedies, the Legend of the Rainbow Warriors is of added import. Clearly, human existence is experiencing profound shifts of consciousness, albeit shifts accompanied by or brought about by destruction on a massive scale. Again, human existence teeters on the edge of a crisis threatening our very existence. As one struggles to make sense of these recent events, and of how they speak to the state of the world, McFadden offers substantive insight and hope. Further, he speaks to the power of individuals to address the overwhelming and complex problems facing us today--locally as well as globally.
It is said that mythologies are fantasies which convey great truths. Legend of the Rainbow Warriors taps into the truths of indigenous mythologies, revealing ancient wisdom relevant always, but perhaps now more than ever. In the Epilogue, McFadden writes of his intentions:
"I stake no special claim of ultimate truth for the perspective shared in this book. It's a story. The voices, both ancient and modern, are authentic: the myths are recounted as faithfully as possible, and the current affairs are accurate and verifiable from standard references. But how, in the end, shall the reader put them together? . . . I offer the Legend of the Rainbow Warriors in the hope that it will raise helpful questions for you, the reader: What lies beneath the surface? What gives your life its meaning? What is your myth? How are you acting to make your myth a living part of the world's experience? If the legend of the rainbow warriors speaks to you, what can you do to make it real, to engage more directly in the ancient quest of heroes and heroines: bringing heaven to Earth" (175-6).
To his credit, McFadden neither romanticizes indigenous peoples or arrogates their traditions. Neither does he wax romantically of the task at hand. To the contrary, McFadden emphasizes the strength of diversity and the challenges facing those following the myth of the rainbow warrior. He writes:
"What might be called the New Age movement is not ultimately about crystals or channeling, it has no central leader or organization, control and hierarchy, in fact, are its antithesis. Rather, the rainbow new age myth, as I hear it, is about personal sovereignty; personal liberty to be who you are while willingly accepting responsibility for self, family, community, and planet--coupled with recognition that all these elements are inextricably bound together in a web of relationships that can be, depending upon how we weave it, ugly or beautiful. . . . It's about people following their personal visions, and offering the gift of their visions to the larger community of life on the planet" (178-9).
A myth can be compared with a world view, within which each of us is always living and being shaped by. It is not possible then, to not live mythically: consciously or unconsciously, one is always living within a myth. To live within a myth unconsciously, is to be lived by it, to be seized and possessed by it. To live consciously within a myth, is to be consciously aware of the myth one is in and to view one's life and the world through its mythic lens. Legend of the Rainbow Warriors challenges one to conscious living--to the consciousness of the myth one is living in.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Works Cited
McFadden, Steven. Legend of the Rainbow Warriors. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Chiron, 2001.
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