Three kinds of irises–and full circle rainbows

Irises–I can think of three different kinds, and I just found out it can be a verb, too. We have irises in our eyes, in our gardens perhaps, and there’s also the Greek goddess Iris, goddess of the rainbow.

To iris means to make iridescent–how cool is that?

And did you know that rainbows are really shaped like circles, like the irises in our eyes? We just usually only see part because the horizon blocks the rest of the circle from view. You can find more information on How Stuff Works.

Iris–Goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods

This week, my Right-Brain Business planning group had a planning session. I’ve been part of this amazing group for almost 2 years. It’s based on the work of Jennifer Lee. My group is led by the wonderful Susan Stott Miller of Lighted Path coaching. One of the prompts she gave us for our planning session was to find an archetype that inspires us. The goddess Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, came to me. I love her colors and that she can travel between the realms and brings messages from heaven to earth, brings water from the ocean to the clouds so we have rain, and also serves nectar to the gods.

A new painting of her is coming, but I didn’t have time this week.. I did paint these irises–the canvas is now rolled up in my storage space because I don’t have the 6 feet by 4 feet of wall space for it in my home.

And these irises, too:

Poetry Friday

Sally Murphy hosts this week’s Poetry Friday. Sally, who lives in Australia, writes of her contribution to an auction to raise funds for wildlife relief and to support agencies fighting the fire. You can check it out on her blog or on twitter: #authorsforfireys. She also shares about her soon to be published novel in verse–Worse Things. And, of course, you can see what other poets are up to by following the links on her blog.

Here is my first attempt at a poem about irises.

Irises, or I’ve never seen a round rainbow

Goddess, you make colors dance through the sky,

twirling them with iridescent wings,

creating a whirlpool that allows the white

to separate into rainbow colors.

Our irises expand and contract to let in the light,

the rainbows that shine around us,

that bloom like iris flowers in the sunshine,

nourished by darkness of earth

and irised by the water you, dear goddess,

carry from below in your sacred pitcher

to nourish us, and the flowers,

to iris us with the shine of raindrops.

Oh, how thankful I am

for all the irises and irising

and for the round rainbows

that I’ve only partly seen.

I’ll share updates of this poem, as I’ve only just begun. Also, if you’re in the mood for rainbows, I also shared a rainbow chakra meditation.

Have you ever seen a full round rainbow? I hope I do someday, now that I know there is such a thing.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

xoxo