The Rainbow Bridge of Life — Stage Seven
Colour: Violet | Principle: Release | Purpose: To Let Go | Guiding Value: Acceptance
Everything that comes into existence participates in the passage of time. We grow, change, create, connect and contribute to the world around us. Yet nothing in our physical lives remains unchanged forever. The final stage of the Rainbow Bridge invites us to contemplate one of life’s greatest lessons: learning when to hold on, when to surrender and how to find peace with the inevitable nature of change.
The Final Colour of the Rainbow Bridge
Every life tells a story.
From our earliest moments of dependence to the experiences that shape our individuality, relationships and understanding, we travel through a continuous process of growth and transformation.
We begin by learning how to survive.
We discover our ability to create.
We develop an identity.
We form relationships and learn to love.
We recognise our connection to the wider world.
And through experience, we develop knowledge and wisdom that may guide those who follow.
Yet there comes a point when we must acknowledge something that has been present throughout our entire journey:
Life is constantly changing, and nothing within our physical existence can remain exactly as it is forever.
Within my philosophical framework, The Twelve Numbers of Creation, the Rainbow Bridge of Life represents seven interconnected principles of human growth and experience.
At Number Six, Red — Survival: To Have, we explore the foundations that sustain our existence.
At Number Seven, Orange — Creativity: To Do, we discover our capacity to explore, imagine and create.
At Number Eight, Yellow — Identity: To Show, we develop a clearer understanding of our individuality.
At Number Nine, Green — Relationships: To Serve, we learn to share love, care and responsibility with others.
At Number Ten, Blue — Connectedness: To Support, we recognise our place within the wider community, humanity and natural world.
At Number Eleven, Indigo — Guidance: To Teach, we reflect upon our experiences and share understanding that may benefit others.
Now, at Number Twelve, we arrive at the seventh and final colour:
Violet — Release.
Its guiding principle is:
To Let Go.
And its central value is:
Acceptance.
To recognise the impermanence of life.
To release what we can no longer control.
To accept change without losing appreciation for what has been.
To honour our experiences and the people who have shaped us.
To share the wisdom we have accumulated.
And eventually, to contemplate the end of our physical existence with greater understanding and compassion.
Release is not simply about death.
It is about our relationship with change throughout the entire journey of life.
Why Release Follows Guidance
Throughout the Rainbow Bridge, we gradually develop the ability to participate more consciously in our experiences.
We learn to meet our needs, develop skills, establish relationships and contribute to the world around us.
Through Guidance, we begin recognising the value of everything we have learned.
We may share our knowledge with younger generations, offer support to our communities and reflect upon the experiences that have shaped our lives.
Yet wisdom also involves recognising the limits of our control.
We cannot preserve every relationship exactly as it once existed.
We cannot prevent our bodies from changing.
We cannot guarantee that our plans will unfold as expected.
And we cannot remain physically present forever.
This brings us to an important question:
What happens when we have done everything within our ability, yet life continues changing beyond our control?
Within the Rainbow Bridge, Violet represents our opportunity to practise acceptance.
It encourages us to recognise that letting go does not erase the significance of what we have experienced.
Instead, it allows us to acknowledge the value of the past while making room for what comes next.
Guidance teaches us what is worth sharing. Release teaches us that we do not need to hold on to everything forever.
The Seven Dimensions of Release
Although Violet represents the final stage of the Rainbow Bridge, its lessons can be experienced throughout life.
We encounter opportunities to release expectations, attachments, identities and circumstances long before reaching old age.
Within this framework, we can explore seven interconnected dimensions of letting go.
1. Acceptance — Recognising What We Cannot Control
Human beings naturally seek stability, security and predictability.
We develop routines, establish goals and make plans for the future.
These activities can help us feel prepared and capable of managing our responsibilities.
However, life does not always follow our expectations.
Circumstances change.
Relationships evolve.
Opportunities emerge and disappear.
Unexpected challenges interrupt our plans.
When we encounter situations beyond our control, we may experience frustration, fear, disappointment or grief.
Acceptance involves acknowledging reality as it currently exists, even when we wish circumstances were different.
It does not mean approving of injustice, tolerating mistreatment or abandoning the possibility of change.
Rather, it means recognising the difference between what we can influence and what we cannot.
We can take responsibility for our decisions.
We can communicate our needs.
We can seek support and pursue meaningful changes.
But we cannot control every outcome or determine how other people will respond.
Acceptance begins when we recognise that our wellbeing cannot depend entirely upon controlling the world around us.
2. Surrender — Releasing the Need to Control Every Outcome
Surrender is sometimes misunderstood as weakness or defeat.
Yet within the Rainbow Bridge, surrender represents a conscious decision to stop struggling against circumstances that cannot be changed through continued resistance.
Imagine holding a handful of sand.
The more tightly we squeeze, the more difficult it becomes to hold.
By relaxing our grip, we may discover a different relationship with what remains.
Our emotional experiences can sometimes follow a similar pattern.
We may hold tightly to expectations about how others should behave.
We might replay past conversations, wishing we had responded differently.
Or we may become consumed by uncertainty about the future.
Surrender invites us to loosen our attachment to outcomes that are not entirely within our control.
This does not mean becoming passive.
We can continue making thoughtful decisions and pursuing meaningful goals.
But we can also recognise when further resistance is no longer helping us.
Sometimes strength is demonstrated not by holding on more tightly, but by recognising when it is time to release our grip.
3. Forgiveness — Releasing the Weight of Resentment
Throughout life, we may experience conflict, betrayal, disappointment or emotional pain.
Some experiences leave lasting impressions.
We may carry anger towards someone who hurt us.
We might blame ourselves for decisions we made in the past.
Or we may struggle to accept that certain relationships did not develop as we hoped.
Forgiveness can sometimes help us reduce the emotional burden associated with these experiences.
However, forgiveness is deeply personal.
It cannot be demanded, rushed or treated as an obligation.
Forgiving someone does not mean excusing harmful behaviour, forgetting what happened or restoring a relationship that is unsafe.
Likewise, choosing not to forgive does not mean someone has failed to grow.
Within the Rainbow Bridge, Release invites us to consider whether there are emotional burdens we are ready to process differently.
For some people, this may involve forgiveness.
For others, it may involve establishing boundaries, acknowledging grief or accepting that an experience cannot be undone.
Self-forgiveness can also be meaningful.
We may recognise that our previous decisions were influenced by the knowledge, circumstances and emotional resources available to us at the time.
We can take responsibility for mistakes without defining our entire identity through them.
Letting go of the past does not require us to pretend it never happened. It allows us to consider how we wish to carry its influence into the future.
4. Identity — Allowing Ourselves to Change
Earlier in the Rainbow Bridge, Yellow introduced the importance of developing and expressing our identity.
We explored the ways our personalities, values, experiences and relationships contribute to our understanding of ourselves.
Yet identity is not permanent.
Throughout life, we occupy different roles.
We may be students, workers, parents, partners, caregivers, friends or community members.
These roles can provide meaning and belonging.
However, they may also change or come to an end.
Children grow independent.
Careers conclude.
Relationships change.
Physical abilities evolve.
Interests and priorities shift.
When an important role changes, we may feel uncertain about who we are without it.
Violet invites us to recognise that our identity can continue developing beyond the roles we once occupied.
We can appreciate what those experiences contributed without believing they must define us forever.
A person who retires does not lose their worth.
Someone whose relationship ends does not lose their individuality.
A parent whose children become independent can continue discovering new interests and aspirations.
We can honour the people we have been while allowing ourselves to become someone different.
5. Simplicity — Discovering What Truly Matters
Throughout life, we accumulate possessions, responsibilities, commitments and expectations.
Some provide comfort, security and enjoyment.
Others may gradually become unnecessary or burdensome.
As our priorities change, we may begin questioning how much we truly need.
Do our possessions support the life we wish to live?
Are our responsibilities consistent with our values and capacity?
Have we become attached to achievements or expectations that no longer bring meaning?
Within the Rainbow Bridge, simplicity represents an opportunity to reconsider our relationship with material possessions and external success.
It does not require abandoning comfort, ambition or financial security.
Instead, it encourages us to distinguish between what genuinely enriches our lives and what we may be maintaining out of habit, pressure or fear.
We might choose to reduce unnecessary consumption.
We may donate items that could benefit others.
We might create more time for relationships, creativity, rest or nature.
Sometimes simplifying our lives allows us to appreciate experiences that were previously overlooked.
The richness of life is not always measured by what we accumulate, but by the meaning we discover in what we already have.
6. Grief — Learning to Live With Loss
Loss is an unavoidable part of human experience.
We may lose people we love, relationships we value, opportunities we hoped to pursue or aspects of life that once felt familiar.
Grief is a natural response to significant loss.
It may involve sadness, anger, confusion, loneliness, relief, numbness or many other emotions.
There is no single correct way to grieve.
Some people find comfort in remembering and speaking about those they have lost.
Others prefer quiet reflection, creative expression or spending time in nature.
Grief does not always follow a predictable sequence.
Nor does healing necessarily mean that sadness disappears.
Over time, some people discover ways to carry memories of loved ones while continuing to participate meaningfully in life.
Within the Rainbow Bridge, Release does not ask us to forget those who have died or suppress the pain of separation.
It invites us to recognise that love and loss can coexist.
We may continue honouring someone through the values they taught us, the memories we share or the ways their influence shapes our decisions.
Letting go does not mean letting go of love. Sometimes it means learning how to carry love in a different form.
7. Mortality — Accepting the Impermanence of Physical Life
The final dimension of Violet brings us to one of humanity’s most profound questions:
What does it mean for a life to come to an end?
Every living organism participates in biological processes that sustain life for a finite period.
Our bodies grow, adapt and change.
Over time, ageing and other biological processes can affect our physical abilities and increase vulnerability to illness.
Eventually, the biological processes that sustain an individual life cease.
Although death is a natural part of life, the circumstances and emotions surrounding it can be complex.
We may experience fear of the unknown.
We may worry about leaving loved ones behind.
We might reflect upon unfinished goals or conversations.
Or we may find comfort in spiritual beliefs, personal values and the knowledge that our lives have contributed something meaningful.
Within the Rainbow Bridge, Violet offers a symbolic opportunity to contemplate mortality with openness.
It does not suggest that everyone must feel peaceful about death.
Fear, uncertainty, sadness and acceptance can all be understandable responses.
Rather, it invites us to consider how recognising life’s impermanence might influence the way we choose to live.
Awareness of mortality can remind us that our time is valuable, and that the relationships and experiences we create deserve our attention while we are here.
The Candle: A Symbol of Life and Legacy
Imagine a candle burning in a darkened room.
Its flame provides warmth and illumination.
While it burns, it can be used to light other candles, allowing the surrounding space to become brighter.
Each new flame contributes its own light.
Yet the original candle does not burn forever.
As time passes, the wax changes shape.
Eventually, the flame is extinguished.
For a brief moment, smoke may rise into the air, and the fragrance of the candle may remain.
The light itself is no longer present in the same form.
But the candles it helped illuminate may continue burning.
Within my philosophy, this image represents the relationship between life, contribution and legacy.
Each individual enters the world with the potential to influence the lives of others.
We share knowledge.
We offer love.
We create memories.
We contribute to families, communities and environments.
Our actions may inspire others to develop their own abilities, values and understanding.
When our physical lives eventually end, the effects of those contributions may continue.
A child may remember the kindness of a parent.
A student may apply knowledge learned from a teacher.
A garden may continue growing after the person who planted it has died.
A community may benefit from decisions made generations earlier.
Our individual flame may be temporary, but the light we share can continue influencing the world beyond our lifetime.
Release Through Mind, Body and Spirit
Within The Earth & Body Connection, I explore human experience through three interconnected aspects: Mind, Body and Spirit.
The Release stage provides an opportunity to reflect upon how these aspects relate to change, mortality and the meaning we attach to existence.
Mind — Reflection and Acceptance
The mind allows us to remember experiences, consider our values and contemplate the passage of time.
Through reflection, we may develop greater understanding of our choices, relationships and personal journey.
As we approach significant transitions, awareness can help us consider what matters most.
Body — The Physical Cycle of Life
Our bodies participate in the biological processes of growth, maintenance, ageing and eventual death.
After death, the physical materials of the body remain part of the natural world and undergo processes of transformation and decomposition, depending upon the circumstances.
In this physical sense, the matter that forms our bodies belongs to the continuing cycles of nature.
Spirit — Meaning and the Mystery Beyond
Within my philosophical framework, Spirit represents the motivating and expressive dimension of human experience.
I also use the concept to explore questions about the possible continuation of existence beyond physical death.
My personal belief is that there may be dimensions of reality and experience that extend beyond what we currently understand.
However, whether consciousness or a personal soul survives biological death remains an open philosophical and spiritual question, not an established scientific finding.
These three aspects offer a symbolic way of contemplating the relationship between physical existence, personal meaning and the mysteries surrounding mortality.
The mind reflects. The body returns to nature. The spirit invites us to contemplate what may lie beyond.
The Legacy of Our Ancestors
Every individual is connected to generations of people who lived before them.
Our existence depends upon an extraordinary history of biological reproduction, human relationships, cultural development and environmental change.
We inherit genetic characteristics from our ancestors.
We may also inherit languages, traditions, values, stories and knowledge passed through families and communities.
Some influences are visible in our everyday lives.
Others may be difficult to recognise.
A family recipe may carry memories across generations.
A traditional practice may preserve knowledge of the natural world.
A story told by a grandparent may influence how a child understands their identity.
Even people whose names have been forgotten may have contributed to the communities, environments and opportunities we experience today.
Within my Conscious Energy philosophy, I interpret this continuity as a symbolic expression of our participation in a greater whole.
Our individual lives are temporary, but the relationships and influences connecting generations extend beyond any single lifetime.
I sometimes describe this philosophically as contributing to a collective consciousness — a shared accumulation of human experience, knowledge and cultural memory.
This should not be confused with a scientifically established universal mind.
Rather, it offers a way of reflecting upon how our experiences can influence others long after we are gone.
We are shaped by those who came before us, and through our actions, we participate in shaping the lives of those who follow.
Death and the Continuing Cycles of Nature
Throughout the natural world, life and death participate in interconnected ecological processes.
Plants grow, reproduce and eventually die.
Animals contribute to ecosystems through their interactions with other organisms.
When living things die, their physical materials may be broken down and recycled through biological and environmental processes.
These cycles help sustain ecosystems and provide resources for future life.
Within my framework, I interpret this continuity as an expression of the balance between creation, transformation and release.
The ending of an individual life does not mean that all traces of its existence disappear.
The matter that formed the body continues participating in physical processes.
The effects of an individual’s actions may remain within relationships, environments and communities.
However, ecological continuity does not establish that personal consciousness continues after death.
That possibility belongs to a different set of philosophical, spiritual and scientific questions.
Nature reminds us that endings and beginnings are often connected, even when an individual form of life cannot continue.
Sleep, Stillness and the Practice of Letting Go
Every day, we experience a familiar transition between wakefulness and sleep.
During waking hours, we participate actively in our surroundings.
We make decisions, communicate, move and respond to experiences.
As evening approaches, we gradually withdraw from many external activities.
We rest.
We close our eyes.
And, when sleep comes, our conscious experience changes.
Sleep is essential for health and supports numerous biological functions, including memory processing, emotional regulation and physical restoration.
Within my philosophical framework, I also view the transition into sleep as a symbolic opportunity to practise surrender.
We cannot force sleep through sheer determination.
Often, it becomes easier when we allow ourselves to release the demands of the day and settle into rest.
Meditation and other reflective practices can offer similar opportunities to explore stillness, awareness and acceptance.
However, sleep and meditation are not scientifically established previews of death or evidence that a soul separates from the body.
The sleeping brain remains biologically active, and sleep differs fundamentally from the irreversible loss of brain function associated with death.
For me, their significance lies in the philosophical questions they inspire.
What does it mean to surrender conscious control?
How does our experience of time change when we sleep?
Why do dreams sometimes feel so vivid?
And what might these experiences teach us about the limits of our understanding?
Sleep reminds us that we do not need to remain consciously in control of every moment for life to continue unfolding.
The Mystery of the Afterlife
Across human history, cultures and spiritual traditions have developed many different understandings of what may happen after death.
Some describe the continuation of an individual soul.
Others explore reincarnation, reunion with a divine source or forms of existence beyond the physical world.
Some philosophical perspectives suggest that consciousness may be more fundamental to reality than current scientific explanations can fully account for.
Other perspectives understand consciousness as dependent upon the functioning of the living brain, with personal experience ending when the biological processes supporting it permanently cease.
These different interpretations reflect humanity’s ongoing attempts to understand existence and mortality.
Within my own Conscious Energy philosophy, I remain curious about the possibility that reality contains dimensions or relationships that we have not yet fully understood.
I personally believe that there may be more to existence than the physical experiences available to us during our lifetimes.
However, I recognise that this belief cannot currently be presented as an established explanation of what happens after death.
The nature of consciousness remains an important subject of scientific and philosophical investigation.
Whether personal awareness can continue independently of a living brain has not been demonstrated.
For me, this uncertainty does not diminish the value of exploring the question.
Instead, it encourages humility.
Perhaps one of the greatest expressions of wisdom is recognising that some mysteries remain beyond our present understanding.
When Release Becomes Unbalanced
Letting go can be difficult because attachment is a natural part of human experience.
We become attached to people, places, routines, possessions, beliefs and identities that provide meaning or security.
These attachments are not inherently unhealthy.
They can support belonging, commitment and emotional wellbeing.
Difficulties may arise when we become unable to adapt to changes that are already occurring.
We may resist the end of a relationship that no longer supports our wellbeing.
We might remain attached to expectations that no longer reflect our circumstances.
We may struggle to accept changes in our abilities or responsibilities.
Alternatively, we may attempt to release attachments too quickly, avoiding the emotions that accompany loss.
Within the Rainbow Bridge, balance does not mean becoming detached from everything.
It involves learning to recognise when attachment supports our wellbeing and when it may be preventing necessary change.
Healthy release allows room for grief, uncertainty and emotional processing.
It does not demand immediate peace.
Letting go is not the absence of love, hope or commitment. It is the willingness to recognise when something has changed and respond with greater understanding.
Returning to Violet: Practising Release Throughout Life
Although Violet symbolises the final stage of the Rainbow Bridge, we encounter its lessons repeatedly.
A child may learn to release a familiar routine when beginning school.
A young adult may leave home to pursue independence.
A parent may learn to allow their children greater freedom.
A person may change careers, end a relationship or move to a new community.
Later in life, someone may reconsider responsibilities, possessions or expectations that no longer suit their circumstances.
Each transition can involve a form of letting go.
Sometimes these changes are welcome.
At other times, they may bring uncertainty or sadness.
Returning to Violet invites us to consider what we are holding onto and why.
We might ask:
Is this attachment still supporting my wellbeing?
Am I resisting change because it conflicts with my values, or because I fear the unknown?
What can I influence, and what must I learn to accept?
Is there something I am ready to release?
What might become possible if I allowed myself to move forward?
The purpose is not to abandon everything familiar.
It is to develop a healthier relationship with the changing nature of life.
Release is not a lesson reserved for our final days. It is a practice we can return to whenever life invites us to change.
From Release to Oneness
The seven stages of the Rainbow Bridge reveal a symbolic progression through human experience.
Red — Survival: To Have
We recognise the needs that sustain our existence.
Orange — Creativity: To Do
We discover our capacity to explore and create.
Yellow — Identity: To Show
We develop and express our individuality.
Green — Relationships: To Serve
We learn to share love and responsibility with others.
Blue — Connectedness: To Support
We recognise our place within the wider world.
Indigo — Guidance: To Teach
We transform experience into understanding that may benefit others.
Violet — Release: To Let Go
We learn to accept change, honour our experiences and release what we can no longer preserve.
Yet within my framework, the journey does not end with Violet.
Beyond the seven colours lies another symbolic expression:
White — Oneness: To Be.
White represents the integration of the Rainbow Bridge’s principles into a greater understanding of existence.
Just as white light can be separated into the colours of the visible spectrum, I use Oneness to symbolise the possibility of recognising unity within diversity.
This is a philosophical analogy rather than a scientific explanation of consciousness or the afterlife.
Where Release asks:
What am I ready to let go of?
Oneness invites us to consider:
What does it mean simply to be part of existence?
For me, this represents a return to the greater whole from which our individual physical lives emerged.
Not necessarily as a claim that our personal identity survives death, but as a reflection upon the ways we remain connected to the Universe through matter, influence, memory and the continuing story of life.
We emerge from the natural world, participate in its unfolding, and eventually release the physical form through which we experienced it.
A Personal Reflection: Learning the Art of Letting Go
Take a moment to consider your relationship with change, attachment and acceptance.
You might reflect upon the following questions:
- What experiences or relationships have taught me the most about letting go?
- Am I holding onto expectations that no longer reflect my present circumstances?
- Are there aspects of my identity that I am ready to reconsider or release?
- What helps me find peace when circumstances are beyond my control?
- Have I allowed myself sufficient time and compassion to process past losses?
- What knowledge, values or memories would I like to pass on to future generations?
- How might recognising the impermanence of life influence the choices I make today?
- What is one small burden I could begin releasing from my life?
There are no right or wrong answers.
Our relationship with change is shaped by our experiences, personalities, beliefs and circumstances.
The purpose of these questions is not to eliminate fear or uncertainty.
It is to encourage greater awareness of the ways we respond to life’s inevitable transitions.
Perhaps the most meaningful question is:
If I could no longer measure my life by what I possess, achieve or control, what would remain most meaningful to me?
The Wisdom of Violet: To Let Go
The seventh stage of the Rainbow Bridge teaches us that life is not defined solely by what we accumulate.
We begin our journey with fundamental needs.
We develop abilities and discover our individuality.
We form relationships, share love and contribute to the world.
We accumulate knowledge and develop understanding.
And eventually, we encounter the necessity of releasing what cannot remain unchanged forever.
Yet letting go does not erase the significance of our journey.
The love we have shared may continue influencing others.
The knowledge we have offered may guide future generations.
The environments we have cared for may continue flourishing.
And the memories we have created may remain meaningful to those who knew us.
Within my philosophy, the final stage of life is not simply about surrendering everything we have gained.
It is about recognising that our experiences have already become part of a much larger story.
We do not need to hold onto every possession, achievement or identity for our lives to have meaning.
We can appreciate what has been.
We can accept what is changing.
We can make peace with what remains uncertain.
And we can continue participating in life with greater gratitude for the time available to us.
Violet is where the Rainbow Bridge invites us to release our attachment to permanence.
Release is the acceptance of change.
Acceptance is the guiding value.
To Let Go is the seventh principle.
And beyond the final colour, we arrive at the possibility of a deeper understanding:
That perhaps the greatest lesson of our journey is not what we have, what we do or what we become — but what it means simply to exist.
To Be.
This article forms part of The Twelve Numbers of Creation and the Rainbow Bridge of Life, original philosophical frameworks developed through The Earth & Body Connection. The Rainbow Bridge uses colours and stages of life symbolically to encourage reflection and personal growth; it is not a scientifically established model of human development. References to Mind, Body, Spirit, Conscious Energy and Oneness are used within this philosophical context. Spiritual interpretations of death, the soul and the afterlife are presented as personal beliefs and possibilities rather than established scientific findings.
Next in the series: Beyond the Rainbow Bridge — Oneness: To Be.
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