Legend: Rain

 Please see the Introduction To Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z post for information about sources and purpose

Rain: Most famously, the Beatles' song, Rain, but also Fixing a Hole (where the rain gets in!), Penny Lane (in the pouring rain), Hey Bulldog (Sheepdog standing in the rain), I'll Follow the Sun (for tomorrow may rain), Across the Universe (words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup), I Am the Walrus (if the sun don't come, you get a tan from standing in the English rain), The Long and Winding Road (that the rain washed away), Two of Us (wearing raincoats). As well, we also have Paul McCartney's song, Driving Rain, Too Much Rain, Rainclouds and a number of songs by John and George that use the lyric, "Rain". 

"Depending upon its level of intensity, rain may either serve as life-giving or life-destroying. It is revitalizing, fertilizing, and heavenly, and often marks acts of purification." <Source>

"Vital symbol of fecundity linked to divine blessings or punishments. Emblem of purity." (CESS)
"Rain is nourishment for the earth and is known as the water of life. Rain takes many forms and can be anything from a gentle sprinkling and light watering of the earth, up to a torrid downpour and possible flooding; life giving on one hand and potentially death dealing on the other. Rain is a very serious affair, especially wherever water is scarce and/or crops are growing. A wonderful, (surviving) example of this seriousness is the world famous Native American rain dances, created to induce rain. To many city dwellers (or non-farmers) rain is seen as more of an annoyance than anything else. As you can guess, the meaning of the symbol (overall) changes depending on the scarcity and/or need of water/rainfall.

Rain drops can symbolize heaven's tears and the accompanying lightening can be seen as heaven's anger (for example, thunderbolts were the favored weapon of Zeus, etc.). Rain is a symbol for tears, sorrow, anger, cleansing, renewal, forgiveness and more -- usually on a heavenly, worldly or very large sort of personal scale. This is not a visual symbol for small sorrows or everyday events." <Source> 

"Large drops of rain warn that there has just been a death. If rain falls on a funeral procession, the deceased will go to heaven. " <Source>


See "Moondog" for a approaching storm symbolism.