Tag: Science Fiction and Fantasy

The Element of Fire: Fafnir (Dragons of Fire and Sunbeams)

The Element of Fire: Fafnir (Dragons of Fire and Sunbeams)

The element of Fire governs the southern quarter of the circle. Its dragon ruler is Fafnir (faf’-near) who oversees the dragons of Fire and the sunbeams. Its color is pure red; it is considered warm and dry. The positive association of Fire are: Noon, summer, the dagger and sword, candles, incense burner, any kind of helpful fire, the Sun, blood, enthusiasm, activity, change, passion, courage, daring, will power, leadership. Negative associations are: hate, jealousy, fear, anger, war, ego, conflicts, lightning, volcanoes, harmful fire of any kind.

Subspecies of the Fire—element dragon family are those of fire and volcanoes. The subspecies of desert and arid–region dragons, and those of chaos and destruction, often work closely with draconic entities of this element.

Element of Air: Sairys (Dragons of breezes and winds)

Element of Air: Sairys (Dragons of breezes and winds)

The element of Air governs the eastern quarter of the circle. Its dragon ruler is Sairys (sair’-iss), who oversees the dragons of breezes and winds. Its color is pure yellow; it is considered warm and moist. The positive association of Air are: sunrise, spring, incense, the wand, the gong or bell, clouds, breezes, the breath, optimism, joy, intelligence, mental quickness, renewing, any kind of helpful air. Negative associations are: frivolity, gossip, fickleness, inattention, bragging, forgetfulness, windstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, destructive air in any form.

Dragons of the element of Air belong to a family of draconic beings whose subspecies include those of wind, storm, and weather. At times they join forces with the dragons of fire and volcanoes, seas and other waters, mountains and forests, and chaos. Just as no one element works totally alone, whether in magickal endeavors or physical activities, elemental dragons join their great powers to accomplish tasks. Sometimes there is conflict of elemental powers, producing great atmospheric and environmental disturbances, but mostly the elemental dragons work in harmony.
Many Vietnamese pagoda roofs are decorated at the end of the ridge poles with ch’i wen dragons (mouth drums), who swallow evil influences, and at athe eaves with the chao feng (dawn winds), who catch and distribute the good vibrations. Several of the temples in the ruins of Angkor Wat have what are known as makara dragons carved on the lintels above the doorway. These dragons carved near these sculptures, but also a metaphorical doorway, necessary for spiritual growth.

Dragon and Weather Magick

Dragon and Weather Magick

 

Chinese dragons are said to have a 4,000 year birth cycle and do not grow their wings to fly until the last thousand years. They are described as having bearded lion’s mane-like faces, 81 or more scales on their back (in multiples of nine, their sacred number) and five huge claws. Japanese dragons only have three claws.

Chinese dragons are made up of the parts of many creatures, including two antlers like horns on their heads. They are depicted in blue, black, white or red and often carry a pearl in their mouth or between their claws. The pearl symbolizes wisdom, the power of healing, fertility and the moon.

Their mating and birthing cycles can cause extremes of weather, whirlwinds, hurricanes and storms that last for many hours, especially when the male dragon stirs up the energies of the newborn dragon (a mere 1,000 years old) as it emerges from its jewel-like egg.

Clouds, mists and fog were believd to be formed from dragon breath and rain was thought to fall as they fought. Rain also was caused if their claws caught in a cloud as they roamed across the skies. If the fighting became too fierce, a storm occurred. Certain powerful dragons could regulate the rainfall to ensure a good harvest and they are still recalled in dragon processions like those held on the Chinese New Year.

Chinese and Japanese dragons are also associated with waters, such as lakes, river and the ocean. The four Japanese dragon kings who control the four seas, are given offering if there is too much or little rain since they, like the Chinese dragons, are believed to have the power to control the weather.

Dragons of Darkness

Dragons of Darkness

 

The dragons of darkness, or dark of the Spirit, rule negative power currents. Their color is sometimes black; a female energy, they are considered moist and cold. Positive association of darkness are: all forms of night, the Moon and stars, the pentacle disk, the dragon pentacle, the black altar candle, the staff, the salt dish, rest, dreams, psychic guidance, balancing karma, seeking the truth, helpful dark magick. The negative association are: deep anger, hate, fear, unjustified revenge, working against karmic patterns, mentally distorting psychic messages so that you hear what you want to hear, harmful dark magick.

In Sanskrit, the dragons of darkness and chaos, or unformed matter, were given the title of tad ekam (That One). These dragons exist in a place where time has no authority, where physical light and darkness are actually not yet separated, where Primordial Matter waits to be formed into physical manifestations. As with the dragons of light, dragons of darkness hold within their jaws a precious stone of fulfillment. Dragons of darkness rest with their tails in their mouths, as do those of light. However, when they release the tail, they break down forms of energy; we would call this destroying. This dismantling of energy is necessary so that the dragons of light can re-create it in a new form.

Dragons of Light

Dragons of Light

 

The dragons of light or light of the Spirit, rule positive power currents in magick. Their color is symbolized by white; a male energy, they are considered warm and dry. Positive associations of light are: all forms of day, the Sun, the pentacle disk, the dragon pentacle, the white altar candle, the staff, the salt dish, reaching toward the spiritual, balancing karma, seeking the truth, bettering life on all levels, positive attitude toward all things, psychic guidance, helpful light magick. Negative associations are: self-righteousness, I-have-the-only-way attitude.

Dragons of light exist within a space where light is completely separated from darkness, a place where Primordial Matter is constantly being formed into physical manifestation. Within their jaws they hold a precious gem that metaphorically grants wishes and desires. It is not unusual to find these dragons holding their tails in their mouths while sleeping or resting. This tail-in-mouth symbol is represented among humans’ earliest depictions of dragons, a symbol of continuity and stability. When light dragons release their hold on the tail, they stand read to use their vast powers for creation.

 

Dancing With Dragons

D. J. Conway

THE LAST DRAGON

THE LAST DRAGON

by

Gerald del Campo

In the land of Oz lived a great Wizard named Albert Creemshaw.

He was loved by everyone, and became quite popular when he

destroyed the Last Dragon in a great battle between the forces of

oppression and the powers of Freedom.

When the villagers heard that the monster had been killed they

rushed the mountain side where the Dragon had its nest and

proceeded to break the eggs; thereby insuring the destruction of

the creatures forever.

What they did not know, was that Albert had snuck one of the eggs

out before the villagers got there. He cared for it in his Castle

and through his great magical ability he was able to genetically

alter the dragon fetus so that it would soon be the watcher of

the people; a symbol of freedom and great strength. But he kept

this a secret from the people because they were not ready yet for

the trial which awaited them; they would just have ganged up and

tried to kill the Little Dragon. He became a Hermit and loved

the little creature.

One day the Wizard received a message from his God that he would

have to move on, and release his body the way that a butterfly

sheds its cocoon. So Albert called for the Council of The Sword

and Shield, a ruling body of his most trusted students, and told

them about the little dragon. At first they were repulsed by the

idea of bringing up the offspring of the object of their misery;

but the Magician persuaded them by telling them that the little

dragon would soon be the symbol of freedom and strength: they

swore by the Warrior Gods they would care for it.

The following evening, while the Full Moon shined on the peaceful

waters of Oz, Albert and his God left forever.

Upon finding their Master dead, the Council released the

information about the Little Dragon to the people of Oz. The

people of Oz loved Albert as much as he loved them, and after

they saw how fragile this poor orphaned creature was they decided

amongst themselves that they would honor those raising the little

dragon, for the dragon would represent all of the things Albert

himself stood for.

Things went well, for a while. The favoritism displayed by the

people of Oz towards the Priests and Priestesses that cared for

the Dragon created turmoil: all of the sudden there were power

struggles within the Council, its members were fighting over who

would supervise the education of the Little Dragon, who would

feed it, who would educate it. They set up rules specifically

designed to make it impossible for others to reach the grades

appropiate to caring for the Dragon so that only a few on top

could reap the benefits associated with caring for the Little

Dragon.

One would say: “I have risked my life and given all so that the

little dragon could have food”, and his ego was pleased. The

other would say: “While you first despised the dragon I stood

fast in my duty to care for it, for I have kept my word”, and her

ego was satisfied.

The people were so impressed by the “devotion and selflessness”

of The Council that certain members were given gifts of silver,

gold, spices, and women. Treated as Gods for their sense of

duty.

Everyone at The Council became so preoccupied with the power

struggle, and with keeping their peers in lower positions that

they forgot about the little, fragile Dragon. When they finally

gained their senses, and returned to the Castle where it was

guarded they found it dead, starved from attention and

sustenance. They then realized that empty, lost feeling Albert

himself would have felt, if HE had killed the Last Dragon.

Water Witch Lore – Merfolk

Water Witch Lore – Merfolk

Whole books have been written about mermaids and mermen. The mermaids are the female version of this race of water beings. They are said to be exceptionally beautiful and have the upper body of a human woman and the lower body of a large fish. Scottish folklore states that human legs are just beneath the fish scales.

Merfolk are usually spotted by fisherman, most often while the merfolk are sunning themselves on rocks. They are said to have enchanting singing voices and have been credited with leading many sailors to their deaths. They are also said to be portents of particularly violent storms.

As members of the fairy realm, merfolk are thought to be soulless. It is a common belief that they can gain a soul by marrying a human and remaining on dry land. Moreover, it is also commonly accepted that to gain a mermaid wife, a human must steal her comb, cap, or mirror and then hide it. If the mermaid cannot find et, she will remain on land. Eventually, she will be overcome with homesickness and slip quietly back into the water.

Merman, in stark contrast to the beautiful females of the species, are said to be ugly. They have green hair, large mouths, snub noses, and green teeth. They reportedly give off a “wild” vibration. They are said to be adversarial and cause storms or large waves unless offerings are made to them. Frequently, the ship’s captain would tend to this by placing any dead bodies with the offerings and then tossing them overboard.

One well-documented merfolk encounter took place in Denmark, in the year 1723. It seems that a royal commission had become so plagued with merfolk tales that they set out to disprove their existence. Along the way, they themselves encountered a merman. He was said to have risen from the water and stared at them. After a few minutes of this, they were so disturbed that they turned the ship around. Once they did, the merman growled at them and dove back into the water.

There are hundreds of accounts from people claiming to have seen a mermaid. Even Christopher Columbus claimed to have encountered mermaids in his voyage to the West Indies.

Some tales of merfolk-type creatures are quite ancient. The Babylonian God Oannes, who was human from the waist up and a fish from the waist down, was popular around the year 300 BC. Oannes was credited with imparting knowledge and culture to humans. Other deities of the merfolk type were worshipped in India, Greece, and Rome.

In Ancient China, around 3322 BC, the deities of Fuxi and his wife, Nu Gua, were thought of as the founders of Chinese civilization, after the great flood. Half-human, half-fish, they created the system of the I Ching.

Guardian Dragons

Guardian Dragons

Personal guardian dragons come in various shapes and sizes, and usually (but not always) are quite small, at least much smaller than other dragons. They come in all colors. Often the little guardians are colored in pastel or lighter shades with belly scales of a myriad of hues. This smallness and color variety seem to point to the possibility that these dragons are more or less serving an apprenticeship, that they are younger dragons. The older adult dragons range in dimensions from tiger-size to absolutely huge; their scales are more pronounced and harder, while the little ones have softer scales, sometimes barely discernable.

Dragons age very slowly; therefore the juvenile stage could well last a hundred or more years, a relatively short period of time for long-lived dragons.

Guardian dragons would appear to be serving a type of apprenticeship by working with humans. This is their time of “schooling” of learning about humans, and of strengthening their individual powers. And as with all schools, the little guardian dragons are supervised by one or more adult dragons; you may or may not see these teachers. This supervision is for the safety of the little ones, as well as your protection. Little guardian dragons can get quit exuberant at times.

Although the powers of guardian dragons are not as strong or focused as those of larger dragons, they can help with protection; friendship; love; divination, such as tarot, runes or crystal reading; the development of psychic abilities; dancing; singing; and general rituals.

Having a guardian or guardians from the dragon kingdom has distinct advantages. They become quite protective if you are friends with them. These little dragons are more or less astral watchdogs of both your property and your person. In this period of history with crime rates soaring, a magician, indeed any person, is foolish not to take advantage of any offered help in protection of self, family, and property. With guardian dragons, there is no cleanup; one feeds them on love and created energy. They are invisible and quiet, at least to the senses of most people. However, they can and do make disturbing noises, uncomfortable vibrational feelings and sometimes actual appearances to those they feel might cause their friends distress or harm in any way.

Most of these little guardian dragons are quite playful. They frolic with and often tease household pets. One of our little guardians take delight in startling Finnigan, one of our cats, but he treats the other cat, Callisto, with respect. All of our little guardians love young children, following them about with great interest. In describing dragons, one can use the pronouns he or she interchangeably, since it is difficult to know the sex of dragons unless they tell you.
Nip and Tuck are our knee-high dragons. They are quite heavy through the body and have stubs of wings; I have never seen them fly, but they run at top speed up and down the stairs. They are colored in metallic earth hues with flashes of gold and deep forest green on their scales. I have never been able to tell which one is Nip and which is Tuck; they seem to think this is a great joke. More than one time I have found myself stepping over one of them, only to have a nonbelieving visitor give me a strange look. My dragons are as real to me as my cats, who also have a bad habit of lying down right beside me.
Tinsel, the tiniest of the dragons, is only the length of my hand. She is a shade or spring green, soft as silk,

with transparent wings almost as long as she is. Her belly scales are colored with electric blue, deep rose, gold and silver, like a gem-studded best. Nip and Tuck are likely to be anywhere in the house, while Tinsel can be found nestled in my hair, droped over one of my ears like an exotic ornament, or snoozing on top of the bookcases. After working lone hours in front of a computer, I often need my neck adjusted because of tension. Fortunately, my husband does this for me. One night while doing this, he started to laugh and said, “Listen to Tinsel.” Tinsel was sitting on the dresser watching, while commenting with a constant stream of talk. “I don’t need my neck adjusted. Ouch! Does that hurt? Don’t hurt her now.”

A dragon-loving friend has a guardian named Quicksilver who is black except for silver on his wings, yellow-gold eyes, and a fiery red mouth. Like most guardian dragons, Quicksilver has a delicious sense of humor and a delightful laugh.

Guardian dragons generally love to participate in rituals. Sometimes, instead of primarily defending a house, they will attach themselves to a person. Therefore, it is entirely possible to have several guardian dragons to a family and even several to a person.


Guardian dragons are the most friendly of their species and the most fun-loving. They enjoy simple impromptu rituals that include dancing, singing, and general fun. Simple, very relaxed rituals such as these are an excellent way to introduce children into the field of ritual and getting acquainted with dragons. It is also a very good way for adults to unwind and release stress.

These dragons are attracted to ginger and sweet-smelling and spicy incenses. They are greatly interested in divination and have a tendency to hang over your should while you are reading cards or practicing crystal gazing, for instance. They are interested in stories, especially if the dragon is portrayed as powerful, wily and not defeated by puny mortals.

A friend’s six-year-old daughter was having difficulty seeing her dragons and was quite upset about it. Her father finally gave her a rock crystal and told her to put it against her forehead. Immediately, she saw her dragons. Now it is common for her to keep a piece of crystal handy so she can enjoy this enw way of “seeing” her dragon friends.

If you are having trouble visualizing your dragons, try using a piece of rock crystal. It does not have to be flawless, nor does it have to points. It would appear that this type of crystal acts as a kind of magnifying glass to the psychic through the third eye in the middle of the forehead. When you have mastered the technique with rock crystal, experiment with other kinds of translucent rocks. Remember, dragons have individual tastes in things, just as humans do.


Chant:


Little dragons, rainbow bright,

Good friends of this family,

Send good wishes to us all.

Join our rituals merrily.

Protect us through each day and night,

While awake or while asleep.

Though your love and vigilance

Do this family safely keep.

 

Dancing With Dragons

D. J. Conway

Why Bother Cultivating the Cooperation and Companionship of Dragons?

Why Bother Cultivating the Cooperation and Companionship of Dragons?

Why bother cultivating the cooperation and companionship of dragons? Because their wisdom and elemental-type energies are unequaled, boundless. They have access, by means of their extremely long lives and unique thought-processes, to forgotten information and knowledge, especially in the field of magick. Dragon power also helps the magician to make personal, inner changes that may be necessary. Helping to remove past negative programming or self-destructive habits is well within the abilities of dragons; of course, the human involved must desire those changes. Dragon magick, like all magick, does not produce miraculous results without work. Dragons can create opportunities, provide encouragement and guidance, even back the magician into a figurative corner so that she/he must face problems and make decisions. But they will never, never do for you what you can and should do for yourself. Once befriended, dragons make excellent protectors, powerful fellow-magicians.

A true, knowledge-seeking magician weighs all possibilities for use in her/his magick, keeping what feels right to her/him and discarding the rest. Dragon magick is not for all. Dragon magick is only for the self-disciplined seeker who realizes the potential dangers, yet dares to communicate with and befriend this vast astral power of the ages. It is for the magician who is serious about changing her/his life and the living space around her/him. It is an asset for those who can give trust (not blindly, but with common sense), love and a desire for true friendship.

If you use dragon magick for unjustified purposes, or try to manipulate and control dragons, you can expect a terrific negative backlash. In the matters of self-protection or bringing justice down upon dangerous members of society. I have absolutely no second thoughts about employing dragons. As to manipulation and control, one simply does not do that with friends and co-magicians. Common sense tells you that such behavior will terminate the friendship and cause other magicians to cease their cooperation, perhaps even to work against you. If you prove a danger to dragons, they are likely to enspell you to such a point that your magick does not work.

“Dancing with Dragons”

D. J. Conway

What If You Have Attracted A Dragon or Dragons Who Make You Feel Uncomfortable?

What If You Have Attracted A Dragon or Dragons Who Make You Feel Uncomfortable?

What if you have attracted a dragon or dragons who make you feel uncomfortable? I have known this to occur with other spiritual guides, so I suppose it can also happen with dragons, although I have not personally experienced this. If a dragon make you uncomfortable, it is very likely that you are not ready yet to work with its energies. First, become clear in your own mind why you feel this discomfort. Perhaps the actual root of the discomfort is a bit of programming struggling to make itself felt and keep control over your activities. Perhaps the dragon’s coloring has triggered old conditionings. A black dragon produces this feeling in people who have been taught that dragons, and particularly black dragons, are evil. The further into the subconscious you dig, the more you are amazed at what is it there, controlling your thoughts and actions when you least expect it.

If you still feel uncomfortable, set aside a time for a brief meditation and mental conversation with the dragon. Explain carefully and politely that you are attempting to remedy the situation, but at this time you just do not feel that the two of you can work positively together. Project as much good will as you can. The dragon will understand. I have never known a dragon to stay where it is not welcome.

The first dragons I saw were the huge elemental ones who appeared one night about a week before we discovered that some bikers up the road were operating a meth lab. By the time the ATF forces, FBI, and local law enforcement descended upon the area, the dragons had put up very strong defenses around our property. At no time did we have any problems with the bikers. And, although some of their members shot it out with officials in another location, the arrests near us were quiet. After that, all colors and sizes of dragons made appearances, join in rituals and generally hanging around the house. They are still with us.

As your journey begins in dragon magick, go prepared for a fantastic voyage on which you can make new friends and magick-working partners, and you will be pleasantly surprised at the knowledge you will learn. Dance with the dragons in their endless round of energy, and feel all areas of what you want from the astral plane, and you may well (and very likely will) have an unprofitable journey filled with unpleasant experiences. Would-be conquering invaders have never been met with friendship, whatever plane of existence they were on. Exploring traders who were willing to listen and bargain a bit always had the most successful, profitable voyages of discovery. Travel into dragon country with caution, an open mind, and friendship in your heart. The journey will be well worth it.

“Dancing with Dragons”

D. J. Conway

Making Dragon Magick

Making Dragon Magick

 
 
Half-close your eyes as you sit outside or near caves or rocks. If the light is bright, you may see the swirling iridescent silver, purple, gold, green and blue of the dragon outline shimmering ahead. Let the image enclose and energize you and breathe slowly and regularly, allowing the warm, shimmering colors to flow in and out of your own energy field, your aura. If you see nothing externally allow the image to build up in your mind and superimpose it in your imagination on the scene.
 
You may see an image of the dragon and her fabulous treasures within the cave or see her flying upwards towards the sun. There is no danger in this for she is a spiritual force, experienced through the layers of countless millennia.
 
You may feel very warm as though close to a bonfire and see sparks or sunbeams dancing in the air all around.
 
When you are ready, close your eyes and gently push away with your hands palms outwards and upright. Allow the energies to move away, or you may sense them fading spontaneously as the dragon moves on.
 
Don’t ask for anything. The experience is enough and will help you to move with confidence and attract and spread the abundance you need.
 
Be sure to take a bottle of water to drink afterwards and splash on your hairline, brow, throat and wrists or palms to cool you down.
 
While you are still there, take time to write in your Book of Shadows. You may have heard words in your mind as you experienced the dragons power or they may come now and even if you are not normally poetic, the encounter will trigger off rich and vivid descriptions of flying with the dragon, the mysterious smoke-filled air within the cave and metallic colors of your dragon. If you open your eyes in the night before sleep the colors may reform.
 
Afterwards is a good time to explore the caves and rocks, if accessible. Even if you are crammed in a tourist party, you can sense your dragon and maybe the special place that you connected with in your visions and see the shimmering silver and purples reflected on the dark walls.

What are Dragons?

What are Dragons? 

Many cultures around the entire world have stories of dragons in one shape or another. Some are depicted as huge wingless serpents, other more like the traditional picture we of the Western world have of dragons: heavy bodied with wings. Dragons are shown with four legs, two legs, or no legs at all. Some dragons were said to have arrowhead-pointed tails, while others have spiked knob on the end of the tail. Some have twisted horns, others long antennae rather like those of moths. But the dragon, in whatever form, is there in thousands of folk stories, regardless of the description attached to it. Humankind has a subconscious knowledge of the dragon and its powers that even the assumed thin veneer of so-called civilizations cannot remove.

I discovered dragons and their potential powers years ago as a child. Being open-minded and noncritical, as most children are, I enjoyed the company of dragons, faeries, elves, and similar beings on a daily basis. My activity, however, was deeply frowned upon as “imagination.” I soon learned to keep quiet about my special ability in order to stay out of trouble with adults. Soon I began ignoring these others beings because I was afraid of making a slip and talking about them. Ridicule and punishment were severe when this happened; the subconscious negative programming had begun. When I finally rebelled against family control, I found the inner door not only shut, but locked. It took years of conscious retraining and experience before I could again understand how to call upon these beings, especially dragons, and use their magickal powers.

Negative programming has created havoc and unhappiness in a great many lives. This type of programming is inflicted upon others because of fear and a desire to control. The perpetrator forgets, or does not care, that they are dealing with an individual who has the right to her/his special abilities, dreams and goals in life. This happens not only to children, but to anyone who is less than sure of themselves, dependents upon someone else, or unable for whatever reason to leave the situation and people who are causing them great mental and emotional pain. If these beleaguered souls could make contact with their own special dragons, they could build the inner power to either remove themselves from the problem or at least refuse to accept the guilt, fear and control being placed upon them.

But what are dragons? Are the real or imaginary? In the Western world, our word dragon comes from the Greek drakon and the Latin draco. Drakon comes from a verb meaning to see, to look at, or possibly to flash. Certainly in most legends dragons spend their time watching, whether it be treasure, territory, or the supposedly captive maidens. The word “dragon” is used in many different fields, as diverse as astrology, astronomy, alchemy, magick, heraldry, psychology and the study of dreams. From the time that humans began to record things, dragons have been mentioned.

“Dancing with Dragons”

D. J. Conway

Dragons in Mythology and Legend

Dragons in Mythology and Legend

 

 

The world’s mythologies are full of tales about dragons. Sometimes they are portrayed as huge serpents, sometimes as the type of dragon known to the Western world, sometimes in the shape known to those in the Orient. But dragons have always played a part in the shaping of this world and its many diverse cultures. They have also had an important part in cultural perception of spiritual ideas.

Dragons have been portrayed in many forms and variations of these forms. Ancient teachings say dragons can have two or four legs or none at all, a pair of wings or be wingless, breathe fire and smoke, and have scales on their bodies. Their blood is extremely poisonous and corrosive, but also very magickal. Blood, or the life force, is a symbol of the intensity of their elemental-type energies. Depending upon the reception they received from humans in the area where they lived, dragons could be either beneficial or violent. One thing is for certain: dragons were regarded with awe by all cultures affected by their presence and interaction with humans.

Although one can speak of dragons as a separate species of being, there are numerous subspecies and families within the dragon community, as one can deduce from reading ancient histories and stories. The subspecies and families may have greater or lesser differences in appearance but still retain the basic traits that are common to all dragons wherever they are. One family of dragons, with very similar characteristics, lived in Europe, especially northern Germany, Scandinavia, and islands of the North Atlantic. A second family was recognized in France, Italy and Spain. A third family dwelt in the British Isles, including Ireland; these dragons, commonly called Firedrakes, included the subspecies of Wyverns (dragons with two legs) and the winged but legless Worm. A fourth family was found in the Mediterranean area, especially Greece, Asia Minor, southern Russian, and northern Africa; the dragons with many heads was common in this region. A fifth dragon family and the largest in number was the Oriental dragon of China, Asia and Indonesia. The sixth family, of very limited size and number, was found in the Americas and Australia.

In the Eastern world, dragons seldom breathe fire and are more benevolent, although hot-tempered and destructive when provoked. They are sometimes pictured as wingless, but can propel themselves through the air if they wish. The dragons of the Orient, Mexico, the Americas and Australia propelled themselves through the skies by balancing between the Earth’s magnetic field and the winds.

Characteristics of Dragons

Characteristics of Dragons

 

Dragons are long-lived, hoard treasure, and are very wise. The older a dragon, the wiser he is. Conversing with an old dragon is a double-edged sword. He may be wiser, able to give you greater knowledge, but he is also touchy and extremely untrustworthy, unless you handle him correctly. After all he has been around long enough to have experienced human unreliability and deceit.

Dragons have control of deeper currents of elemental energies than is usually felt by humans. They are always connected in some manner with various forms of the four elements. Sightings of dragons have also been reported in areas where other psychic phenomena have occurred, such as ghosts and other astral creatures.

Depending upon the behavior of the dragons under observation, their apppearance can be considered an omen of good fortune. Oriental dragon-watchers said that it was possible to predict the weather and fortune of any community by studying the part of the sky in which a dragon appeared and the way it behaved, such as breathing fire, fighting with another dragon, screaming or frolicking in and out of the clouds.

Dragons tend to speak in riddles and symbols, avoiding straight answers whenever possible. The only weapon dragons respect is the sword, but only if it is wielded by a confident magician who is prepared to stand his ground. Please notice I say respect, not fear. I believe this is because dragons like strong humans with a healthy, balanced opinion of themselves. They do not care for vacillating humans, who are afraid to make a decision or take responsibility. Do not make the mistake of trying to physically attack with the sword. In the first place a dragon could melt the blade like ice in a flame. In the second place, the dragon is an astral creatures, incapable of being actually harmed by a physical weapon. The sword is only for magickal gestures.

As one can see by the legends, there was a time when dragons materialized from the astral into the physical plane on a fairly regular basis. Considering a dragon’s intelligence, it is no wonder that they now choose to stay away from humans. Most humans want to control, dissect, or vanquish everything they do not understand, and even a lot of what they do understand.

But that wonderful, vast storehouse of dragon magick and power is still available if a magician will take the time to learn how to approach the dragons and their deep magickal energies.

“Dancing with Dragons”

D. J. Conway

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for May 31 is Western Dragon

The Western Dragon

Unlike the beneficent Easter Dragon, The Western Dragon is a symbol of totally unleashed destructive power that is set upon anyone who crosses the Dragon’s path. The Western Dragon also hordes treasures that should rightfully be ours, and whose absence deprives us from being complete. The challenges set before us by the Western Dragon are truly prodigious, because they denote a force whose sole intent is not simply to keep us from moving forward in our lives, but to usurp all that we have previously gained as well. What is even more disturbing about the force behind the Western Dragon is that it may well indicate primal forces in ourselves so powerful that they do in fact turn us into our own worst enemy.

As a daily card, The Western Dragon is a powerful negative force intent upon thwarting your progress. In such a short time frame it is most likely you’re being undermined by an external force–someone who wants what you have gained or gains your are near realizing. While formidable, this bellicose entity does have vulnerabilities. First, there is nothing subtle about the forces represented by The Western Dragon, so the source will be easy for you to identify. Secondly, The Western Dragon represents undisciplined, primal energies that aren’t easy to control, so they are susceptible to logical responses steeped in self control. In short, don’t panic, act deliberately and decisively, and you will weather this storm.