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For hundreds of years, the imagination of humankind has ben captured by the vision of the mythical dragon-an archetrpe which resonates deeply within the human psyche as a symbol of knowledge and wisdom beyond the reach of mortal humans However, dragons are far more than imaginary crttnrcs in fairy tales. Dragons are as real as we are-bvt they live on tbc erfirt plane, which coexists with and intersects our physical plm- Dr4l. ons have control of deeper currents of elemental energies thn re usually felt by humans-and once befriended, dragons rnabanllent protectors and powerful fellow magicians. Dancingwit*Dq: orzs will tell you not only how you can make contact wi6 *fF ancient astral powers, but how you can work with them to prild your home ... tap into a vast reserve of energy ... E re itr Lt future ... and aid all of your magickal workings. Until now there has been little of practical value wrin c dragons, especially dragon magick. This is the fust bool r:u b provide complete dragon rituals-for initiation, blessing pt*, calling your chosen dragon and more-as well as informtb c appropriate music, dance, and tools to use with your ritnlr Because you need to learn as much as possible abort the rq types of dragons and their habits in order to make mtr;if them, this book has chapter after chapter packed with dngnhu help you contact the appropriate power, depending on prrdEarly mapmakers drew dragons at the edges of thcir E{r b denote unknown territory. Some explorers ventured m ffirr than what was known-but others looked upon this wrffic ilb dragon territory as an opportunity for amazing dis@Eil:t"

This book is your invitation to open the doa bctm 1s3lm5-4nd dance with the dragons to lift all areas of you lifrintoa

powerful new plane.

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- :','',\-as born in Hood River, Oregon, to a family of Irish-North Germanicr : , nl -\merican descent. she began her quest for knowledge of the occult more ' . " -: :::s aqo, and has been involved in many aspects of New Age religion from the - " " ;, -: \bgananda to study of the Qabala, healing, herbs, and Wicca. Although an---. : * :r;rister in two New Age churches and holder of a Doctor of Diviniry degree, - .' :-:rns that her heart lies within the Pagan cultures. No longer actively lectur:-

About t\e Aut\ur

tI

;

*

---

did for years, Conway has centered her energies on writing. Sev, . ---.: stories have been published in magazines, such as Encounters, which pertain -.:chingas she

:

- - ----; of science fantasy.

@n ffirite tu t\t Sut\rr ' - ,','jsh to contact the author or would like more information about this book, : .:.i= -,"'iite to the author in care of Llewellyn worldwide and we will forward your-:

Both the author and publisher appreciate hearing from you and learning of :r-'orrnent of this book and how it has helped you. Llewellyrr Worldwide cannot --: -:-- r::ie that every letter written to the author can be answered, but all will be for.::.:. Please write to:-.

-:ir.

D.|. Conway c/o Llewellyn WorldwideP.O. Box 64383, Dept. St. Paul,

Ll65-1, MN 55164-0383, U.S.A.

l-;:se

enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope

for reply, or $1.00 to cover costs. If outside U.S.A., enclose international postal reply coupon.

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D,y, Csnwal'20flLlewellyn Pub.:;.: , St. Paul, Minnesota -i,(-a:- -::

Dancing with Dragons. Copyright @ 1994 by D.i. Conrvav. .{li rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in anv marrner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications except in the case of brief quotations embodied incritical articles and reviews.FIRST EDITION

Twelfth printing,2002Cover design by William Merlin Cannon Cover illustration by Lisa Hunt Illustrations on pages 54, 59, 67,70,72,73,74,75,76,77,78, 8 l, 94, I42, 145, 147,149,151, and 195 by fim Garrison from sketches by D.f. Conway Illustrations on pages 9, 12, 15, 17,21,27, 29, 32, 35, 37, 41, 45, 5L, 101, 103, t07, I23, I57, 16I, 1 65, 1 69, 17 l, L7 5, 17 7, Ig0, I g 1, 1 g 1, 201, 220, and 230 frorn Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological Creatures by Richard Huber(New York Dover Publications, Inc., 1981. Used by permission. Drawing on page 23byLindaNorton chapter motif from Pugin)s Gothic ornamenr by Augustus charles pugin (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1987), originally published as Gothic Ornaments Selected from Various Buildings in England and France (London:1828-3 l )

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Conwan D.f. (Deanna f.)Dancing with dragons : invoke their ageless wisdom & power / D.|. Conway.

p.1.

cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-s6718-165-1 : $14.95 ($20.50 Can.)

Dragons. I. Title.g4-28370con."rrrrrfntlr"r"

GR830.D7C66 1994

299'.93-4c20Lovellln Worldwide

:-rs Lrmsactions between our authors md the public. i- ail addressed to the author is fomaded but the publisher cmot, i-:::- are ouI m address or phone nmber.

does not paticipate in, endorse, or hav any authority or responsibility

unless specifically instructed by the

-' -"'\'erhTt Publications.1-

,I

--_

; -s-o:t of Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.-r"::i i-i-18-1, St. Paul,

*.__

MN 55164-0383

. -".-"n-o.1 i',relhT1.com l-.r-j'r - ::: i-t::C States of America

To my close friends who are onfirmed dragon believers, and to all other lovers ofdragons.

@t\er

pwhx

hg B-1- @.rrntuag

Celtic MagicNorse

Magic

Maiden, Mother, Crone By Oak, Ash

6

Thorn

AnimalMagick FlyingWithout a BroomMoon MagickFqlcon Feather

(t

Valkyrie Sword

The Dream Warrior

(fiction)

M agi c al, My

stical, Cr e atur es

Lord ofLight and Shadow Magick of the Gods dy GoddessesSoothslayer (fiction) Shapeshifter Throt (with Sirona Knight)Perfect Love The Mysterious, Magickal Cat

Warrior of Shadows (fiction) Celtic Dragon Tarot (with Lisa Hunt)

h

panring Fr x.gnrwThe Sun is out. The day is bright. The dragons dance upon the grass

And trees and flowers brilliant. On the winds they pass. In and out among the clouds They frolic in the light, Sliding down the sunbeams,Dragons

tystal bright.

Wen

the Sun has passed beyond

Mountains tur ned purple-blue,The dragons dance on through the night

On strands of Moon-lit dew.They dance to strains of music

Unheardby Ltuman ears, As they have danced through eons,Untouched by human years.Teach me, lov ely dragons, To dance with To

joy life's plan,

lift

myself to higher planes

Above the limits of common man.

6.s:nttntxWhat Are Dragons?Dragons in Mythology and IcgendSeeking and WorkingWith Dragons1

I333

Dragon Power in Magick Dragon's Breath in the Earth

4355

Ritual ToolsThe Magickal Personality Music and DanceBasic Rituals

7t87 95105

Dragon BlessingBasic Dragon Ritual

r07

tr412t r24r33135

Dragon Fire Entering the Mouth of the Dragon

Calling the DragonThe Charm of Making

Protection of HouseDragons of the Elements Dragons of the Seas and Various Waters Dragons of the Mountains and Forests Dragons of Wind, Storm and Weather Dragons of Desert and Arid Regions Dragons of Fire and Volcanoes Dragons of Chaos and Destruction Guardian Dragons Dragons of the Planets

136

t43159

r67173

t79185

r89

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Dragons of the Zodiac Dancing with Dragons Appendices1.

219 231 235 237 257263

Herbs

2. Oils 3. Stones

4. Candle Colors5. Dragon Script

279 283 287

Bibliography

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@h"t btnfrugnrw?cultures around the entire world have stories of dragdFfH on, in one shape or another. Some are depicted as huge L*irrgless serpents, others more like the traditional picture JI L *. of the Western world have of dragons: heavybodied 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 had a spiked knob on the end of the tail. Some had 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 attaehed to it. Humankind has a subconscious knowledge of the dragon and its powers that even the assumed thin veneer of so-called civilization cannot remove. I discovered dragons and their potential powers years ago as a child. Being open-minded and noncritical, as most chiidren are.I enjoyed the company of dragons, faeries, elves, and similar beinp m a daily basis. My activity, however, was deeply frowned upon sr "imagination." I soon learned to keep quiet about my special abi[itr in order to stay out of trouble with adults. Soon I began igndry these other beings because I was afraid of making a slip and t'llHnrg

7

.1a*?any

DexcrNc WrrH DRacoNs

about them. Ridicule and punishment were severe when this happened; the subconscious negative programming had begun. When I finally rebelled against familr' control, I found the inner door not only shut, but locked. It took vears of conscious retraining and experience before I could asain understand how to call upon these beings, especially dragons. and use their magickal powers. Negative programmine has created havoc and unhappiness in a great many lives. This n:e of programming is inflicted upon others because offear and a Ceslre to control. The perpetrator forgets, or does not care, that thel a:: dealing with an individual who has the right to her/his special a'llitres, dreams, and goals in life. This happens not only to chilii::r. but to anvone r,r'ho is less than sure of themselves, dependeni u:on sorreone else, or unable for whatever reason to leave the siruatlor anC people ir ho are causing them great mental and emotional pain. ii these beleaguered souls could make contact with their orl'n 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 they 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, psychologS and the study of dreams. From the time that humans began to record things, dragons have been mentioned. In astronomy, the ancient constellation of Draco is in the northern heavens and curves in a winding pattern between the Big .::d Little Dippers. It ends in the Dragon's Head, a trapezium of :, -: siars. The star Draconis is a brilliant double star. The constel::. :. ::rs probably shifted over the millennia and may have once , ::r ri.: :,r1estar to which the pyramid of Cheops was aligned.

The Constellatio n Dracc

from Theatrum Mundib:'

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The Head and Tail of the Dragon (Mo on's N o des)

from Three Book of occalt Philosoph,r'bv Henry cornelius Agrippa (Antwerp,

ft

Ancient astrologers called the north node of the Moon Caput Draconis, or head of the dragon, and the south node Cauda Draconis, or tail of the dragon. The nodes (the actual meaning is "knot" or "complication") are not planets but points which relate the Moon's orbit to the actual orbit of the Earth around the Sun. In astrology the north node synbolizes intake and positive aspects, the south node release and negative aspects. These draconic nodes are still considered important to today's astrologers. In alchemy, the dragon was considered to be matter, metal, and the physical body. Often mentioned in conjunction with the dragon was thB dragon's sister: spirit, metallic mercury, and the soul. Ancient alchemy used the picture of a dragon or winged ser-

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What Are Dragons?

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Alchemical Dragon

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pent as one of its many secret symbols. A common symbol of spiritual alchemical work was the dragon or serpent holding its tail .. its mouth, an unending circle of eternity. Near this circled dragi,was written the Greek motto en to pan, or "all is one." The fa:..: Philosopher's Stone of alchemy was also considered the - . Which is All. This Stone was closely connected in ancient \r:- - - with the Great Work of alchemy; the Great Work simplr' ::-..humankind becoming God, or merging with the Supreme C::,' : Forces within, thus completing the cycle of human S: ' -- returning to the Source. |ung wrote that the alchemists considered the u-i: as female, the wingless dragon as male. |ung also con.in dreams and analysis as unconscious spirit or the ','.: Tao. This water dragon of Tao symbolized the r'.'-:-- . -the yin, or balanced growth in spirit. In Chinese l' , - the dragon was seen as "the Way," the bringer I I : ,: ' - - - ," - l : " -Often it was depicted as guardian of the Fiam::.: - .: perfection. Joseph Campbell also speaks of ::=' -':: :--;

Alchemical Processfrom Alchymia try Andreas Libavius, 1606

What Are Dragons?

srpent as being the balance between Earth and Spirir To the Chinese, the dragon was a potent symbol of luck and pon-er- Silr-er

dragon amulets were worn to help gain these qualitier Everywhere the legged dragon is associated with creation or life-giving. Throughout the world the Goddess, or Great llonher, is connected with serpents, dragons, and spirals. As the gren rtaledragon, Ishtar brought about the catastrophic flood whkh rnrdp it possible for a new order of humans to develop. Tiamrt ot Mesopotamia was the Mother-creator-dragon whose body uas shaped into the heavens and Earth. Worldwide, dragons md rspents are symbolic of the energy source of life, healin& asilr powers, fertility, and maternal blessing. H.P. Blavatsky states in her books that the dragon is avuydd sign for Astral Light or Primordial Principle. This means ddtcrc is always wisdom in chaos, even if humans cannot see ir The dragon stood for psychical regeneration and immortalitv- nE hryc the stories which insist that dragons were partial to virgin* lforylr meant that the seeking of wisdom and true innocence of tbe ryffi were traits which attracted draconic beings. In some cultures a full initiate was called a dragon a *r& Priests of Egypt and Babylon called themselves Sons of 6c Scpent-god or Sons of the Dragon. Even the Druids of the Ctr spoke of themselves as snakes. In Mexico, the priests of Qod coatl referred to themselves as of the race of the Dragon Thcf,ekl word Draig, or dragon, was used to denote a leader, hcn" wleader, or prince. King Arthur and his father Uther Pendregp wc said to have used a dragon as their emblem. Even toder ftr twC banner of Wales has a four-legged red and gold dragon m ir The dragon became a symbol of evil and the Chrisien derl only after the church gained power. In an attempt to cru* fu ancient beliefs of Pagans, the Christians spread their proprgmdrd their devil, calling him the Dragon.x By instilling deep fars, puticularly of eternal punishments, the priests and church lads$*The Christians tied a great number of ancient deities and s\-mbob

b *Eir

dr-il

in hopes that the people would desert the old beliefr. The ged Pan and SEhorned god Cernunnos were said to be the Christian derd,

managed to grasp control of rulers and governments. Br becoming

the controlling force behind governments, the church could control the people themselves, either through making their orr-n Christian religious belief the state religion or by influencing the lan's that were passed. Even then, though, there were trulv indir.idualistic people who refused to give up rvhat they knew to be, for them, true spiritual paths. These Pagans had to go underground, living in fear of persecution and death, for centuries until they were once again granted the freedom to follou.their ancient ways, freely speak of contacting the powerfui astral beings who aided them. Even through these times of persecution, the dragon did not fade from sight. In European countries, and China in particular, the draconic image remained alir e in stories. European families, especially, used the drason in coats of arms. The European art of heraldry and coats of arms still empiovs the depiction of dragons in its art. The Prince oi\t ales has a red and gold dragon in his coat of arms and on his flag. The families of de Drago, von Drachenfels, de Draek, de Dragon de Ramillies, and Dragomanni, among others, all have a dragon on their coats of arms, as did the family of Sir Francis Drake. In heraldry, a dragon with two legs is called a wiryern; a dragon without wings is a worm; a serpentine dragon with wings but no legs is an amphiptere; a dragon with wings and legs is termed a guivre. Further meaning of these draconic images was determined by how the dragon was posed: rampant (forelegs raised), passant (one foreleg raised), statant (all four feet on the ground), wings endorsed (upright over the back), displayed or depressed, tail nowed (knotted). Even further definition was determined by the color: or (gold), gules (red), sable (black), or vert (green). Today true practical dragon magick and power are almost a :.rsotten art in the world of magick. Generally speaking, only ,::se practitioners and believers in the Faerie Tradition speak of - : , ,.-s::nce and validity of dragons. Few people know of the joy

{

1

The Goddess Tiamat

from relief carving, Temple of Er:'-:::.

:rd

with humans and their problems. First, if there appears to be an immediate danger to the dragon's area itserf. se.orrd, if u magician knows horv to properly contact and communicate with dragon power, and if she/he can persuade the dragon to help. _ The only exception I know to this are dragons Lil.irrg with children. some dragons take a delight in communicating with smalr children, particularly those who have psychic ability. unfortunately, parents and society take a dim view of such ability, hedging it about with so much disfavor that most children stop using it. One of my grandsons, when quite small, ,u* drugorr, "ull ,h. time. He described them to me in great and accurate detail, although I had never discussed them with him. when he finally realized that this made his mother very angry, he shut off the ability' The programming may be effective enough to keep him from re-opening and exploring his early friendship with drugon. while he li'es at home, but the desire is still there. when he visits us, the tirst place he goes is to the bookcase fuil of dragon statues. He is

their notice. There are two reasons a dragon -igrrt involved

another level of existence and contact a dragon as a co-magician. It has been my experience that, although dragons holve form and existence, they do not exist in this physical world as we do. Dragons inhabit the astral plane which co-exists with and inter_ penetrates this physical plane. Astral beings are as real as we are; they just have a body that vibrates at a different rate than physical matter does. Dragons can be everywhere and, in a matter of speaking, in all things. Every elemental action and reaction has the possibility of being an extension of a dragon and its power. This is not to suggest that dragons go about controrling peopre and incidents. usuaily they take little note of ordinary humans, deeming them beneathbecome

ing with dragons. Dancing with dragons takes cooperation. not master-slave relationships; it takes great self-discipline to reach rnto

companionship and spiritual knowledge that come n-om danc-

-,1

10

What Are Dragons?

very quiet and intent while he looks over everr- sr:--,= :i--3although he is familiar with them all. I leave him to his si::: :',.:templation as I realize it is a form of communication ber,n-:::r :,::rand his "lost" dragon friends. Someday, if and when he ieel; st:;:-.. enough to dispense with his subconscious programming, he n:-,. decide that acknowled.eing the e-dstence of dragons is not \rronq. On rare occasions an astrai being, such as a dragon, wiil man:fest itself so clearlr' on the phr sical that people see it with the phr-si-

It is mr. opinion that some of the so-called monsters, such as those of Loch Ness, are astral beings. Nessie is possibly a kind astral sea dragon. For this reason, I do not expect that there will ever be any hard physical evidence, the kind scientists can put under acal eyes.

microscope or dissect, produced to validate Nessie's existence. Carl Sagan, in The Dragons of Eden, spent a lot of time and paper trying to discredit dragon stories around the world. His narrow-minded, tedious explanations tried to convince the public that the stories of dragons came from racial memories of dinosaurs. This is really stretching things, since scientists are always telling the public that humans did not exist at the time of the great dinosaurs. But then more than a few scientists, unless they can capture and dissect something, are not about to admit they do not know ever\:thing about this world and its creatures, let alone admit that there might be other planes of existence that interact with ours. There is not only one way to see and work with dragons. T:::= are many magickal systems in the world, and they each ier-: :look at dragons in their own way. Some systems think o: --:-::. ",: elemental energies without independent existence. Oth::i --:-:.'" - . them onlyas symbolic, again having no true existen;:. -- -,., :=.my experience that dragons are real creatures \1':t-- ;--.: r-.: :: from the astral plane as they please. i have seen :i.::r : : .: - - : .:-

andfelttheirpower.Afterworkingwithdraeo:rtto you to form your own opinion.

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Frognrw in ffiUt\ulug1 ani Wngenb* '(11 \|,he world's mythologies are full of tales about dragons. Sometimes they are portrayed as huge serpents, sometimes as the type of a*gon 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 toul legs or none at all, a pair of wings or be wingless, breathe fire a:rC smoke, and have scales on their bodies. Their blood is exfren:r poisonous and corrosive, but also very magickal. Blood, or th: -:e force, is a symbol of the intensity of their elemental-n?e fl:3:r*.'etr Depending upon the reception they received from huma:rs '- -Le area where they lived, dragons could be either benefic.= t'r i'.,lrrr{l-xr. One thing is for certain: dragons were regarded nith al"ii lnt af, 3l!tures affected by their presence and interaction r':::i L::;i:5' Although one can speak of dragons as a s.:::a:. ji;:*-.:res m being, there are numerous subspecies and :a:ie$ 'b:*: :ne

1_1

D.lrcrxc \\rtrH Dzurcors

,cragon community, as one can deduce from readins ancient histo-

ries and stories. The subspecies and families mar-have greater or lesser differences in appearance but still retain the basic traits that are common to all dragons wherever they are. One famil,v 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 thild 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 \lediterranean alea' especially Greece, Asia Minor, southern Rus-sia, and northern Africa; the dragon with many heads \\'as common in this region. A fifth dragon iamily, and the largest in number. l'as the Oriental dragon of Asia, and Indonesia. The sixth famil1" of yery iimited size

china,

and number, was found in the -\mericas and Australia' In the Eastern rr-orld, draqons seldom breathe fire and are more benevolent, although hot-tempered and destructive when provoked. They are sometimes pictured as r'vingless, but can propel themselves

through the air if they rvish. The dragons of the Orient, Mexico, the Americas, and Australia propeiled themselves through the skies by balancing between the Earth's magnetic field and the winds' In China, for instance, dragons are portrayed with four legs, a long sinuous serpentine body and a snake-like tail; they ranged in size from a few feet long up to the Great Chien-Tang who was over their a thousand feet in length. They could speak, were able to alter forms and sizes, and had a varying number of claws' chinese emperors adopted the five-clawed dragon as a sacred ancestor, symbol of their power. Only Imperial dragons were said to have the special five claws on each foot. All other Oriental dragons had only three or four claws. It became a law that only the Emperor could have a five-clawed dragon embroidered on his :obes or painted on anYthing.

14

F iv e-

Claw ed I mp erial D r ago n

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15

De.NcrNc WtrH DnecoNs

According to tradition, China's history dates back to 3000 ncE,* although modern historians only go back to 1600 sct. A clal' r'essel from about 2000 scs is decorated rvith a dragon picture. The dragon symbol and figure still exist in modern-day Chinese art and celebrations.

The Chinese divided their dragons intogroups or classes, each with different characteristics. There rvere four major Lung Wang dragons, or Dragon-Kings. The names of these brothers rr'ere Ao Kuang, Ao Jun, Ao Shun, and Ao Ch'in.

Oriental Drasonof the

Ther-also had specific duties: the t'ien lungsup' ported the mansron of the gods; the shen lung brought rain; the ti ltmg controlled the rivers; and the fu-ts'an lung guarded hidden treasures and deposits of precious metals. The Lung Wang, or Dragon Kings, resembied the Indian Nagas, or sacred serpents. They were the patron deities of rivers, lakes, seas, and rain. They had valuable pearls in their throats and lived in Ski

magnificent underwater Palaces. Further divisions produced the kiao-lung, or scaled dragon; ying-lung with wings k'iulungwrth horns; ch'i-lungwhich was hornless; the p'an-Iurzgwhich was earth-bound. The ch'ilungdragonwas red, white, and green, the k'iulungblue. Chinese dragons were also entirely black, white, red, or yellow, with yellow consid:red superior. \Vhen it came to using dragons for decora:, -:. there were nine distinct categories: the p'u , - .''s carved on gongs; the ch'iu niu and pi hsi - :-::.:s and literature tablets; the pa hsia at '-: -:. r: stone monuments;the chao fengon -: :r .. :: temples; the ch'ih on beams of

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Common Era," a nonreligious "Common =.-,: ::'.rsing BC. CE, or -. lr:-slanized AD dating.

Oriental Drasonof the Sea"

i6

Dragons in Mythology and Legend

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Chihese Dragon

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bridges; the suan ni onlv on the throne of the Buddh:r ::' on the hilts of swords; and the pl han on prison srt;s. Chinese experts \\'ere said to be able to tell th: ,:, -: dragons and their origins br their colors, \.--: ." -r:= - believed to be born from rello'. Eold a :lc->':.r ::. i ., dragons from blue gold eigh: :*:r::3; black from gold of the same .c,-.: : ::- -To the Chinese, dragons .. *-: r, : 1^:) eggs, some of which did *-- - ---- laid ^--^ ^^*^ ^r-^-Li^L ,til nc::.:

t7

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occur, it was known because of great meteor showviolent thunderstorms, and great showers of hail. The number of scales on a dragon was also of importance. Some ancient dragon experts in China maintained that a true dragon has exactly B I scales, while others stated that the number was 117. They were never said to be covered with anything except scales. This is a characteristic of dragons worldwide. Chinese dragons rvere said to have the head of a camel, horns of a stag, eyes of a demon, neck of a snake, scales of a carp, claws of an eagle, feet of a tiger, and ears of a cow. Although, as one can see from ancient pictures, all Orientai dragons did not fit conveniently into this description, ther-all rvere said to have a lump on the top of the head. This lump enabled them to fly without wings. Although this flying-lump \\'as considered an essential part of Oriental dragons, it is rare to see it portrar-ed in pictures. Oriental dragons could chanse their forms by intense concentration or when extremely angr\'. -{11 dragons are said to have the ability to take on human form. One can see reasons behind a draconic being passing as a human; draeons are intensely curious about all things and may wish to directlr- erperience human life from time to time. It is a possibility that, while in such a form, a dragon could contact a human and establish a line of communication that could be continued after the dragon resumed its orr n form. The Chinese even had methods of protecting themselves from annoying dragons. It was said that they could be frightened away or controlled by the leaves of the wang plant (or Pride of India), fivecolored silk thread, wax, iron, or centipedes. It is difficult to imagine a dragon being deterred bywax or centipedes. Perhaps this idea grew from a single dragon who reacted in fear to these objects, just as some humans fear crawling things, heights, or mice. After all, dragons have very distinct and individual personalities, just as we do. In Chinese medicine, the skin, bones, teeth, and saliva were considered very valuable. Powdered dragon bone was a magickalers,

: hatching did

18

Dragons in Mythology and Legend

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cure-all. Old medical textbooks are quick to point out th:: i:tr:,r:s periodically shed their skin and bones, like snakes do. Sj:::. :r: skins glowed in the dark, presumably they were easr-to ---;::. Some of the bones were listed as slightly poisonous and cor.llc :,---, be prepared in non-iron utensils. How "bones" could be she'i. ls . mystery unless it is not reallr-bone, but something that lools iu: it. The shedding and regrou'th of teeth is known to occur amon: certain animals, reptiles, and amphibians. Dragon saliva was said to be found as a frothy foam on the ground or floating on the \vater. It n'as usually deposited during mating or fighting. One Chinese storv tells of a great battle just off the coast near a fishing village. The people rvatched the great dragons rolling in the black clouds and leaping rvaves for a day and a night. Their echoing roars were clearly heard by all the villagers. The next morning these people set out in all their fishing boats to the place of the battle. They scooped up whole boatloads of dragon saliva that they found floating in huge piles on the ocean. The blood of Oriental dragons was sometimes red, other times black. Dragon experts said it changed into amber when it soaked into the ground. Wherever dragon blood fell, the ground became incapable of supporting any vegetation. Although the blood n'as considered dangerous, sometimes deadly, in Oriental myths, European heroes bathed in it to create invulnerability or drank it to become wise. This transformation of the blood into amber co:rl: well be an alchemical expression of the manifestation of mae c-..,power and elemental energies into a desired physical resuli, Oriental dragons did not figure in Chinese creatic: :r-.-,---,-: Only rarely, and then only by accident, did the.v con: ::: :: :-:-:: with the gods or heroes. They tended to mind their :-';:. r .:., 3;; and keep a beneficial attitude toward humans. O:-;:.:.- ':r.'-,:ri had specific duties such as controlling the rveati::: .:-: i -: .: i llnt land and animals fertile, as well as assignm3:.:: :- ..=-: :-::-iin:ri

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e*eemed in oriental medicine, these magickal creatures were not hunted down as were Western dragons. In the Mideast, there seems to have been a meeting ground for dragons, some being like chinese dragons, others more like western dragons. Phrygian history tells of dragons that reached ten paces in length, lived in caverns near the River Rhyndacus, and moved with part of their bodies on the ground, the rest erect. Islam gives hints of Muhammad's magick horse rising to heaven with the aid of dragon's breath. An illustration from a Turkish manuscript now in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris shons this scene. The Egyptian Apep was described as a huge serpent-dragon that lived in the Underworld. The Canaanite god Ba'al is said to have killed the dragon Lotan and made the world from its body; the Hittites had a similar legend about the dragon Illuyankas. The Mesopotamian god Marduk killed the she-dragon Tiamat and created the world from her body. Ancient heroes of Persia battled

with dragons.In the Classics, the Greeks told of their hero Herakles slaying the seven-headed hydra, a form of dragon. \\lhile still in his cradle, he slew two giant serpents sent by Hera. later the hero saved Hesione who was chained as a sacrifice to a sea dragon. Perseus did the same for Andromeda. As a baby, Apollo also killed a selpent (dragon) sent against his mother by Hera. Jason killed a hydra (many-headed dragon) to get the Golden Fleece; scenes of this story can still be seen on Greek dishes from about 480-490 nCE, showing a definite dragon creature. Both the Greek Medea and the Roman Ceres were saiJ to ride in chariots pulled by dragons. Ancient Greece and Rome considered the dragon both beneficent and evil, depending upon the activities of the creature. The Purple Dragon became the emblem of the Byzantine emPelols. There is a wall painting of a dragon still existing in the ruined Roman city of Pompeii' 1n legends from India there was ordinarily no conflict between the gods and the Nagas, or serpent-dragons, as shown by the sto-

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ries of Krishna and Vishnu. Both of these gods had a fine workine relationship with Ananta, king of the serpent-dragons, and rh. Nagas. The greatly revered Indian god Vishnu was on good t.:::r: with Ananta, the Endless One, a giant serpent with eleven h=" - i Vishnu slept on Ananta while the serpent guarded him. ,4.:.::. .; considered by the Hindus to be the symbol of cosmicis vital for creation.

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The one exception to this friendship betrveer ::,, the gods was the slaying of Vritra, a great s:::: .around the navel of the Earth, holding back th. -.'.':.-:: him to create the world-mountains.

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Sometimes ::: \isas were pictured with serpent heads and human bodies. -:...'-,',-ere said to live at the top of Mount Meru, where thel hac : .. ien palace full of music, gems that fulfilled wishes, u-ondertul :il-,'.'ers, and beautiful companions. In the center of this garden, r.'hrch once belonged to Varuna, stood a dragonguarded tree of life and reincarnation. In Africa, the countrv of Ethiopia was said to be heavily populated with dragons at one time. The Roman poet Lucan and other Classical authors \\'rote that African dragons could fly, that their brilliantly colored scales shone brightly, and that some of them were so huge that they could be mistaken for hills when they lay asleep. Generally speaking, \\'estern dragons were different in physical structure from Eastern dragons. Most of them had two strong hind legs, two shorter forelegs, a thick body and a long tail. Their wings were membranes, like those of bats, and had long ribs or bones. Their rvedge-shaped heads were carried on long sinuous necks. Western dragons were fully armed with long claws and sharp teeth, besides their fiery breath. They talked rvith humans by means of telepathy and were extremely cunning and ivily. The ancient Celts had traditions of dragons, considering them -, ,but u,ise. l]nfortunately, so much of Celtic lore was lost to -. : ,:.:te destruction that we have only remnants of tales and frag-' : r : - : Craqon lore left today from that culture. The Celtic ram- ," : I ::lEon, is connected with Cernunnos, the antlered Earth - , - , --,:-; ram-dragon is also connected with the number

The Nagas;were kror,,'n tbr their great magickal powers and the pearls of great price th:: :hev carried in their foreheads. The Nagas, also patrons of lakes. rilers, rain, and clouds, lived in lvonderful palaces, often visite,i :'. ihe gods. But as with all dragons in whatever form, the Nagas '.'.'e:: capable of killing people and causing problems when nnne\-il. lhere are stories of their creating drought, pestilence, and s:.:: s -:rering when humans broke their rules.

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eight, this being th: :.-,:-.::: -.ispokes on the solar ivheel;the solar .: = :am-headed dragon. \\hat few carvwheel is set in mo:i-: ings we have of the = - -.::.:nnos picture him rvith a bag of gold at his feet and a dour'---: -':.1 ram-snake belt about his waist. This belt with its two ram-ir:-- - : heads symbolizes the spiritual bridge

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between various planes - : :,- ::.nce. The Celtic shaman-magician-

priest knew that in o:;:: .. ::avel this bridge, she/he must go inward to meet the dra.:- -*,::ing that bridge. A lack of self-discipline and self-knollec:- -.,1 pt'event any seeker from being able to pass the dragon orlJ ,r-:r ::: realms of the Otherworlds. Conchobar of Ireland ',','i: ::.: . r have had both a divine and a -.',-rnter Solstice with what the human father. He was bor:- '. ::.-,:,:. From the description these story calls a water-worm in ::-water-worms were probablr' l:l' :::- - :s. The Irish hero Finn \la;C-.:: ',. ,,.:' silled dragons. Some magickal systems would look ": :--*- , .:::"-:l:s as not physical, but as battling his own destructir': -r,r.:r i - - -:its. -'"'-:lsh banner since at least The dragon has been depici.: --:, : -:the departure of the Roman legr:-. ---:-: -:r England, Scotland, and Ireland the dragon has been dra"',':- . , -:: -Lrur legs and the nyvern with two since the 16th centurr-. C: .:: : 'ropean continent, however, the two-legged wf/ern is stili ;,---;. : drason, the same name given to the four-legged varietl'. Er-:r :,1'J.:\-. the dragon, alone or with other designs, is part of the heraic:. h:ritage of some two hundred English families and some three hu:dred from Europe. In Scandinavian legend, the hero Sigurd (called Siegfried in Germany) killed the dragon Fafnrr. This storv clearly details the benefits from a dragon's blood. Sigurd accidentally swallowed a drop of it and immediately could understand the language of birds. This saved his life from the dragon's treacherous brother who was plotting to kill him for the treasure. Sigurd also was bathed with the blood when he struck Fafnir from a pit. This made him invulnerable to weapons, except where a leaf covered a tiny spot.

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The god Thorr once caught the World-Serpent while fishing' Considering the power and negativity of the great serpent-dragon, Thorr was fortunate that his companion cut the line. The god did not feel that way about it, though, and clouted his friend alongside the head for letting his big "fish" get away. If one reads the very best of translations of the story of Beowglf, it is quickly seen that he fought three dragons. Although the first he killed was described as a young two-legged male monster who was raiding for food among the houses at night, it could have been a syyerr (who has nvo legs) or a four-legged dragon who walked upon its hind lep or a dragon in human disguise. The second creature was a mature female, finally killed in her spawning ground, who definitely took on human form- The third dragon came later in his life, and was specifically listed as a dragon. This one was a mature fltsrng male with a poisonous bite. Well into middle age at the time, Beowulf used himself as bait to draw the last dragon out of its lair so it could be killedProbably the greatest of Northern dragons was Nidhogg (Dread Biter) who lived in Niflheim and was constantly gnawing at the World Tiee. Nidhogg would be classified as a chaos dragon, one who destroys in order to re-create. This idea of destruction-resurrection extended to the Norse belief that Nidhogg stripped allcorpses of their flesh.

In the Northern regions, dragons were said to live in cold seas or misty lakes, storms, and fogs. when these were not available, dragons lurked in deep underground caverns, coming out when hungry or when there was a thunderstorm. Even after conversion to Christianity, the Scandinavians, especially the Norwegians, piaced carved dragon heads on the gables of their churches to guard against the elements, as for years they had guarded theirships with dragon-headed Prows. In the original legends of Scotland, Scandinavia, and northern Germany, dragons were not winged, nor were they totally evil. up

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common as migrating birds. By the Middle :..=. -:rristians had grabbed control of nearlv e\-e:-.::-.:. :,ratically persecuting Pagans, they changed :: = -: ' . ::o rringed monsters, always menacing anc . .: heads. They described some of then , of an eagle, the body of a huee se :: =:-: :-., lrith an arrow tipl rre n..'. -:.- r-:::'",,.ere

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dragons with their Devil wyverns. Christianitywas quickto equate

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all non-christian and their Hell. The chrisiians also portrayed rulers as evil, destmctive dragons' dragons' all of them There are many Christian references to "down with Pagan negative, which generally speaking meant of Bel and the Dragon in iaJas:' One such tale is told in the book the book of Daniel' Christhe Apocrypha; another is described in the draqol losing' tian tales of saints and dragons always picture they have killed dragon The Christians want you to believe that and never will destroy powe6 but this is noi so' They have not' magick or the wilY, elusive dragon' "christianity dragand its admonition to hunt down and destroy for these dragon sightings' ons brought about the end of common plane' g..* u.rirutowledgeable beasts withdrew from the physical dragons were never Lpecially in Britain and Europe' In the Orient of Europe and so consublectei to the malicious hunting practices cosmic affairs. oriental tinued to involve themselves in human and have generallybeen dragons, being as a whole gregarious extroverts' dragons' treied with much more resPect and honor than other with the In Mexico the dragons of the Olmecs were pictured jaguar' and feathers' This body of a rattlesnake, ihe eyebrows of a common among the combination of serpent-jaguar-dragon was certain portions of civilizations of Mexico, central America, and and hungry form symbolSouth America. This combined si$uousizedtheambiguitiesoftheuniverse,theprocessofdestructionand even the most primitive re-creation, subconsciously understood by t dthough these cultures were primitive by our standards'

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,fr"y*"."certainlynotwithoutknowledge'culturaladvancements' were very spirani scientific studies. After their own fashion, they itualpeople,whowouldhavebeenperfectlycapableofdiscovering half-jaguar carvings rePLugon po*.rt their strange half-dragon' of the dragons resJnt their understanding and acknowledgement serpent, a dragonof their continent. QuetzJcoatl, the Feathered

28

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serpent figure known and revered over much of the area- l-::= many of the same characteristics as Oriental dragons. All legends do agree on certain characteristics concer::::-l dragons. Legends say that you should never look a dragon i:: -*--,: eyes; he has hypnotic powers. A dragon is not likely to siv: i-,:; his real name; that would give you power over him. Several -::ends from different cultures speak of the draconic abilin, :: appear in human form. When a dragon does appear in hu::::":: form, it is very difficult to see through his disguise unlesi :: wants you to. Dragons have a precious stone, called the dracontias. il --::: forehead. This stone is credited with amazing powers of mr::-,kinds. For the stone to hold its powers, however, it had to be removed before the dragon was dead. There is a storv of _.uch a

29

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stone being acquired and then kept within a family for centuries. About 1345 the Chevalier do Gozano, who was later Grand Master

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of the Order of St. John of ]erusalem, killed a dragon on the island of Rhodes. It is unclear how he managed to ertract the dracontias before the dragon died; it was said that if the dracontias was extracted after death it lost its power. This stone. about the size of an olive and beautifully colored, became a familv heirloom. On several occasions this dracontias was put into \\-ater; the water was boiled and drunk as an antidote to poison and disease, with complete recovery by the ill person. A few legends tell of dragons suffering trom illness or eye diseases. One herbal cure used by dragons rras the eating of "balis." This unknown herb was said to be stron-9 enoueh to revitalize dead dragon babies. For eye diseases dragons either ate ttnnel or rubbed it on their eyes. Several tales tell of the magickal uses of a dragon's organs and blood. In European lore, the blood nas said to make a person invulnerable to stab rvounds if thev bathed in it, able to understand the speech of birds and animals if they drank it. One of Bothvar's companions, in the Danish Hrolf's Saga, ate a dragon's heart and became extremely brave and strong. Eating the tongue gave eloquence and the ability to win any argument. The liver cured certain diseases, as did various other parts. Medieval medicine and magick mention the use of dragon's blood many times. Since dragons are not going to willingly give up their blood, magicians had to turn to other sources. There were said to be several sources of this material, other than from an actual dragon. The "bloodstone" hematite, an ore rich in iron, and the mineral cinnabar, a compound of mercury, were both called forms of dragon's blood. However, the most widely used "dragon's

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blood" was a gum resin. It was said that trees which originally grew from actual spilled dragon's blood produced a reddishbrown sap of great magickal value. This species of tree is still

30

Dragons in Mythology and Legend

:.,.. j Dracaena,

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draco bv botanists. Incisions \\-::. ::-.:-. -:: :he and the sap collected as it conqealed into res-:. 1,1- .. -: :--=s:

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.Jeradragon,thewiserheis.Co:..=-- -; r-:- - --:.'- : : :ouble-edged sword. He may be i',--s=:. --,. -.- i. : - -::r :: ..nowledge, but he is also touchy ani =.,,.r:"--:.. --rr--;r : ---' .:nlessyouhandlehim correctly.After a-,. -"= -.:: r::- :', -- r -: :nough to have experienced human unre,:ir--- - : r - r: -: Dragons have control of deeper curren:s - : :.==:rr:- : - ---i ::i

are found in the East .riies, southern -L:r-r :--.: ::-: -,:rary islands. Dragon's blooc. ::s.:r is strli kr:.",:- . ' :: - .::-.sickal procedures today. :.: - - = Dragons are long-lived, hoarc rr:::-r: ::-j ::=' ::-

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than is usually felt by humans. They are airvai's -: ----::':::"- r r- -r : manner with various forms of the four elemen:.. :.-:: - -i - :-i:ons have also been reported in areas where other ;s-, ::-,: : -- :r- : - ena have occurred, such as ghosts and other astral cri::*:::: Depending upon the behavior of the dragons uni:: : : n:'- rtion, their appearance can be considered an omen of q.-c; : - ::-": . Oriental dragon-watchers said that it was possible to tr::i-* --:= weather and fortune of any community by studying the :::: - : --: sky in which a dragon appeared and the way it behar-ec. i*-.- !,: breathing fire, fighting with another dragon, screamin.e, or : - ---,. ing in and out of the clouds. Dragons tend to speak in riddles and symbols. .".'-.:-,-; straight answers whenever possible. The only weapon c:is:-j respect is a sword, but only if it is wielded by a confident mai---..,-. who is prepared to stand his ground. Please notice I say respe ;:, not fear. I believe this is because dragons like strong humans ',r -::-a healthy, balanced opinion of themselves. They do not care L-: vacillating humans, who are afraid to make a decision or tak; responsibility. Do not make the mistake of trying to ph1'sical"'. attack with the sword. In the first place a dragon could melt th: blade like ice in a flame. In the second place, the dragon is an astral

31

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creature, incapable of being actually harmed by

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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 dragons and their deep magickal energies.

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Fnnhlng$ni iHllsrhing tuit\ Ftognnsbe ob'ious b'no'.n thar i hare a deep respect and lo'e -Ilt dragons, a belief in their llo\rers as co-magicians that is _lafor backed of personal e.xperience. And I hope I have -