Tarot and Dragons: Imperial Dragon Oracle Second Reading (1 of 2)

After choosing the “Imperial Dragon Oracle” by Andy Baggott and Peter Pracownik, I used their “Cardinal Spread” to ask about my future studies at the Grey School of Wizardry.  Because of my traumatic brain injury, I was afraid that I will not graduate.  I thought that I will reach a point where the classes will become too complex for me.  Therefore, I was nervous about this reading since I thought the cards would confirm my fears.

My Dragon Guide (Peesey) told me not to worry, because I could always ask Him for help.  Furthermore, He would relay the wise counsel from Great Mother Dragon to me.  With his reassurance that the Dragons would guide me in my studies, I dealt the cards.

Question:  How will I do in my studies at the Grey School of Wizardry?

“The Cardinal Spread”

Position One: North (The Element of Earth)

“Where does the root of the issue lie?”

The card that I drew was “Fertility (3)”, which is “The Emperor (III) in the Tarot.  According to Baggott, the source of energy for this card is “Mother nature”.  He adds that this card’s messages are to “follow your natural instincts”, and to “align with the energies of the land.”

What struck me about this card is that it is the only one in the deck that features a human.  In this card, a dragon is enveloping a woman with her wings.  What I see is Great Mother Dragon holding me in her love.  The root of the issue for me is to trust the Dragons, and to know that I am not alone in my studies.  Moreover, I need to keep in contact with My Guide and Great Mother Dragon. I am reminded that the Great Mother Dragon works through Peesey, My Dragon Guide, to help me further.

Position Two: East (The Element of Air)

“Who is my guide in this issue?”

I drew the card of “Temperance (14)”, which is “Temperance (XIV) in the Tarot.  This card depicts a red and a blue dragon pouring water into a pool in the moonlight.  According to Baggott, the two dragons represent the “ying” and “yang” of life.  Since the keyword of this card is “unification”, it follows that the card’s meaning is the “reconciliation of apparent opposites.”

For me to succeed in my studies, My Dragon Guide and I need to pool our resources.  We are opposites in many ways – He is eager and full of energy, while I am more sedate.  By complementing our diverse natures, we can move forward together as a team.  As a member of this team, I can look forward to graduation from the Grey School.

The other subtext of this card is to unify my two selves – the pre-injury and post-injury me, so that I can succeed in my studies.  Being mindful of this, I need to stop fighting myself, and to channel this energy into learning.  By accepting both the “ying” and “yang” parts of myself, I can progress through the various Levels at the Grey School.

Position Three: South (The Element of Fire)

“What do I need to learn from this issue?”

The card that I drew was “Love (6)”, which is “The Lovers (VI)” of the Tarot.  The root meaning of this card is “acceptance”, which suggests to me to accept my brain injury, work with it, and not fight it.  Until now I have been forcing my injured brain work the way it did when it was healthy. By accepting my brain as it is, I can live with the ebb and flow of my life that my brain dictates.  After learning this cycle of rest and activity of my brain, I can apply what I learned to how I finish my classes at the Grey School of Wizardry in the future.

The two dragons of “Temperance (14)” are now joined as one.  By accepting the love of My Guide and Great Mother Dragon, I learn to love myself as I am.  In this manner, I unite my two halves into one being.  

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Tarot and Dragons: The Dragon Tarot Cards (1 of 2)

My Dragon Guide (Peesey) and I decided that we would meditate on “The Dragon Tarot” by Terry Donaldson and Peter Pracownik.  We both had bonded with this deck, which my Guide thought depicted the many aspects of his home.  Together, we meditated with the cards and began to understand what the various dragons were teaching us.

Our favorite card of this deck was the “Knight of Coins” of the Minor Arcana.  The dragon of this card stands at attention, holding his shield and lance, to guard against intruders to the forest.  My Guide saw this dragon as someone to aspire to become someday.  In this card, the sun rises over the leafless trees of the forest, indicating the need to remain alert for possible danger.  Meanwhile the mushrooms scattered about the dragon’s feet invites more maturity and wisdom.  (According to Donaldson, mushrooms indicate “needed discrimination”.)  Examining the card further, I found a small dragon sitting on the Knight’s back.  (I regarded this dragon to be me, in the role of Peesey’s friend and guide.)  Thus the “Knight of Coins” represents our partnership.

For the “Knight of Coins”, Donaldson in the guidebook writes, “a young Knight stands on duty”.  Then he adds, “A male who wishes to develop the work side of his life.”  This is what my Guide and I thought that the meaning was.  Peesey wants me to guide Him as He matures, while under his guidance, I learn how to protect myself.

In searching for what the small dragon symbolizes, I had to guess at the author’s intent.  Donaldson does not present a large and small dragon as equals.  The smaller dragons are usually younger ones, who are under the direction of the older and larger ones.  This does not seem to be the case in the “Knight of Coins” for the smaller dragon.  I decided the smaller dragon, in this case, was an equal partner of the larger one.  I see Peesey as the larger dragon who protects me, while I give Him guidance as the smaller one. 

Dragons: Meeting My Dragon Guide (2 of 2)

This particular Dragon was the shy one from the Arboretum. He had felt safe around me, and was willing to be my friend. Great Mother Dragon felt that we would make a good pair.

I would be his “mentor” for learning about humankind, and He would aid me in my recovery. This Dragon would help me to leave my home, and I would help Him to leave his forest. Meanwhile, Great Mother Dragon would watch over us both.

The shy forest Dragon was emerald green and dappled brown. Bouncing around with excitement, He told me that He liked shiny stones and bright colors. He especially liked my emerald-green Gaia stone (from Mt. St. Helens) and my bright purple charoite, Also, He liked that I had laid them out in my “dragon meeting space”, since it made Him feel especially welcomed. Then He took me on his back, and we explored his world of brooks, flowers, as well as met some of his friends amongst the small field dragons and forest fairies.

 When we returned from our quiet, gentle journey, the Forest Dragon told me that if I wanted to contact Him, I could use my forest stone – a large five pound green-brown polished stone with natural figures of various animals embedded in it. He said that this stone could act as a gateway to his forest. In my meditations, I could use this stone to travel to visit Him in his forest.

During my time with the two Dragons, I felt bittersweet joy. I was happy to meet the Forest Dragon, but sad that the Great Mother Dragon could not be my Guide anymore. The music that I was playing during this time was “The Unanswered Question” (1906) by Charles Ives (American, 1874-1954). This piece of music features a lonely trumpet asking the “perennial question of existence”. The responding woodwinds continually fail to give an appropriate answer. Meanwhile, the strings, who like the Druids, know the answer to the trumpet’s question. Ives had written that the strings were “a world of pure spirit, the silence of the Druids”. It is in this silence, that the question is answered. Ives’ piece made me realize that the dragons speak to me in silence now.

 I realized that I had not asked the Forest Dragon his name. He said that I already knew it. His name was “Peesey”, the name I that sometimes called my therapeutic ladybug toy. Since I carry this stuffed toy with me, I felt that “Peesey” would be close to me. In fact, I could sometimes feel his gentle energy inside the ladybug.  

Works Used:
Copeland, Aaron, “Fanfare for the Common Man” (1942), “From the New World” CD, In Classical Mood CDs and book, IMP, 1998.

Ives, Charles, “The Unanswered Question” (1906), “From the New World” CD, In Classical Mood CDs and book, IMP, 1998.

The State Arboretum of Virginia, Blandy Experimental Station, http://blandy.virginia.edu/arboretum/,  

Swafford, Jan, “A Question is Better Than an Answer”, Charlesives.org, 2011, http://www.charlesives.org/ives_essay/,

Dragons: Meeting My Dragon Guides (1 of 2)

A number of years ago, when I started to study dragons, a Great Mother Dragon presented Herself as my Guide. While I traveled back and forth to the Blue Ridge Mountains (Virginia), I would see this glorious gold-silver Empress sunning Herself. At other times, She would sit on the mountain tops and play with the clouds. Although her name is “Silver Heart”, I always called Her, “Great Mother Dragon”.

Sometimes in my travels, I would see a small dragon peering out of the trees at the State Arboretum of Virginia. I surmised that a very shy dragon, who lived there, seemed interested in people. At other times when I drove by, Great Mother Dragon would be extending one of her wings over Him in a protective gesture.

 After my traumatic brain injury, I felt that the dragons left me. Since that time, Great Mother Dragon had ceased to speak to me. Moreover, the glass Chinese dragon that I owned broke in two. I took this as a sign that my time with Dragonkind was at an end.

Later when I was asked to contact my Dragon Guide, I decided to follow my inner instincts. I chose special music to play for this meeting. Also, I gathered up several sparkly quartz crystals, a blue-green labradorite, and a red-orange zincite to decorate the meeting space. Then I prepared a space to welcome any dragon who may decide to come, and speak to me. Since I wanted the dragons to feel welcomed at my home, I also lit candles and made offerings of incense.

The music I chose to play for this time was “Fanfare for the Common Man” (1942) by Aaron Copeland (American, 1900-90). This musical piece prominently features trumpets, other bass instruments, and cymbals. It seemed to be the perfect piece to have for the entrance of the dragons in my prepared space. (I played this music several times on my CD player.)

The Great Mother Dragon came and kindly told me that because of my broken brain, her dragon energy would harmful to me. However, She had been waiting for me to formerly contact Her, since She reasoned that I would be well enough, at that time, to be told. She gently explained that since I could not hold her energy, She could no longer be my Guide. But Great Mother Dragon would not be leaving me; She would oversee my relationship with a young dragon.

Finding Your Tree Guide

Unlike animals, trees do not move. However, like animals, trees have particular personalities and teachings. Trees, that grow by running water, will have a feeling movement within them. Meanwhile, trees in fields reflect the peaceful energies of those places.

To know a tree is a subtle and quiet process. Each group of trees (grove) has a head tree that needs to be acknowledged. This tree is usually the oldest or tallest. Once you speak to the leader tree, you can freely walk among the other trees. Remember though, some trees prefer not to be touched, while others beckon to be sat under. As you open yourself up to the trees, you will feel one call to you.

Trees are subtle in their relations with people. For a response, watch the movement of the leaves or the dropping of a nut. Sometimes, you will feel energy from the trunk of the tree. Rarely are trees dramatic in what they do. Trees move very slowly, and are in no hurry. They expect the same from people.

When you are with a tree, watch, listen, and remember. Your experience may not seem much to you at the time. Over time though, the tree’s answer will have relevance. Be calm when conversing with a tree. Remember to thank the tree, when you leave.

During a hurricane, a huge oak crashed into my living room. Why this tree chose my condo to die in, I did not know at the time. Later, I discovered that He passed his strength on to me. He opened the door to other worlds for me to step through. The oak has been my companion on my walk. Trees offer their wisdom to those who listen quietly and with an open heart.