Why The Dragon Is The Emblem Of Wales
Tales of the Dragon #1
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To My Dear Kin,
Thank you, kindly, for your patience in receiving this offering. After my time in Australia’s hot Summer, I returned to what I affectionately call ‘pretend Spring’ here in the high desert of Colorado. One day it snows, the next we’re all in t-shirts. The snow essentially eviscerates as soon as it lands, all dusty, shimmering, and wonderful, until we have a proper Spring snow storm as is beginning tonight. The forecast indicates snow for at least the next day and a half. True Spring here arrives later than our Celtic counterparts, though there are a handful of hardy plant kin sprouting in my wee yard at the moment, hello Motherwort, Yarrow, Rue, and Croneswort! I believe they’re hardy enough to weather the snow that is making its way here.
May it be so.
Shortly after returning from Australia, I was very fortunate to attend a weekend retreat on Vancouver Island with the mythical Sylvia Lindsteadt and Nao Simms for a weekend of dance, writing, and devotion. I’ll have to write about it one day. Its magics are still swimming through my body and my dreamscape. Blessed be the medicine women and the swans in all their wisdom, grace, and beauty. I was joined by my dear colleague and soul sister Rayann Gordon and it was just such a nourishing time together on sacred lands, those of the Lekwungen peoples and the unceded lands of the Pentlatch and K'omoks First Nations.
Those trees. Those mountains. Those stars. That snow.
Extraordinary.
Blessed be our stunning Earth home, a place whose beauty never, ever ceases to inspire and amaze. The call to honor and treasure this blue cosmic jewel we share has never stopped ringing within me, and, I suspect, it never will.
I’ll be reaching out again next week with a missive for the Vernal Equinox, until then, I offer you a dragon story, the first of many, to be sure.
Why The Dragon Is The Emblem Of Wales
In the Chinese tradition, this is a dragon year, a wood dragon year, to be precise. I am the daughter of a dragon (that story to follow) that is, my mother was born in a dragon year. It is considered a year of great fortune and those born under this celestial, divine creature (born in the year of the dragon) are considered the most auspicious of births possessing remarkable qualities throughout their lives, including charm and resilience.
Our Celtic lore also holds the dragon with its wisdom and power in high esteem, especially in the glorious nation of Cymru (Wales), so much so, that it is the symbol of the Welsh nation, flown beautifully and proudly on their flag. Plenty of historical information is available regarding the origin of the Welsh flag. I appreciate scholarly contemplation however I prefer its mythic origin, the story I share today.
It’s not just about a dragon. It’s really a story that tells of a boy without a father who would go on to become the great, powerful, shapeshifting, wise, master magician, Merlin…