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September 16 through September 22, 2024

This week starts out with a full Moon/lunar eclipse and ends with the start of a new season as the Sun moves into Libra. We shouldn't expect to get much done on Monday and Tuesday as the Moon drifts through Pisces, culminating with a Pisces full Moon/lunar eclipse on Tuesday. Eclipses always come in pairs, and this is the first of two eclipses that will occur over the next two weeks. This one in particular will encourage us to release anything we are hanging on to that is keeping us stuck, as we examine the thoughts and activities that have been blocking forward motion. We'll be on the run Wednesday and Thursday as the Moon travels through high-powered Aries, and be equally productive Friday and Saturday when it moves into the grounded sign of Taurus. The Moon will hold court in Gemini on Sunday as the Sun glides into loving Libra and Venus enters the soulful sign of Scorpio. Translation? Sharing our thoughts and feelings will be a theme as we begin a four-week cycle of striving to honor our relationships and bring more beauty to our worlds!

On Wings of Change: The Dragon in Celtic Magic, by Kristoffer Hughes

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Classical Latin writers specified that a "Draco" (which forms the origin of the modern word Dragon) referred to an unspecified or uncategorized serpent. The British Celtic name for Dragon, Dreig, continues to be used to this day in the modern Welsh language and is indicative of a mythical creature that is heraldic or emblematic of a Celtic Cultural Continuum. It is probable that the serpentine nature of the dragon and their expression in Celtic myth as worms and snakes seem to imply a possible land-based nature to these creatures; it may be suggested that the dragon started its life as a snake and developed through the popular imagination to become the mighty beast with which we are familiar. The dragon can be found in several cultures around the world, and is not exclusive to the Celtic nations; many have an earthy feel to them and seem symbolic of the relationship between a people and their land.

In Celtic magic, the true significance of the dragon is subtle, and they are not simply the enormous fire breathing beasts that we have been led to believe; they are so much more than their fictionalized expression. Not only do they represent the serpentine qualities of the land, of a creature in touch with the earth and moving into relationship with the people, they are also indicative of the spirit of a people, in this case the Celts of the islands of Britain. The dragon may have started its life as a lowly snake, but it rose to become the spirit of a place, genius loci, and then something remarkable happened: it became a part of our mythology, it sprouted wings and it moved with the people across the surface of the earth, over oceans and to new lands. Whereas the ordinary spirits of place are a part of the story of location, the dragon became something else; it became transferable and could migrate with the people. In order to gain an understanding of the significance and importance of the dragon in Celtic magic, we must descend into the past and find them in the misty corridors of mythology.

Into the Dragon's Den
In the tale of Lludd and Llefelys (which forms part of the Mabinogi collection compiled from the Red Book of Hergest), the sons of Beli the great, Lludd and his brother Llefelys find they must deal with three plagues that terrorized the island of Britain. The second plague was an awful scream that was heard every May-eve. So terrible was the scream that it pierced every heart in Britain; men would lose their strength, women would lose their children, young people would lose their minds, and every tree and plant would be left barren. The tale tells us that the cause of this plague was the cries of Britain's native dragon in battle with a dragon of a foreign race who strived to overcome it. To combat the plague, Britain was measured in length and breadth to discover its center, Oxford, and here a great pit was dug. Within this pit Lludd and Llefelys placed a vast cauldron filled with the finest mead and covered with a satin sheet. In time, two monstrous creatures appeared in battle; at length they took to the air in the form of mighty dragons, and finally they fell as pigs onto the satin sheet—which sank to the mead depths of the cauldron, and there they drank and slept. Lludd and Llefelys wrapped the pigs tightly in the satin sheet and placed them within a stone cist and buried them in the securest part of the island of Britain, at the place called Dinas Emrys in Snowdonia. And thus the fierce outcry ceased, and the people recovered.

The significance of the above tale is further reiterated in the Triads of the Island of Britain, which describes that one of the three fortunate concealments of Britain was, "the concealment of the dragons in Dinas Emrys which Lludd the son of Beli concealed."¹ Further reference to the same pair of dragons can be found in Nennius' Historia Brittonum, compiled in the 9th century. Its title is misleading, as it does not represent a comprehensive history but rather a disparate collection of early writings that focused on locality-specific British history. The story that follows involves the famed Celtic prophet/magician Merlin and his adventures with Vortigern, the Druids, and two powerful dragons.

The story tells of the shamed king Vortigern and his attempt to build a stronghold in Snowdonia, but try as he may, the towers keep falling. His Druids inform him that the only way to safeguard the strength of the tower is to sprinkle the ground with the blood of a fatherless child. In due course, such a child is discovered and brought to the site to be slaughtered. Upon discovering that the Druids are responsible for his fate, he asks if they know what is buried beneath the tower; they cannot answer. He claims that under the ground is a lake, and within that lake a cloth tent, within which are to be found two sleeping serpents, one red and one white. The site is dug, and lo and behold, the serpents are discovered. The boy asks the Druids what the meaning of this is, and again they are unable to answer. The child explains that the cloth tent represents the kingdom and the two serpents are dragons; the red dragon stands for Britain and the white for the Saxons. So far, the white has been victorious, but eventually the red would reassert her strength and repel the invader. Eventually the boy reveals his identity: he is Merlin Ambrosius.

If we take the above three accounts—the tale of Lludd and Llefelys, the Triad, and the account of Merlin and Vortigern—there are several facts that belie the nature of the dragon. In the first tale we are told that the terrible cry on May-eve is the battle cries of a dragon, which the tale describes as "...and therefore YOUR dragon..."², implying that one of the dragons is native to Britain and to the tribes of Lludd and his brother Llefelys, and is indicative of the land and its people, whereas the antagonist is foreign. We find the usual tripartite style relating to the shape or forms of the dragons, in that they appear initially as "monstrous animals," they then arise to the air as—one assumes—winged mighty dragons, and finally they fall to the earth in the form of pigs. Many of the modern interpretations of the tale fail to address the magical significance of this saga; firstly there are three forms to the dragons: unassigned animal, dragon, and pig. Meaning can be discovered in the original language, which states that "...yn ymladd yn rith aruthter aniveileit...yn rith dreigieu yn yr awyr...yn rith deu barchell,"³, which translates as, "in the form of monstrous animals...in the form of dragons in the air...in the form of two pigs." That may not seem extraordinary until one examines the term "rith," which is a word that describes a form of magic, or a magical description for an object's form or shape that is altered or transformed by magic. The term "rith" used magically implies that the actual shape of anything in existence is not necessarily permanent and can be changed by the will or power of the magician. One may assume that owing to the etymology of the word "dragon" and the fact that Merlin describes the sleeping dragons as serpents, that the initial monstrous shape of the dragons may well have been in the form of serpents. Snakes are commonly associated with the Celts and may represent the spirit of the land itself, which may imply that the dragon may have started its life as Genius Loci. After they rise to the air in the form of dragons they then descend into the shape of the most common Otherworldly Celtic beast, the pig, believed to have been gifted to humanity from the indigenous Celtic underworld, Annwn. The pig appears throughout Celtic mythology as devourer of the profane, a sign of impending supernatural activity and a valued commodity, qualities that can be superimposed onto the scales of the mighty dragon.

In the tale of Merlin and Vortigern we are informed of their colouration, red and white; the red dragon continues to be the emblematic symbol of the nation of Wales and its people as the original inhabitants of the Island of Britain. The dragons and the inter-textual references between these three accounts and other Celtic myths demonstrate the nature of the dragon, its function and the impact it had on the Celtic culture—which continues to this day.

How is this of value to practitioners of Celtic magic today? Not only do we have a creature of supernatural erudition that is indicative of the lands of the Celts but which is also representative of that cultural continuum and its people. It is the magic and spirit of the dragon that connects one on an energetic level to the entire Celtic Cultural Continuum. Some Genius Loci are not transferable from one location to another whilst others are. Where one spirit is indicative of a river, a mountain, or an ancestor, the dragon is the spirit that encompasses them all; it represents the beating, pulsing, vibrant spirit of the Celts and it is transferable to another location. To call the dragon is to summon the might of the Celts, to invoke the essence of heritage and culture that swim within you.

The Spirit of the Celts is more than the sum total of heritage and genetics, for if we look to the tales we can catch a glimpse, a clue to the nature of its spirit. In the tale of Vortigern, a fatherless child is necessary to solve the riddle of the fort's continuous destruction. This lack of parenthood is a trait shared by another enigmatic and magical figure of Celtic mythology, the prophet and chief bard of Britain: Taliesin, who also claimed himself to be an aspect of mystery by stating, "Not of mother nor of father, was my birth, was my creation."⁴ This trait seems to eliminate the need for hard genetics to justify one's connection to the Celtic spirit—which cannot be contained to blood alone; it runs in the rivers of deep ancestry and the magic of spiritual connection. It is by means of the Celtic spirit that we connect and swim in the rivers of its powerful continuum, and the dragon with its myriad shapes and its qualities of both land and tribe is perhaps one of the most powerful symbols of this connection. Regardless of where you are or where you come from, the commonality of the dragon and its power to transcend diversity, location and time is an ancient and significant energy that can and will bring richness and connection to your devotional practice, your magic and rituals.

¹Trioedd Ynys Prydein, Rachel Bromwich. Univeristy of Wales Press, Cardiff, 2006. P 94.
²The Mabinogion, Sioned Davies, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2008. Pp 113.
³The White Book Mabinogion. J. Gwenogfryn Evans, private press, Pwllheli, 1915. Pp 99.
⁴Kat Godeu, "The Battle of the Trees," The Book of Taliesin. Author's translation.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2014. All rights reserved.

I have a question about my path with abuse. I grew up knowing about the divinity available, but I was paralyzed by fear and pain because of the sexual abuse I experienced. As this is sadly a common experience among women, I decided to volunteer for a related organization. What is it about women who experience this trauma as opposed to those who do not? I somehow feel I chose this challenge to overcome in order to redeem deep pieces of power I have lost - possibly in past lives. What do you believe about sexual abuse in connection with spiritual growth? Do you think it would be wise to do soul retrieval through regression to past lives where I may have also been abused? Thank you! I will be grateful to hear whatever you receive on this. God Bless!

- Katherine

Dreamchaser:

Katherine, I am sorry that you had to withstand the trauma you did when you were young. It did, however, turn you into who you are today, so it was a definite soul choice of yours before you came to this planet.

Before we come here, we choose our path, our lessons, our families, our names and every other detail and aspect of our human lives. Everything that happens to us is part of a divine plan for our soul so that we can learn what we need to learn to finally ascend. So yes, Katherine, you chose the sexual abuse you suffered as part of your life lesson. You are learning, evolving and moving forward. We are not meant to go BACKWARDS.

We leave a piece of us in each life I think, but on the other hand, we also bring pieces of wisdom, power and knowledge into following lives. For example, when we take a vacation, we leave a piece of ourselves there in that place, but we also come back full up with THAT place and memories that will last forever. We do not necessarily need or want to go back and retrieve pieces of our soul. Whatever parts of our soul we have with us are the parts that we need. If your soul is missing something, fill it up with meditation, prayer and LOVE (not just the romantic kind).

Trauma/abuse, be it sexual, physical, mental, emotional or any other kind, happens to each and every human being on this planet. Not ONE person can leave this life without feeling that some person or thing on this planet victimized them in some way. We have two choices. We can choose to allow things to take us down and destroy us, or we can choose to use what happens to us for good somehow. In ANY situation, we can choose love or hate, positive or negative, fear or faith, etc. I would hope that we choose to embrace our lessons and learn from them and use them to help others, like you are doing NOW with this organization.

I cannot tell you whether "Soul Retrieval" or "past life regression" should or should not be used. They are much like plastic surgery, in my opinion. If you think it will help you, then feel free to try it. Just be very careful regarding who is performing the procedure. A friend of mine went for a "Soul Retrieval" recently and she said she started to worry when the woman started humming the theme song to "Lassie" as her "sacred spiritual song for ushering in spirits." Make sure you ask the person for references and then check them. Never, EVER, let just anyone work on your soul. That is HIGHLY dangerous. A good rule of thumb would be, "when in doubt, opt out."

I wish you wholeness.

*****

Astrea:

The question you really seem to be asking is much broader than what has happened to you in your own life.

Why is there suffering in the World? EVERYONE SUFFERS, and we all measure our own happiness against our suffering. There is evil and suffering in the World because that is the NATURE of life on EARTH. I do not believe there can be any Great Universal Intent to make us suffer from sexual abuse or anything else. Evil occurs along with Good in Nature. We have to accept what is.

Your Capricorn birthday is part of the reason you have been forced to accept this abuse. I find that, for whatever reason, Earth Signs experience more of that kind of trauma than other signs, and of the three Earth Signs, Capricorn seems to be the most vulnerable to that sort of experience. I think it's wonderful that you can rationalize that you CHOSE these experiences, but I don't believe that you really did. I know that Capricorn women are stronger than lots of other people, and perhaps that's why you can SURVIVE something like this so well. Your personality, however, does NOT DRAW that to you! You never invited the sexual abuse.

The person or people who did these things to you took advantage of your generous nature and terrorized you so that you wouldn't tell. Perhaps that was a random event in your life, which is every bit as possible as a choice you might make before you came to this incarnation for that to happen to you. Perhaps that person had an EVIL SOUL, and did this for some sick kick. I do NOT think you were a willing participant before, after, or in ANY DIMENSION. I find it hard to believe that anyone, man or woman, would choose that. The BEST thing about that experience is that it is NOT HAPPENING NOW, and you have found a way to heal from it and to help others.

There is NO GOOD REASON in this or a past life for that to happen to any person. Abuse can't be explained away with "Karma." SOME THINGS JUST HAPPEN TO PEOPLE. Some people make poor choices, but no one chooses to suffer on purpose. Our Benign Universe would never dictate some of the things that we have to put up with.

ALL people experience the highest highs and the lowest lows in life. Men have abuse issues too. Women who don't experience the trauma of sexual abuse experience trauma in different ways. In everyone's life, no matter how perfect it might look from the outside, there are traumatic experiences, along with the good ones we create for ourselves. Our job as HUMAN BEINGS is to learn how to cope and deal with what we encounter in Life.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.