THE DRAGON:The dragon was considered to be a sacred, benevolent creature; its serpent body symbolized matter and life-giving water of creation, its wings spirit and the sacred breath of life. It was used as an emblem for divinity and royalty in Babylon, Egypt, China, Japan, Greece, and Rome. The Chinese Dragon symbolized the masculine yang power, very high spiritual power, and the emperor himself. The dragon was known as the King of Larger Serpents to medievil writers. Dragons and bulls in the Western world were fought by such Sun-heros as Mithras, Siegfried, Hercules, Jason, Horus, and Apollo. In Hindu myth, Vitra, the dragon of the Waters, was killed by Indra so that the waters could be released upon the Earth. The dragon was also an emblem of Aruna and Soma. There were two major categories of physical appearance of dragons: those of the East and those of the West. The Oriental or Chinese dragon looked terrible and fierce, but was a symbol of prosperity, rain, wisdom, and hidden secrets. Oriental dragons did not have wings, but were shaped more like serpents with four legs. The early Chinese worshiped the dragon, and at one time had its image on national flags. Using the symbol of the five-toed dragon was reserved for emperors. The guardian of the mansions of the gods was the Chinese Celestial Dragon, T'ien Lung; he also prevented the deities from falling out of their heavenly realm. The Oriental dragons were said to leave their mountain caves or watery homes in the Spring to bring the fertilizing rains. Both the Chinese and Japanese believe that dragons can turn themselves into birds. The three-clawed dragon of Japan symbolized the Mikado, ther imperial and spiritual power. Most Japanese dragons were said to live in lakes and springs. The dragon in alchemy had a number of meanings. If several dragonswere shown fighting each other, it meant seperating out the Elements, or psychic disintegration. A dragon biting its tail symbolized cyclic processes and time; this particular dragon was known to the Gnostics as Ouroboros. A winged dragon represented a volatile Element, while the wingless dragon stood for a fixed Element. In spiritual definitions, the dragon represents the supernatural, infinity itself, and the spiritual powers of change and transformation. Magickal AttributesProtection, instruction in the spiritual, Element magick.Using the spiritual to transform life. Protection Adding extra power to magick. ChantDragons strong and dragons bright,Dragons full of wisdom old, Teach to me the spiritual light. Let me walk with knowledge bold. Dragon fire, lift me higher! |