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Celebrating the Dragon through Mythology and Magic
251 Plays13 days ago
Welcome to episode 47 of The Bell Witch Podcast, Witching in the 21st Century.
In the final Solitary Witch episode of 2024, Swailes delves into the significance of dragons in mythology and witchcraft. Reflecting on the past year, they share personal anecdotes and explore dragon symbolism across various cultures. The host discusses dragons' dual nature in Eastern and Western traditions, recounts myths like Norse Fafnir and Ryūjin of Japanese Mythology and concludes with a dragon spell called "Dragon's Breath."
The episode concludes with journaling prompts, listener engagement invitations, and reflections on the transformative power of dragons, encouraging listeners to embrace their magic into 2025.
May your winter be blessed and your Holidays by Happy!
Blessed Be
Produced with love and magic by Swailes the Friendly Green Witch friendlygreenwitch | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
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Transcript
The Joy and Challenges of Podcasting
00:00:00
Speaker
It's no secret that I love podcasting. It's an absolute joy to create and it's kind of become a way of life for me. Since becoming a podcaster my internal healing has been huge and when you start to feel good on the inside you also start to feel good on the outside too. But then beginning a podcast can be a little bit daunting and one of the big decisions you've got to make is choosing which platform to use to distribute your amazing new show which you're dreaming up right now.
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00:00:53
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You can create your podcasts and distribute to Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all other major platforms.
Year-End Reflections and Future Plans
00:01:00
Speaker
Go to zencaster dot.com forward slash pricing and use the official Bellwitch podcast offer code which is Bellwitch B-E-L-L-W-I-T-C-H You'll get 30% off your first month. Being a creator has never been easier.
00:01:22
Speaker
Darkcast Network, bringing our indie podcasts out of the shadows.
00:02:03
Speaker
At last, the long awaited solitary ah witch episode, I feel like these are so hard to cram into my busy life at
Dragon Mythology and Cultural Significance
00:02:14
Speaker
the moment. and PTA life is really, really intense and I've pretty much started to sleep at school in the little cupboard under the stairs that's full to the brim of PTA stuff for various festive events. But the last one we did, I wore a very fetching elf outfit. The whole get up including hat ears, curly elf shoes and all that jazz. I just needed some bells really to walk around so you could hear me coming. So just take a moment to appreciate your witchy swales all dressed up like an elf looking fantastically weird.
00:02:52
Speaker
Aw, so festive though, so festive. That's definitely content material for the old witchy TikTok channel there. And it was a right stress and it caused loads of controversy. But the kids loved it and that is all that matters.
00:03:09
Speaker
Anywho, enough about my yeah parenting shenanigans. This is the last official episode from the Bellowitch podcast of the year 2024. This year has been absolutely wild, hasn't it? And I am Glad it's managing to bugger off. It has been a really big vibes year. Whether that be good vibes or bad vibes or a mixture of both vibes, it has been huge. It's not been a delicate year by anybody's stretch of imagination. And it is of course the year of the dragon.
00:03:46
Speaker
It has been such a fiery year it has really reflected dragon in energies and so I thought I should totally do an episode all about the mythology and the witchcraft elements relating to the mighty dragon and then finishing off with a little dragon spell because I realise I haven't done a little spell for such a long time. Enjoy and let's get our dragons on.
00:04:13
Speaker
ra
00:04:16
Speaker
From ancient lore to modern magical practices, dragons have always enchanted our imaginations and inspired countless books, rituals, novels, films, writings, art. It's all over. And what's very interesting is all the nations historically have dragons in their ancient texts.
00:04:41
Speaker
before we could talk to each other on different continents these peoples of their their lands all knew what a dragon was bloody love that so what made me decide to have a look at dragons then I do actually quite love dragons I mean don't we all when you think about dragons from pop culture especially Disney dragons I mean there's been some really really banging dragons aren't there There's Pete's dragon, I absolutely love Elliot and he's such a gorgeous friendly dragon. So comical in his little shy ways. Aw he's so cute though. Dragonheart is another one like the last remaining dragon befriending member of the human race.
00:05:27
Speaker
I think I used to have a dragon film. I can't remember what it was called if anybody knows it. Where it was like a boy and a dragon and then they captured the dragon and they put it into a theme park. A big castle though and making it perform and stuff. Gosh it's a really old memory. It's like a video tape that I had. I cannot remember what this dragon film is called and I've been googling it. I just can't find it. So if you do recognise it.
00:05:50
Speaker
slide into my DMs and let me know. But it was very puppeteered of the times, like maybe early 90s. We got Toothless, we got Smaug, we got Spiral the Dragon, I don't know much about that because I'm not a gamer. And then of course we have the beautiful wish dragon from never ending story god i'm such a millennial i tell you falcor and i think his name is a little bit of a nod to a famous nordic dragon called fafnar i think it is which i will tell you about later on in this episode so stay tuned
00:06:30
Speaker
I have to talk about the dragon from Sleeping Beauty, the big beautiful black and purple dragon that is in fact Maleficent has changed into her dragon self and his own in the place. She's a proper badass and then she does of course get slain by the prince.
00:06:51
Speaker
Boo! And I think the Maleficent Dragon is inspired by that old fable George and the Dragon. Slayin' the Dragon, which is a tedious tradition in England, which is done every April is it, for St George's Day, George and the Dragon.
00:07:11
Speaker
So I'm going to do a bit of a Yorkshire version, like a summary of the story. There was this Christian dude going around on his horse, a saint, and this hermit guy said, oh, there's a dragon coming in our village. We gave it all of the food and we give it all of the cattle. We give it all the gold and it kept coming back to eat us.
00:07:36
Speaker
Then we sent an army after it and the army got scared and so the king thought the only way to appease this dragon was to sacrifice his only daughter, the princess, to this hungry angry dragon. Course it was, yeah. Makes complete sense. Not.
00:07:56
Speaker
bo it jackey Anyway, George of course was appalled by the idea and the greed of the dragon, not this not the king, giving his daughter dragon food and went over and saved the damsel in distress and slaying the evil dragon like a big hero. Becoming a saint. Bit boring.
00:08:22
Speaker
because dragons have connections to reptiles and snakes historically they can be sometimes portrayed as quite well I'm gonna say scaly but sly and not to be trusted and sometimes they're portrayed as guardians or guards of treasure and gold and silver and all that I quite like the protective element of the dragon and also I think they can represent greed in mythology as a metaphor. This reminds me of the dragon from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Is it the second book where did one of the kids got turned into a dragon because he was so greedy? The youngest one? What was he called? Philip. Edmund it was the youngest would get it right swales and he ends up being trapped by the gold that he wanted so badly and I still learn not to care to turn back into a boy you know I do a little mini episode over on the old patreon
00:09:23
Speaker
what the tick tock and i discovered a tick tock that was talking about dragons versus dinosaurs so it was suggesting that dinosaurs are in fact dragons and we've been mistaught all this stuff about dragons and dinosaurs and the more i listened to it the more it made sense for example the t-rex the mighty tyrannosaurus rex don't worry i won't roar again unless of course you want me to I mean just take a look at him with his big stature frame and his long tail and his big head full of mighty jaw and teeth and then he's got these like little piddly arms that don't quite match his entire t-rex body it's just strange but consider this
00:10:16
Speaker
are they wings wing entry points i guess i don't know you know like bat wings have tiny little claws within the wings that that is just amazing to me because it's kind of like is a clown with his tiny little little hands So that's the first point and I'm sure it's not very serious. I'm sure there's people who study boards and dig them up and stuff. I'm pretty sure they would have figured that out by now. So that's more like a little jokey one. But I think this second point is very, very controversial. also quite compelling at the same time and kind of wins me over the chinese wheel of the years has a dragon
Dragons in Witchcraft and Spells
00:10:59
Speaker
within that wheel and this is the year we've just had the year of the dragon every single animal is actually legit animal you know we've got snakes we've got oxes we've got rats we've got rabbits you know and then we've got a dragon and dragon apparently is the only mystical mythical animal on the wheel in the chinese new year oh this is an interesting in little pub fact for you during china's cultural revolution there was an attempt to replace the dragon in the wheel with the giant panda however the movement was very short lived oh my god yes keep that dragon in that wheel
00:11:41
Speaker
Isn't it interesting that the next animal after the dragon is actually the snake? 2025 is the year of the snake, which I just love. And the next year of the dragon will be in 2036.
00:11:57
Speaker
So quite a long time away. So the Wheel of the Year has animals and a dragon. One dragon and everything else is a real animal.
00:12:08
Speaker
how about maybe there were actual dragons once a long long time ago and in the medieval period people wrote about dragons often and how they were used in law and spells and recipes like there were dragon recipes written down how about they ended up killing them and ultimately they became extinct just like the dodo did and it's like hidden history and there is just something about a dragon that I kind of can't quite agree that it's a mythical animal. Dragons are not just the creatures of fantasies it may seem because they're deeply woven into the fabric of various mythologies and cultures all around the globe particularly in the east like China
00:13:00
Speaker
symbolizing power, strength and good fortune. They're often seen as a water deity controlling the rain and the rivers and are celebrated during festivals like the dragon boat festivals and fire festivals. I mean when you think of China you do absolutely think of a big gold dragon with big googly eyes and a load of people inside it dancing him with it so beautifully.
00:13:27
Speaker
Yes, dragons over there are seen as incredibly lucky and fantastically good fortune. In contrast, in the Western world, mythology often portrays dragons as fearsome beasts hoarding treasures and guarding ancient secrets.
00:13:47
Speaker
Think of the legendary dragons like smorg from tokens the hobbit or the fearsome beasts from tales of king arthur and this has also influenced from george and the dragon. In these stories dragons often represent both danger and greed and the potential for transformation And I think that's got the snake connection as well because dragons are seen as reptiles because they've got scales and they're probably called blooded and we've had this before with the snake episode. Snakes are slight, dragons are connected to snakes and they both represent the fire element so there is a lot of little links there. And then also the church taking over and making saints that slay dragons and all that. I'm just saying, I'm just saying how it's interesting how
00:14:37
Speaker
This side isn't as pro-dragon as non-western societies that burnt witches at the stake and all that jazz. It's just an observation from swales. And now I'm going to tell you a little story because I think this one has quite a big influence on dragons of today. This is the Norse mythology tale of Fafnar.
00:15:03
Speaker
Who was once a man, a prince even, the son of a dwarf king. Heard my, can't say these words. He was rich and magnificent. He had lots of treasures that he hoarded from envy of the gods themselves. And in a one fateful day, Loki, that trickster god that we know quite well. Ooh, Choo's gonna love this. He's probably gonna be thinking I'm butchering it.
00:15:29
Speaker
So a look at the trickster god killed Herdma's son, Okra, in a cruel game and as compensation. The gods filled Otra's skin with gold, a treasure cursed by its previous owner, the dwarf.
00:15:47
Speaker
and Vary. This curse promised to ruin anyone who owned it but Greed blinded the family and Fafnar entered by the glittering pile of wealth. He grew jealous and betrayed his father in a brutal act. He murdered him and claimed the treasure for himself. His greed consumed him and he started to guard his treasures from the thieves that kept coming to steal this haunted terrible treasure and so he fled to the wilderness of the forests and hid and transformed into a scary monstrous dragon. His dragon form symbolized his irresistible hunger for gold and his corrupted soul. He breathed poison into the air and terrorized all who approached his lair. Hmm could that be fire or something similar?
00:16:41
Speaker
So years later a young hero named Sigard, guided by the wisdom of the one-eyed god Odin, was fated to confront this dragon, but he was no ordinary warrior. He was actually Fanaf's brother and had his own garages against the dragon. And he was so angry he forged a big-ass mighty sword named Graham, sharp enough to slice through steel. He wanted revenge against the dragon and also to take the treasure for himself. So Sigard set out to slay the beast. He dug trenches along the paths that the dragon used to slither to a nearby stream, intending to strike him from below.
00:17:26
Speaker
and as the dragon approached its massively scary body, casting an ominous shadow, Sigard waited with braided breath. At the perfect moment, he plunged the sword Gram into his soft underbelly, dealing a fatal blow. As the dragon laid dying, he cursed Sigard.
00:17:48
Speaker
warning that the treasure would bring death and betrayal. Undeterred, he'd sank the sword further into the dragon's belly, which granted him the ability to understand the language of the birds. Hearing their whispers, he learned of the Tecture, all about this cursed treasure, and I think pretty much just killed everybody who wanted it.
00:18:12
Speaker
Although victorious, the cursed treasure lingered and the Horde would later lead Tussego's own downfall in the epic Volsunga saga spreading its poison to Hall who claimed it. There you go, that's cheery. And again though, that reminds me of the voyage from the Narnia stories, so that must have been heavily influenced by that story.
00:18:45
Speaker
Hey, I'm Gina. And I'm Amber. And we're here to bring you the Weird True Crime podcast, where we cover true crime cases that will leave you asking yourself, did that really happen? We'll dive into questionable cases throughout history that are solved, unsolved, or just plain unbelievable. We'll also talk about the court gear side of true crime and episodes we like to call, What the F*** Wednesday? So be sure to subscribe and listen on your favorite podcast service.
00:19:20
Speaker
Shall we have a look at some other dragons from around the world? How about this famous tale of a dragon in Wawaal Hill in Poland? According to this legend, this dragon terrorized the city of, oh here we go,
00:19:39
Speaker
Krakow was it? Until a clever shoemaker tricked it into eating a sheep stuffed with sulphur. Unfortunately the dragon unable to resist the lure of the sheep consumed it whole leading to its demise. And this story teaches us about the cunning over brute strength and showcases the theme of good triumphant over evil.
00:20:07
Speaker
An essential element in many witchcraft practices. Another captivating tale comes from ancient Greece. The story of Ladon. The dragon that guarded the golden apples in the garden of Hesperides.
00:20:27
Speaker
Ladon was said to have a hundred heads and was ultimately slain by Hercules. Do you know this legend isn't it? It is in Disney's Hercules where he keeps chopping off heads and Phil goes, how about stop chopping off heads? And then he has hundreds of heads. In this legend, this dragon symbolizes obstacles we face in our path to enlightenment.
00:20:51
Speaker
The golden apple represents our goals and inspirations. So again, the dragon is quite a negative being. Right, let me try and find a positive dragon story. Oh, I quite like this one as a witch.
00:21:08
Speaker
Ryujin is the mighty dragon god of the sea in Japanese folklore. He seems like a very balanced dragon. He can be chaotic or very calm. It kind of mirrors the sea really and in stories he can be both good and bad, can be helpful to the human race and also destroy them if the mood takes him and is like a bridge between the gods and the goddesses of higher realms and also mankind so like the middle dragon. So because his behavior mirrors the sea, Ryujin's shapeshifting nature mirrors the sea as well so he can turn into different things but that represents like duality where tranquility and chaos coexist together. He's got his own grand coral palace called
00:22:05
Speaker
Ryu Gujo and his divine influence touches every creature and current in the oceans. One legend I keep coming across is about how the jellyfish doesn't have any any bones. The story tells that once Ryujin wanted to eat a monkey's heart and sent the jellyfish to get him a monkey. The monkey managed to escape from the jellyfish.
00:22:33
Speaker
by telling him that he had put his heart in a jar in the forest and offered to go and get it. And when the jellyfish came back and told Ryujin what had happened, Ryujin became so angry that he beat the jellyfish until all its bones were broken. He removed them so I read.
00:22:53
Speaker
There's always variations in these stories but this a amazing in dragon god had loads of insider knowledge about healing human beings and medicine that could help so they would often come to him for help and give him an offering and he would supply them with magical pearls and gemstones and materials that would heal and bend human beings.
00:23:23
Speaker
but I know there's a cauldron that he'd give to the humankind that would make endless rice for starving soldiers in one of the wars which is a pretty cool ah witchy move there. As Japan is an island like the water dragon god would have been massively i important and influential in their storytelling. How cool is that? I mean I remember the magic of the seas episode and the snakes in mythology episode, there's so much little overlap that appeals to me. The dragon is such a protective creature in those cultures and is really well loved and respected greatly.
00:24:05
Speaker
What makes dragons particularly magical in the realm of witchcraft? Many practitioners believe that dragons embody the powerful element forces. Fire dragons for instance are associated with passion, transformation and purification.
00:24:21
Speaker
Water dragons represent intuition, emotion and healing. Earth dragons symbolize stability, protection and grounding while air dragons embody intellect, creativity and inspiration and a big-ass piece of clarity. In witchcraft, dragons are seen as powerful totems or spirit guides helping in practitioners to harness these elemental energies.
00:24:49
Speaker
They are often invoked with spells and rituals providing strength and wisdom. In some traditions witches create dragon effigies or talismans to connect with these mystical beings and channel their power into their own 3D world. I've got a pet dragon you know, you probably know this. Dave is a bearded dragon and he's a reptile but I proper love him and he is such a no-nonsense dragon.
00:25:19
Speaker
ah And when I got him he was actually called Smog. Then my daughter said, ooh, he looks like a Dave. And I thought, he does actually look like a Dave. He's an old grumpy man and he's got a really judgy face. He's absolutely a Dave. ah Sorry to all the Dave's listening out there.
00:25:37
Speaker
But in the role of a modern witchcraft, many witches and Wiccan practitioners of the craft invoke the energy of the dragon within to their rituals. They may call upon these majestic beings for our protection, wisdom and guidance. To me personally it feels like definitely a fire element and it just seems to be such a strong characteristic and protective at that among a mumma dragon.
00:26:06
Speaker
and I was thinking we could incorporate a little dragon-ish spell so yes let's go for that now
00:26:19
Speaker
This is Dragon's at Breath Spell. You will need a red candle for fire dragons, a blue candle for water dragons, a green candle for earth dragons, and an orange candle for air dragons. One piece of paper and a pen and a small bowl of salt. So nothing too fancy. Begin by finding a quiet space where you can work uninterrupted.
00:26:47
Speaker
set your candles alight representing the four elements as you'll light the red candle first say fire dragon i ignite my passion and transformation next light the blue candle saying water dragon flow through me with healing and intuition like the third green candle saying earth dragon ground me in stability and protection and finally like the orange candle saying air dragon inspire my creativity and intellect
00:27:25
Speaker
On your piece of paper write down what you wish to manifest in your life with the help of this dragon energy. Fold the paper and place it in the centre of the circle. Sprinkle some salt over the folded paper as a symbol of purification and protection. Now close your eyes and visualise dragons surrounding you.
00:27:53
Speaker
and all their energies flowing freely around you. Imagine their vibrant colours swirling around, filling you with their unique strengths. Take a deep breath and say...
00:28:07
Speaker
Dragons of power, hear my call. With your magic, I stand tall. Elemental forces, guide my way. In your light, I wish to stay. Sit in this meditative circle for as long as you feel comfortable.
00:28:27
Speaker
allowing the energy of the dragons to envelop you. You may even wish to visualize dragons of your choosing whether they be fiery red or tranquil blue or sturdy green or a wispy orange coming forward to share their own wisdoms with you personally.
00:28:45
Speaker
When you feel ready, take a deep breath, open your eyes and extinguish your candles one by one, thinking of each dragon and thanking them for their presence and assistance in your circle.
00:29:00
Speaker
Place your folded paper somewhere special like on your altar on your sacred place to remind you of the energy you've just invoked. Finally take a moment to express gratitude to them dragons and the elements. You can say a simple phrase like thank you for your guidance and support. May I carry your magic with me always.
Community Engagement and Holiday Wishes
00:29:24
Speaker
or just for a few days. After you've completed your spell I invite you to reflect with the dragon and do some journaling and I have created a few helpful journal prompts for you to carry on your dragon invoking work into the year of the snake. What qualities do you most admire about dragons and how can you embody these traits into your life?
00:29:53
Speaker
Look around you and see if you can see any images of dragons, any films you own, any mugs or you know what kind of dragon is on there. Do you like how dragons look? There's a reason for that. Nothing is coincidental. And how can you incorporate the elemental energies of dragons into your daily practice? Rituals and magic.
00:30:18
Speaker
do have a little journal and if you're willing to share, tag the bell which podcasts separated by underscores on Instagram. I would love to see what you've journaled and how it looks and love a journal me. Remember the energy of the dragon is always available to you if you seek it. And as we bid farewell to the year of the dragon,
00:30:40
Speaker
which has taught us so many lessons in resilience, in courage, in loyalty and in strength. Let us carry the lessons and the magic of these magnificent spiritual creatures whether they be of mythology, mystery or forgotten history. Let's take their power into the new year and celebrate the things to come.
00:31:10
Speaker
Thank you very much for listening to the Bell Witch podcast, witching in the 21st century with me, Swales, the friendly green witch. I'm coming up to two years now in March, which is pretty fantastic. it's flown by and I've learned lots but I'm always looking to evolve as you know and I was thinking it'd be awesome if I could invite you on the podcast listener with your stories let's connect that perhaps some of you out there could send me an email on the bellwitchpodcast at yahoo dot.com write to me and tell me about your witchy life your witchy craft why it's so positive how it's helped you how it's helped your mental health
00:31:55
Speaker
and all the positivity it'd be so awesome to hear from you about this why you love it you know like positive mental health witchiness and i can read some stories out as a bit of a bonus episode it'd be lovely to do this maybe once a month i was thinking So do get in contact with me if you've got any insights you'd like to share, any pointers. And in the new year I will be uploading the very last meditation episode which is taking a bit of a long time to come about but I'll be working on it over the festive period so there you go.
00:32:30
Speaker
So have a fantastic Christmas and a happy new calendar year and I shall speak to you in January 2025.
00:32:44
Speaker
Stay magical witches!