Dragonfly Medicine
*Ted Andrews/Animal-Speak:
Keynote: The Power of Light
Dragonflies and Damselflies are very ancient with estimates of having been around for over 180 million years. They have beautiful, jewel-like coloring. The bright colors take time to develop, reflecting the idea that with maturity our own true colors come forth. This is part of dragonfly medicine.
For many it is difficult to tell the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly. Dragonflies have broad bodies and enormous eyes. Damselflies are more slender and delicate. When dragonflies are at rest, they hold their wings out like a glider. Damselflies will fold their wings over their backs when at rest. Dragonflies will often eat while in flight, and damselflies will always land before eating.
Both are known for their fast flight and their dazzling aerial feats, as if imitating how light itself can be moved and directed. They twist, turn, change direction in an instant, hover, move up or down, and even fly backwards. Dragonflies are sometimes known as mosquito hawks. Both the damsels and the dragons are excellent hunters of flying insects. They can fly at speeds up to 30mph, and their eyes help spot flying insects. They can spot a movement 40ft. away. They use their sharp, spiny legs and strong jaws to capture prey.
Dragonflies and damselflies inhabit two realms--water and air. The significance of these should be examined. In their early life--as a nymph--they live within the water. As they mature and go through their metammorphosis, they move to the realm of air. It is not unusual to find individuals with dragonfly totems to be very emotional and passionate in the early years, but as they get older, they learn to balance it with greater mental clarity and control. sometimes it can indicate that the emotions have gotten shut down because of emotional issues in the early life. Remember tha the dragonfly and damselfly are always found around water. There must be expressions of the emotional and the mental together.
If a dragonfly has shown up in your life, you may need some fresh air in regard to something emotional. You may need to gain a new perspective or make a change. It may even indicate that you are neglecting your emotions. Are you being too rational about everyting? Are you not keeping the color of emotions alive?
Dragonflies are very territorial. They will lay their eggs within their territory near the water. The egg eventually develops into the nymph stage of metamorphosis in this insect, and remains as a nymph for almost two years before it transforms into an adult dragonfly or damselfly. This can reflect a number of possiblities for those with this totem. It can indicate that an approximate two-year period of change is about to reach its culmination. It may reflect that you are coming into a two-year period of transformation. It may even reflect a need to institute changes that may culminate in the colorful transformations you desire within a two-year period. Only by examining your life and activities will you begin to undersatand its specific role.
Just as light can bend and shift and be adapted in a variety of ways, so can the archetypal forces associated with the dragonfly. It is one of the most adaptable of insects. It is why it has been able to survive for so long. Dragonflies have two pairs of wings, but if need be, they can fly with one. Their eyes are kept clean with special combs on their legs and by washing the eyes with water drops collected in the mouth.
Their main predators are frogs and birds. Particularly the frog should be studied by those with this totem. Their realm is the realm of light, and they are only out during the day, as they are cold-blooded. Summer is their most powerful time, as they need the warmth and light of the sun. for those with this totem, this will be important to consider. Spending tie outside in the sun near fresh water sources will be beneficial for restoring and changing health conditions for the better for those with this totem.
Although some have color pigments in their skin, for most the colors are caused almost the same way rainbows form. Structures in their shell scatter and refract the light, making them look iridescent green and blue. as they age, they may pass through several color changes. This ability to reflect and refract light and color has caused it to be associated with many forms of magic and mysticism--including color magic, illusion (causing others only to see what you wish), and more. Dragonfly's magic is the power of light and all that has ever been associated with it.
Dragonflies and damselflies are often depicted in Japanese paintings, representing new light and joy. To some Native Americans, they repesent the souls of the dead. some stories speak of the time in which they used to be real dragons. Often we assume that dragons have to be gigantic beasts breathing fire, but the fantastic creatures of the Faerie Realm often come in many shapes and sizes. Dragonflies because they are mythical relatives of the ancient dragons are wonderful links to working with nature spirits. for more information on them, you may wish to refer to my earlier work "Enchantment of the Fairie Realm."
The dragon fly and damselfly reflect the work with the sun and light. The light changes throughout the day. The dragonfly and damselfly undergo their own transformations. If they have shown up, look for changes to occur. Are you resisting change when you shouldn't? Dragonflies remind us that we are light and can reflect the light in powerful ways if we choose to do so. "Let there be light" is the divine prompting to use the creative imagination as a force within your life. This is part of what dragonflies and damselflies teach us.
Life is never quite the way it appears, but it is always filled with light and color. Dragonfly can help you to see through your illusions and thus allow your own light to shine forth. Dragonfly brings the brightness of transformation and the wonder of colorful new vision.
*Jamie Sams & David Carson/Medicine Cards:
Illusion. Dragonfly medicine is of the dreamtime and the illusionary facade we accept as the physical reality. The iridescence of Dragonfly's wings reminds us of colors not found in our everyday experience. Dragonfly's shifting of color, energy, form, and movement explodes into the mind of the observer, bringing vague memories of a time or place where magic reigned.
Some legends say that the Dragonfly was once Dragon, and that Dragon had scales like Dragonfly's wings. Dragon was full of wisdom, and flew through the night bringing light with its fiery breath. The breath of Dragon brought forth the art of magic and the illusion of changing form. Then Dragon got caught in its own facade. Coyote tricked Dragon into changing form, and the shape of its new body became like the Dragonfly's. In accepting the challenge to prove its power and magical prowess, Dragon lost its power.
Dragonfly is the essence of the winds of change, the messages of wisdom and enlightenment, and the communications from the elemental world. This elemental world is made up of the tiny spirits of plants, and of the elements air, earth, fire, and water. In essence, this world is full of nature spirits.
If Dragonfly has flowin into your cards today, you may have forgotten to water your plants. On another level, you may need to give thanks to the foods you eat for sustaining your body. On the psychological level, it may be time to break down the illusions you have held that restrict your actions or ideas.
Dragonfly medicine always beckons you to seek out the parts of your habits which you need to change. Have you put on too much weight, or have you started to look like a scarecrow? Have you tended to the changes you have wanted to make in your life? If you feel the need for change, call on Dragonfly to guide you through the mists of illusion to the pathway of transformation.
See how you can apply the art of illusion to your present question or situation, and remember that things are never completely as they seem.
Contrary: Are you trying to prove to yourself or someone else that you have power? Are you caught in an illusion that weakens your true feelings or minimizes your abilities? If so, you may have contracted "Dragonfly dive-bombing." Is this the final "crash and burn" for some pipe-dream that had no real purpose? Look within and feel the sense-of-self energy within yourself. Notice if it is ebbing, and find the point in time when you were deluded into believing that you would be happier if you changed because someone else wanted you to. Misery is a prime clue that you lost your will and personal validity when you bought into someone else's idea of who or what you should be. The illusion was that you would be happier if you did it their way. In forefeiting what you know is right and true for you personally, you give away your power. Is it time for you to take it back.
Follow Dragonfly to the place inside your body where magic is still alive, and drink deeply of its power. This strength belongs to you. It is the power of becoming the illusion. This ability is ever changing, and contains within it the knowledge that you are creating it all.
*Dragonfly is the guardian and protector of Quetzalcoatl.
*Patricia Telesco/The Language of Dreams:
If hovering near water, this represents the cooperation between your mental/conscous self and your emotional nature. Dragonflies are very adaptable, but also territorial. Have you been hovering around your domain too much? Or perhaps you've been too flexible in a specific situation. Dragonflies need warmth and sunlight. On the dream plane, this may represent a similar physical need that manifests as depression or restlessness. Alternatively, it may symbolize the need to be more aware of the conscious, masculine, solar self. In Japan, these are emblems of happiness and good fortune. Among Native Americans, the souls of the departed may reside in these creatures. As such, they may be messengers from other realms communicating through your dream.
*Mary Summer Rain/On Dreams:
Dragonfly denotes a strong, positive spiritual force or aspect.
*D.J. Conway/Animal Magick:
There are about a thousand different kinds of this insect. They all have large heads, composed of mostly eyes. Its two huge compound eyes give an exotic appearance. The dragonfly has a long, slender body and four large, strong wings.
The dragonfly is also called the Devil's Darning Needle, the Bee Butcher, and the Mosquito Hawk. It is one of the most beautiful of all insects and harmless to humans and animals, regardless of some of the fruesome folklore connected with it. However, it does eat large quantities of insects, particularly mosquitose, both as an adult and as a nymph. It doesn't sting or attack horses.
The dragonfly shares much of the same symbolism as that of the butterfly. it is the national emblem of Japan, which i sometimes called the Island of the Dragonfly, Akitsu-shima. Japanese art and poetry make frequent use of this insect. However, it can also represent irresponsibility and unreliability. The Chinese say that the dragonfly symbolizes Summer, weakness, and instability.
There are Native American legends that say the dragonfly was once a dragon and had scales like those on the dragonfy's wings. However, Coyote tricked it into changing its form, and it couldn't change back. They say it represents swiftness, illusion, and change.
Superstitions: Dragonflies are believed to sew together the lips of people who sleep outside at night. They are said to attack snakes and sting horses. If a dragonfly hovers over a fisherman, he will have good fishing luck.
Magickal attributes: Dreams, illusions. Mystic messages of enlightenment from spirit. Breaking down illusions in order to transform your life. Change is coming. Understanding dreams. Opening yourelf to messages from the gods. Seeing the truth in any situation or person.
*Zolar/Encyclopedia of Signs, Omens, and Superstitions:
Catch one and you are sure to marry within the year. Dragonflies are also said to come to fishermen's aid by hovering over fish.
*Open for discussion.
*Ted Andrews/Animal-Speak:
Keynote: The Power of Light
Dragonflies and Damselflies are very ancient with estimates of having been around for over 180 million years. They have beautiful, jewel-like coloring. The bright colors take time to develop, reflecting the idea that with maturity our own true colors come forth. This is part of dragonfly medicine.
For many it is difficult to tell the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly. Dragonflies have broad bodies and enormous eyes. Damselflies are more slender and delicate. When dragonflies are at rest, they hold their wings out like a glider. Damselflies will fold their wings over their backs when at rest. Dragonflies will often eat while in flight, and damselflies will always land before eating.
Both are known for their fast flight and their dazzling aerial feats, as if imitating how light itself can be moved and directed. They twist, turn, change direction in an instant, hover, move up or down, and even fly backwards. Dragonflies are sometimes known as mosquito hawks. Both the damsels and the dragons are excellent hunters of flying insects. They can fly at speeds up to 30mph, and their eyes help spot flying insects. They can spot a movement 40ft. away. They use their sharp, spiny legs and strong jaws to capture prey.
Dragonflies and damselflies inhabit two realms--water and air. The significance of these should be examined. In their early life--as a nymph--they live within the water. As they mature and go through their metammorphosis, they move to the realm of air. It is not unusual to find individuals with dragonfly totems to be very emotional and passionate in the early years, but as they get older, they learn to balance it with greater mental clarity and control. sometimes it can indicate that the emotions have gotten shut down because of emotional issues in the early life. Remember tha the dragonfly and damselfly are always found around water. There must be expressions of the emotional and the mental together.
If a dragonfly has shown up in your life, you may need some fresh air in regard to something emotional. You may need to gain a new perspective or make a change. It may even indicate that you are neglecting your emotions. Are you being too rational about everyting? Are you not keeping the color of emotions alive?
Dragonflies are very territorial. They will lay their eggs within their territory near the water. The egg eventually develops into the nymph stage of metamorphosis in this insect, and remains as a nymph for almost two years before it transforms into an adult dragonfly or damselfly. This can reflect a number of possiblities for those with this totem. It can indicate that an approximate two-year period of change is about to reach its culmination. It may reflect that you are coming into a two-year period of transformation. It may even reflect a need to institute changes that may culminate in the colorful transformations you desire within a two-year period. Only by examining your life and activities will you begin to undersatand its specific role.
Just as light can bend and shift and be adapted in a variety of ways, so can the archetypal forces associated with the dragonfly. It is one of the most adaptable of insects. It is why it has been able to survive for so long. Dragonflies have two pairs of wings, but if need be, they can fly with one. Their eyes are kept clean with special combs on their legs and by washing the eyes with water drops collected in the mouth.
Their main predators are frogs and birds. Particularly the frog should be studied by those with this totem. Their realm is the realm of light, and they are only out during the day, as they are cold-blooded. Summer is their most powerful time, as they need the warmth and light of the sun. for those with this totem, this will be important to consider. Spending tie outside in the sun near fresh water sources will be beneficial for restoring and changing health conditions for the better for those with this totem.
Although some have color pigments in their skin, for most the colors are caused almost the same way rainbows form. Structures in their shell scatter and refract the light, making them look iridescent green and blue. as they age, they may pass through several color changes. This ability to reflect and refract light and color has caused it to be associated with many forms of magic and mysticism--including color magic, illusion (causing others only to see what you wish), and more. Dragonfly's magic is the power of light and all that has ever been associated with it.
Dragonflies and damselflies are often depicted in Japanese paintings, representing new light and joy. To some Native Americans, they repesent the souls of the dead. some stories speak of the time in which they used to be real dragons. Often we assume that dragons have to be gigantic beasts breathing fire, but the fantastic creatures of the Faerie Realm often come in many shapes and sizes. Dragonflies because they are mythical relatives of the ancient dragons are wonderful links to working with nature spirits. for more information on them, you may wish to refer to my earlier work "Enchantment of the Fairie Realm."
The dragon fly and damselfly reflect the work with the sun and light. The light changes throughout the day. The dragonfly and damselfly undergo their own transformations. If they have shown up, look for changes to occur. Are you resisting change when you shouldn't? Dragonflies remind us that we are light and can reflect the light in powerful ways if we choose to do so. "Let there be light" is the divine prompting to use the creative imagination as a force within your life. This is part of what dragonflies and damselflies teach us.
Life is never quite the way it appears, but it is always filled with light and color. Dragonfly can help you to see through your illusions and thus allow your own light to shine forth. Dragonfly brings the brightness of transformation and the wonder of colorful new vision.
*Jamie Sams & David Carson/Medicine Cards:
Illusion. Dragonfly medicine is of the dreamtime and the illusionary facade we accept as the physical reality. The iridescence of Dragonfly's wings reminds us of colors not found in our everyday experience. Dragonfly's shifting of color, energy, form, and movement explodes into the mind of the observer, bringing vague memories of a time or place where magic reigned.
Some legends say that the Dragonfly was once Dragon, and that Dragon had scales like Dragonfly's wings. Dragon was full of wisdom, and flew through the night bringing light with its fiery breath. The breath of Dragon brought forth the art of magic and the illusion of changing form. Then Dragon got caught in its own facade. Coyote tricked Dragon into changing form, and the shape of its new body became like the Dragonfly's. In accepting the challenge to prove its power and magical prowess, Dragon lost its power.
Dragonfly is the essence of the winds of change, the messages of wisdom and enlightenment, and the communications from the elemental world. This elemental world is made up of the tiny spirits of plants, and of the elements air, earth, fire, and water. In essence, this world is full of nature spirits.
If Dragonfly has flowin into your cards today, you may have forgotten to water your plants. On another level, you may need to give thanks to the foods you eat for sustaining your body. On the psychological level, it may be time to break down the illusions you have held that restrict your actions or ideas.
Dragonfly medicine always beckons you to seek out the parts of your habits which you need to change. Have you put on too much weight, or have you started to look like a scarecrow? Have you tended to the changes you have wanted to make in your life? If you feel the need for change, call on Dragonfly to guide you through the mists of illusion to the pathway of transformation.
See how you can apply the art of illusion to your present question or situation, and remember that things are never completely as they seem.
Contrary: Are you trying to prove to yourself or someone else that you have power? Are you caught in an illusion that weakens your true feelings or minimizes your abilities? If so, you may have contracted "Dragonfly dive-bombing." Is this the final "crash and burn" for some pipe-dream that had no real purpose? Look within and feel the sense-of-self energy within yourself. Notice if it is ebbing, and find the point in time when you were deluded into believing that you would be happier if you changed because someone else wanted you to. Misery is a prime clue that you lost your will and personal validity when you bought into someone else's idea of who or what you should be. The illusion was that you would be happier if you did it their way. In forefeiting what you know is right and true for you personally, you give away your power. Is it time for you to take it back.
Follow Dragonfly to the place inside your body where magic is still alive, and drink deeply of its power. This strength belongs to you. It is the power of becoming the illusion. This ability is ever changing, and contains within it the knowledge that you are creating it all.
*Dragonfly is the guardian and protector of Quetzalcoatl.
*Patricia Telesco/The Language of Dreams:
If hovering near water, this represents the cooperation between your mental/conscous self and your emotional nature. Dragonflies are very adaptable, but also territorial. Have you been hovering around your domain too much? Or perhaps you've been too flexible in a specific situation. Dragonflies need warmth and sunlight. On the dream plane, this may represent a similar physical need that manifests as depression or restlessness. Alternatively, it may symbolize the need to be more aware of the conscious, masculine, solar self. In Japan, these are emblems of happiness and good fortune. Among Native Americans, the souls of the departed may reside in these creatures. As such, they may be messengers from other realms communicating through your dream.
*Mary Summer Rain/On Dreams:
Dragonfly denotes a strong, positive spiritual force or aspect.
*D.J. Conway/Animal Magick:
There are about a thousand different kinds of this insect. They all have large heads, composed of mostly eyes. Its two huge compound eyes give an exotic appearance. The dragonfly has a long, slender body and four large, strong wings.
The dragonfly is also called the Devil's Darning Needle, the Bee Butcher, and the Mosquito Hawk. It is one of the most beautiful of all insects and harmless to humans and animals, regardless of some of the fruesome folklore connected with it. However, it does eat large quantities of insects, particularly mosquitose, both as an adult and as a nymph. It doesn't sting or attack horses.
The dragonfly shares much of the same symbolism as that of the butterfly. it is the national emblem of Japan, which i sometimes called the Island of the Dragonfly, Akitsu-shima. Japanese art and poetry make frequent use of this insect. However, it can also represent irresponsibility and unreliability. The Chinese say that the dragonfly symbolizes Summer, weakness, and instability.
There are Native American legends that say the dragonfly was once a dragon and had scales like those on the dragonfy's wings. However, Coyote tricked it into changing its form, and it couldn't change back. They say it represents swiftness, illusion, and change.
Superstitions: Dragonflies are believed to sew together the lips of people who sleep outside at night. They are said to attack snakes and sting horses. If a dragonfly hovers over a fisherman, he will have good fishing luck.
Magickal attributes: Dreams, illusions. Mystic messages of enlightenment from spirit. Breaking down illusions in order to transform your life. Change is coming. Understanding dreams. Opening yourelf to messages from the gods. Seeing the truth in any situation or person.
*Zolar/Encyclopedia of Signs, Omens, and Superstitions:
Catch one and you are sure to marry within the year. Dragonflies are also said to come to fishermen's aid by hovering over fish.
*Open for discussion.
