Lisa Marie Rankin [00:00:00]:

Hello, beautiful listeners. In today's episode, I'm exploring one of my favorite metaphors for feminine power, the dragon. You'll hear why modern heroines no longer slay the dragon, but ride it. We'll look at what dragons symbolize in mythology and Jungian psychology and how female characters like Daenerys Targaryen show us what it means to bond with our inner fire. So if you've ever felt underestimated, silenced, or unsure of your power, this one's for you. Let's find out what it means to be dragon worthy.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:00:38]:

Welcome to the Goddess School podcast, a space for women who want to reclaim their story, awaken their archetypal power, and live mythically. I'm Lisa Marie Rankine, author, teacher, and your mythic guide. I help women step beyond self self help and into soul work by weaving together Jungian psychology, storytelling, ritual and feminine wisdom traditions. In each episode, you'll find personal reflections, mythic frameworks, and soul stirring conversations designed to help you re enchant your everyday life and become the heroine of your next chapter. This isn't about fixing yourself. It's about becoming the woman you are meant to be.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:01:21]:

The veil is parting.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:01:23]:

The ship is setting.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:01:24]:

Sail.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:01:25]:

Let's begin.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:01:31]:

Hello, beautiful listeners. Over the next few weeks, here on the Goddess School podcast, I'm exploring romantasy, archetypes, symbols and tropes. Because art mirrors the collective unconscious, and yes, that is your psyche too. This. These modern myths offer us surprisingly creative strategies for navigating conflict and becoming the heroine of your own mythic life. Okay, real talk here. I want a dragon. Not just because it would be insanely cool to fly through the sky, breathing fire at villains and outdated systems and structures, but because dragons represent something deeper, something ancient and something, I believe many women have forgotten.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:02:16]:

Their primal power. Now, this might be your anger, your sensuality, or simply your desire to show up loud and unapologetically. And this is where the dragon comes in. So grab your cup of tea or your sword, because today we're diving into why you need a dragon, and even more importantly, how to become worthy of one. So let's get started by talking about the hero's journey so many of you know. Joseph Campbell, author, educator, mytholog, coined the phrase the hero's journey and talked about this map, this archetypal map where the hero slays the dragon. The dragon is an obstacle, a beast to be conquered, so the hero can then return home with the gold. Now, in the Heroine's Journey by Maureen Murdoch, she doesn't mention dragons at all.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:03:07]:

And I actually think that's a miss. But for centuries, dragons have been depicted as powerful, mystical beings that have been fierce adversaries to be slain, as in the Hero's Journey or ancient forces guarding deep wisdom. But in modern literature and modern myths, we see a compelling shift. Women and dragons aren't enemies, they're allies. The dragon amplifies its rider's power. So we can say that the dragon is a representation of untamed feminine potential just waiting to be awakened. Dragons are often associated with order and chaos, or creation and destruction, wisdom and mystery. These dualities also align with feminine archetypes which hold paradoxical power, the ability to create and destroy the maiden mother and crone.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:04:01]:

And as you might know, we are all of these all at once. And in Jungian psychology, the dragon often represents the shadow. So we can think of the shadow as anything that doesn't align with our ego. The ego is our conscious mind. It's who we believe ourselves to be in how we present to the world. So the shadow is anything that doesn't align with that. It could be some of the qualities that maybe we've consciously suppressed because they contradict who we think that we are or unconsciously have repressed. And for many women, since we have been taught to be good girls, people pleasers and agreeable, a lot of these qualities that we suppress or repress might be rage, sexuality, deep instinctual wisdom.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:04:53]:

Often we think of the shadow as the parts of ourselves that maybe are deemed unworthy. I don't really like to use that term unworthy or good or bad, because I believe all of our qualities are worthy. They all have wisdom. Sometimes we just need to learn how to wield them. But in our zeitgeist, you know, shadow work has become sort of popular, and we tend to think of our shadow as parts of ourselves, like our vanity, jealousy, manipulation, and greed. In short, that's part of it. But just for the record, there's wisdom in those qualities too. But our shadow also holds our magic, our creativity, and our courage.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:05:35]:

Again, the shadow contains anything that doesn't align with our ego. So it could also be our ability to create, to show up, to take up space. So if a dragon represents our shadow, what happens when a woman bonds with her dragon? She integrates all of these shadow qualities. She becomes whole, and she has access to her full power. And if we think of this in Jungian terms, that's really what we're here for. So that is the path of individuation, is to reclaim all of these parts of ourselves. As Carl Jung had said, I'd rather be whole and than good. So today's heroines don't slay the dragons.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:06:21]:

They're not obstacles to overcome. We ride them, we integrate them. So let's take a few examples from modern myths. Let's start with Daenerys Targaryen, the mother of dragons. I loved Game of Thrones. So Daenerys begins as a powerless girl. She is married off by her brother to serve a political agenda. She's underestimated, manipulated, and seemingly fragile.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:06:50]:

But her destiny changes when she steps into the fire and is reborn alongside her three dragons. Now, here we see the dragons catalyze the sense of rebirth. Daenerys connection to her dragons signifies this great transformation. She is no longer this innocent pawn, but a skillful queen who can emerge from the flames. It also shows her potential. Her dragons are an extension of her own inner fire, her courage, her willpower, and her right to rule. And also her sovereignty. Daenerys no longer needs a man, though, let's be real, she does enjoy them, and she can step into her own authority and power.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:07:35]:

Daenerys three dragons allow her to fight White Walkers and liberate kingdoms well, until she destroys one. But even then, her dragon remains loyal. The next example is Violet Tsaringale. So she is the heroine in Rebecca Yarrows's Fourth Wing series. Now, in this series, Violet is thrust into this brutal world, a war college where only the strongest survive. Now, this isn't great for Violet because she has this condition where she is easily injured due to a disorder that causes her tendons and bones to be very fragile. So she's told from very early on that she's too weak to bond with a dragon, let alone become a warrior. Yet against all odds, Violet does.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:08:23]:

And not just one dragon. She bonds with two of them, which is really unheard of here. Her dragons catalyze initiation. So when Violet bonds with her dragon, she steps into her power and it's not given to her. She earns it through her own resilience, outsmarting others and thinking outside of the box and believing in herself. Her dragons also show her her potential. So in Fourth Wing, you don't choose a dragon. Dragons choose you, and they choose their riders based on worthiness, not strength.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:08:58]:

They see beyond limitations and into one's true potential. And then lastly, skill. Violet learns that power isn't about brute force, but strategy, intelligence, Entrusting her innate and unique gifts. Violet's journey really mirrors many women's challenges. Society underestimates them, but fortunately for Violet her dragon never does. The last example is Manon Black Bee. She is the Queen of Witches in Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:09:32]:

Manon is imperious, cruel, and she's also stunningly beautiful. She begins as a ruthless leader with a heart of stone, but something shifts when she bonds with her woven Abraxos. Okay, so he is not a dragon. He is a wyvern, but close enough. So Abraxos helps Manon access her compassion, because even though he is not the biggest or strongest wyvern, he is fiercely loyal and deeply sensitive. Through him, Manon begins to access her capacity for empathy and love. He also helps her find connection. Their bond softens her edges.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:10:14]:

She begins to question the rules she's been taught to live, live by and her relationship with others. She values the women in her pack, and she also starts a relationship with Dorian, the princeling. Abraxas also helps Manon transform. She doesn't lose her power because she becomes more compassionate. She gains it. She becomes whole. She learns that strength can coexist with tenderness. Abraxas doesn't demand that Manon change.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:10:45]:

He simply shows her what's possible. And here's the important part. Not everyone gets a dragon. You have to be worthy of one. Dragons don't give their riders anything they don't already possess. They amplify it. Daenerys was a liberator. Lightning was Violet's gift, but the dragon power activated it.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:11:07]:

Manon was always capable of love. She just didn't realize it. Dragons are wise, loyal, protective, lethal. And they are often snarky with a bad temper. And really, isn't that what we all really want? A mystical, lethal creature who is loyal to only us and maybe a few trusted dragons. As women with fragile bodies in mortal lives, many of our strategies revolve around staying safe. Often, this keeps us playing small. Because when we shine our light, when we take up space, it can feel like there's a target on our backs.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:11:44]:

So we stay quiet, humble, agreeable. But I want you to take a moment to consider this. What if you had a dragon? One that protected you from enemies, kept others in line, and emboldened you to speak your truth. If you had a dragon, what would you stand for? What demands would you make? What power would you wield? And what would you wear? I imagine myself in some fierce flight leathers. Now remember, you must be chosen by a dragon, so be honest with yourself. Are you dragon worthy? Do you train your mind, body, and spirit? Are you committed to mastering your skills and magic? Are Your intentions honorable Dragons inspire us to be our best and then they amplify our magic. Because let's face it, if you spend your days scrolling on social media, eating junk food and gossiping, a dragon's probably not going to choose you. So here's what I hope you take away from today.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:12:51]:

The dragon isn't your enemy, it's your ally. It's a symbol of your shadow, your strength, your power, and your soul's fire. In modern myths romantasy, dragons amplify what's already inside you. So what powers do you have that are ready to come alive? To be chosen by a dragon means you're committed to your path, that you're always stepping into that next best version of yourself. You don't need to be perfect, but you do need to be present. You don't earn a dragon by being a plight. You become dragon worthy by being real. So this week, ask yourself, what part of me have I been hiding that my dragon would want me to reclaim? Where have I been? Staying small.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:13:42]:

When it's time to speak more loudly, take up more space, and if you're ready to go even deeper, I've created an active imagination journey and workbook to help you meet your dragon. This is for my Substack subscribers. Over on in Substack is where we explore modern myths, archetypal wisdom and romantasy tropes through journaling, active imagination and monthly live gatherings. It's a space where the mythic meets the practical and you get to enchant your life from the inside out. You'll find the link in the show notes. Until next time, my friend.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:14:23]:

Thank you for joining me for this episode of the Gotta School podcast.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:14:28]:

I hope it sparked your imagination and.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:14:30]:

Expanded your vision for what's possible. If you're ready to explore these concepts more deeply, reclaim your personal myth and live with greater creativity and enchantment, I invite you to join me inside enlivened my Divine Feminine Mystery School and sacred community where we bring these teachings to life through ritual, story coaching and of.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:14:52]:

Course, real world action.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:14:55]:

You can find the link to learn more in the show notes. And remember, the goddess isn't a deity outside of yourself. She's an aspect of your highest self. You are the goddess.

Lisa Marie Rankin [00:15:05]:

Until next time.