Dragons are my favorite mythical beasts. In almost every legend I’ve read, dragons have always been seen as majestic and authoritative, ancient symbols of a deep, almost magical knowledge that human beings have forgotten over the ages. I’ve heard that, in the Tibetan tradition, dragons are the guardians of the South. Their dominion is water, which alchemically correlates with emotions.

My Chinese astrological sign is also the Dragon. Specifically, it is the Dragon Rising Up Into Heaven, the most venerable of the dragons. Lately, I meditated upon this symbol, wondering why it is so powerful. I asked myself: What about the dragon makes it such a potent symbol? Is it because it has power over everything over which it claims?

The dragon doesn’t establish power over his dominion… water… emotions… through control. Rather, it dives deep into the waters, and then comes up and rides them. In the same way, my sign reminds me that I need to  not try to control my emotions, but rather to dive deep into them, and then to simply ride them.