"It Fed on the Flesh of Its Unknowing Until It Knew" -- Dragon Medicine: A Journey Into the Wilderness of Healing and Revelation

"I, the Dragon: Chronicles of An Epic Life Among the Humans" http://GoFundMe.com/wordsofpower

 The dragon within you knows the truth of this world. Hatched in the nest of sorrows, it fed on the flesh of its unknowing until it knew. Ageless, it sets fire to the corpse of an age; ageless, it births the next, where you took your first step. Not in space or time, but in that love being which pervades and envelopes both. You will have so much to say, and to share, but no words, and so little time.
Whoever you are, wherever you stand, (or fall, or kneel, or crawl), whatever beauty you hold in your hands, it is priceless, and fleeting, you must pass it on before it is lost forever, it will only be a whisper of what you saw, only the shadow of what you felt, but it may be enough to ignite the next smokeless fire in the throat of the next dragon birthing the next age from the womb of its mistress Maya, dripping in blood and placenta. This is the truth of this world.
   -- Richard Power, "I, the Dragon: Chronicles of An Epic Life Among the Humans" (2018)

Speaking on "I, the Dragon" at The Center SF, July 2018
Photo by @BrennaGeehan

In the Tea Room of The Center SF, on the Feast of Mary Magdalene (7/22/18), I presented "Dragon Medicine: A Journey Into Healing and Revelation" for a marvelous gathering of performance artists, yoginis, seekers, tantrikas, occultists, burners, poets and follow travelers.

In the course of the ninety minute offering, I read several excerpts from "I, the Dragon: Chronicles of An Epic Life Among the Humans" including "Algorithms of Grace," "Path of Sorcery" and "Special Victims Unit (SVU), I spoke on some of the narrative's major themes including the Anthropocene Age, Sociopathy as a Philosophy of Governance and the Ascendancy of the Feminine in Psyche, and I led breath, sound and meditation practices from the ancient teachings of Kashmir and Tibet. 

Fortunately, my friend and ally Philip Safarik filmed the event. I have posted this digital artifact on my "Spoken Words of Power" You Tube channel and also embedded it in this post.




It would be so easy to assume that you have almost NO ATTENTION SPAN left, and that there is no way you will take this 90 minute journey with me. But I feel that you have a stronger mind and a greater heart capacity than others might expect, I feel like your soul is closer to the surface than some might assume, so here it is ... Nevertheless, just in case, I have also created this table of corresponding times and content, so you can just go straight to one topic or another, and kind of approach this 90 minute journey as a buffet, that you can return to over and over ...

• 3:52-7:09 Practice: Vijnanabhairava #1 (Breath)
• 7:09-12:28 Universe, Multiverse, Mysterium
• 12:30-18:50 The Voice
• 18:52-20:11 Saga of Healing and Revelation
• 20:12-23:17 Reading: Algorithms of Grace
• 23:20-24:39 Hell
• 24:40-28:50 Reading: SVU (Special Victims Unit)
• 28:52-31:01 "I Shouldn't Even Be Here ..."
• 31:02-33:57 Planet-Circumambulating Expert
• 34:02-39:00 Reading: Path of Sorcery
• 39:02-42:53 Performance: Mary Power's "Love Arises
• 42:54-46:03 Practice: Vijnanabhairava #13 (Light)
• 46:05-52:25 Practice: Vijnanabhairava #15 (Sound)
• 52:56-53:47 Like All Great Sagas ...
• 52:50-58:00 The Anthropocene Age and The Singularity
• 58:01-1:06:50 Sociopathy As A Philosophy
• 1:06:51-1:08:51 Climate Wars, Climate Refugees
• 1:08:52-1:11:25 Ascendancy of the Feminine
• 1:11:27-1:19:26 Reading: How Durga Came to Power
• 1:19:29-1:21:00 The Medicine of Seven Beasts
• 1:21:01-1:23:35 Reading: Dragon

This event was the third movement in the "I, the Dragon" book launch.

Wall Mural, Lower East Side, NYC, May 2018

The first movement was an invitation-only private event in NYC on 5/19/18. Hosted by two powerful witches, Kelly Hefner and Clara Markowicz.  
Held in a private space steeped in art and love. On the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Occult, alchemical. Deep in the fierce heart of Gotham. An obsidian stone tossed into a black lake on a moonless night. With waves of powerful magic rippling outward. 
Two blocks from the last place I lived before boarding a Greyhound to blessed exile in Kalifornia, forty one years ago. Circumambulating the building before entering to give my talk, I smiled to discover a wall mural celebrating Blondie, one of the iconic bands of that New Wave / Punk Rock era.

A Glimpse into Rehearsals for @MPOWERDANCE.COMPANY's
Masterwork "Compassions." June 2018.

The second movement consisted of my participation in three consecutive nights' performance of MPOWERDANCE company's  "Compassions," a masterwork of dance, art, film and spoken word.  
 
Performed to packed audiences on June 22nd, June 23rd and June 24th, at the NOHspace here in San Francisco, "Compassions" featured the bold, beautiful dance and choreography of Mary Power. In a theater transformed by two dozen of Mary's exquisitely primal paintings hanging from the walls. The labyrinthian depths opened up were further illuminated by the sublimely tender, deeply sensual dance of Elaine Santos (@wellness_as_art) and the savagely liberating, shadow-summoning masks of Bart D. Frescura (@frescuraobscura). 
I was honored to hold forth and share readings from "I, the Dragon."

This  campaign will continue online for the next few weeks, and I hope to announce two or three more public events early in 2019. 

Meanwhile, you can now receive a signed black and white copy of "I, the Dragon" for a $55 contribution to this campaign, or a numbered and signed limited edition full color copy for a $133 contribution. Funds will be used to produce audio books of both "I, the Dragon" and "Wyrds of Power: New Language for A New Reality" and to promote upcoming events and workshops.  

"I, the Dragon" is available via Amazon.com

Join this magic circle.

-- Richard Power