When I wrote Dragon’s Future I created a magical object called dragon courage. Instead of breathing fire, dragons would breath sparks. These sparks would embue the person with the courage to do what needed to be done. Little did I know at the time, that there’s a reality to the fantasy.

History of Dragon Courage

What inspired dragon courage? I’m not sure if I even know. Dragon’s Future really almost wrote itself, at least at first; later it became work as we edited it. The one thing I did want was to have a substance that would encourage the rider or person imbued with courage.

As I thought of Ruskya and Duskya’s father and a smell that would be comforting, I thought of rosemary and pine. Rosemary grows around our area almost like a weed. Depending on the variety, it can become bush-like and grow as tall as six feet or more. Yes, you heard me right, six feet! I love running my hands along the needle-like leaves and smelling the fragrance. Pine trees stand tall and majestic in Oregon. I remember returning from college in the midwest and looking up to the top of the trees that stretched taller than the skyscrapers I’d seen and thinking, “I’m at home.”

The two together, pine and rosemary, became the signature of dragon courage. With a deep breath, the rider would know she’d been sprayed with dragon courage. Glendyn continued from the quote up above to say:

“The courage is only temporary. It may last from as little as few moments up to a full glass. In rare cases, it has been known to linger on for as much as half a day. People operating under dragon courage have won battles, proposed marriage, and done necessary everyday deeds that they previously lacked the courage for.” ~Glendyn in Dragon’s Future

Science of Dragon Courage

Since Thanksgiving, I’ve been learning more and more about essential oils and their ability to help people. It was with some shock that I learned there was more reality than fantasy to dragon courage.

Pine

As I researched, I discovered there’s a reason our cleaning products smell of pine and  why you feel so wonderful when you go camping in the great outdoors. My daughter even tried to make Pine syrup, a delicacy she’d had when she lived in Finland.

According to Dr. Axe, pine kills odors and purifies the air while cleaning out some of our worst germs. The fragrance “relieves anxiety and revitalizes mind, body, and spirit. It also has an empowering. . . fragrance.” (Essential Oils Pocket Reference 7th edition from Life Science). When I read the line about relieving anxiety and revitalizing the mind, I was struck with the similarities to dragon courage.

Meredyth dug into a pouch at her side and pulled out a small
leather bag. Gingerly, she opened it, placed two fingers in, and pulled
out a pinch of icy blue sparkling dust. She sprinkled it over Kyn then
carefully, almost reverently, closed the pouch. Carryl saw the change
immediately in both Kyn and Meredyth. Meredyth’s change was
more subtle, but it was there nonetheless. Kyn’s was radical. His
head lifted, his back straightened and his dark eyes sparkled.

“Courage, young one,” Wyeth called. With his dragon’s words,
Ruskya felt strength return to him as if he had just received dragon
courage breathed on him.

These passages show how dragon courage relieves anxiety and revitalizes the mind.

Rosemary

I’ve loved rosemary from the first afternoon I learned about it. We visited a friend who made rosemary cheese biscuits. I soon began adding it to my recipes. Then when I grew courageous enough to try growing plants outside, rosemary was one of the first ones I planted. I was so impressed to watch It grow and flurish outside my kitchen window. I loved running outside to clip a few sprigs for chicken or to throw in a tea.

Not until I read from Essential Oils Pocket Reference by Life Science did I even think of the significance of rosemary as dragon courage. The reference guide said that rosemary “helps overcome mental fatigue and improves mental clarity and focus.”

I stopped and reread that line and thought of Kyn’s father in Dragon’s Future. He had been attacked and yet kept Braidyn safe and secure and told him stories of an icy-blue dragon that would protect and help them. At the end of the book, Ruskya wonders about where the stamina and mental clarity came from.

Meredyth spoke up. “I am wondering if Wyeth himself
whispered those stories in the merchant’s ear. The night he left, I saw
that he would need courage. I used a pinch of Wyeth’s dragon courage
on him. I wondered if it is what protected him from the fire not burning
as deeply as it could have.” The riders looked at her with amazement.
“Dragon courage?” Glendyn replied. “There is much we do not
know about it. That very well could be.”

The refrence manual continued. “University of Miami scientists found that inhaling rosemary boosted alertness, eased anxiety, and amplified analytic and mental ability.” That pretty much sums up what dragon courage does.

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Who would have thought that a fantasy element in a dragon story could actually have a root in reality? I’m always amazed when fantasy and reality meet. If you haven’t read Dragon’s Future, be sure to check it out. It’s free as an ebook on all outlets. If you’re interested in making your own dragon courage from pine and rosemary oils, I’d suggest Young Living’s oils because they’re held to very strict guidelines for purity from the seed to the seal.

Want to receive your own cheatsheet for dragon courage? Find it in this download.