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.

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.

Herbs show up in my books and will continue to show up. Kyn is a healer as is Carryl and Allesandra. In Dragon’s Heritage, Allesandra teaches Mere about herbs. I’ve been learning how these wonderful plants can help us. Here are a few of my favorite oils.

Tea Tree

This oil was one of the first ones I discovered. Ever since my mother-in-law handed me her bottle of this powerful little plant, I’ve made sure to have some on hand. This natural antibacterial oil is great for cleaning out cuts and scraps, but it doesn’t stop there. It also helps with itching. You know those bug bites in the summer? A bit of tea tree oil will help sooth away the sting. Speaking of summer, that’s when poison oak is rampant in our area. My son discovered he could lather himself in tea tree oil to get rid of the nasty reaction to poison oak. As if that wasn’t enough, tea tree oil will help with migraines, sores in the mouth (just be sure to spit it out unless you have a FDA approved version), and is great for sinus pain.

Lavender

I’ve commented before on the greatness of lavender, and it’s one that’s mentioned in Dragon’s Heritage with Mere and Allesandra. Lavender was probably the second oil I ever purchased. I use it for migraines by rubbing it on my temples and on the pressure point on the bottom of my foot or between my thumb and forefinger. However, this wonderful oil is good for a lot more than just headaches. If you can find a FDA approved edible version of the oil, you can add it to lemonade or hot cocoa or tea to help with upset stomach. Rubbing some lavender oil along your sinuses can help clear them and can help you relax to go to sleep. I’ve just recently learned that this wonderful oil can also help with immune support and to detox. Lavender is also great for supporting healthy, glowing skin.

Lemon

My family loves lemon; they’ll drink tart lemonade, use it in bar-b-que sauce, and just eat the fruit plain. My son loves to use the ingestible lemon oil in his water to create a lemonade. I love the smell of it in my diffuser. Kyn would tell you that lemon’s great for supporting the immune system and for detoxing. The scent often reminds people of cleaning. That’s another thing lemon oil is great for–cleaning! You can use just a few drops to clean up that nasty scorched pan or those dark spots from a pan scraping against a white sink.

Frankincense

Wait, isn’t this what the wisemen brought to baby Jesus? Yes, it is. It can be expensive, too! However, I’ve found it to be invaluable to me. I use it to support clear sinuses. It’s also wonderful for soft skin. It’s also helpful in supporting your immune system. (See a pattern here? I’ve been down sick this winter and need all the immune support I can get.)

These are just a few of the oils I use each day. I’m learning and growing in the use of oils. With that in mind, don’t be surprised to see them come into play in future stories. It’s fun with fantasy and reality collide. Do you have a favorite oil you use? Feel free to share in the comments. Don’t know where to start to purchase oils? Take a look at this link or comment on my Facebook page for an invite to a basic oils Facebook class tonight at 9:30 EST.

I placed those pretty flowers in water on a table in my room and went off to school. When I returned home, they were gone the victim of toddlers and my mom. Somehow one of her daycare children ended up with a petal in her hand or near her mouth. When mom called poison control, she discovered rhododendrons are poisonous and had to administer syrup of epicap to ten kids. At least it was a nice day; they all were able to throw up out in the back yard.

Not until my middle children were in second and third grade did I learn about really using plants. I had finally gotten to keep outside plants alive, but still couldn’t keep indoor plants living. A parent volunteer at their school helped the kids start a garden. I learned about calendula and nasturtiums from them. Once I started the journey, there was no end.

1. Calendula

We used calendula in our salads. The flower added a nice color, and the taste was gentle. However, calendula oil has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory property to it.

2. Mint

Mint grows wild and will take over the yard or field it’s in around here. It has been known for years as a tea with honey to help a sore throat. The scent can clear the sinuses. Just this last year, I learned that it also can help with headaches.

3. Rosemary

One of the first plants that I bought and did not kill afterwards was rosemary. I bought it for its pungent smell and to use as an herb in cooking chicken or fish and making cheese and rosemary biscuits. I soon added it to plantain with mint tea to help clear the sinuses. Rosemary oil works with tea tree oil to help unclog the sinuses as well. (If you can’t tell, I have sinus issues. So, anything that helps keep them clear is of high interest to me.)

4. Lavender

One of my favorite plants, but I can’t seem to keep it alive so I’m thankful for my niece who has a ton in her backyard, is lavender. I love the smell! The aroma is soothing to me, but my niece can’t stand it. So, to each her own. Lavender tea made from the flowers is wonderful to help with upset stomach. The stalks can be thrown into lemonade for a delightful taste, but how do I use it? I mostly use the lavender oil to relax. The scent helps promote sleep. I’ve even found rubbing some of the oil on my feet at night help me drift off to sleep (not like that’s usually difficult for me to do). Lavender also is a great anti-inflammatory and will help with sinuses and headaches.

5. Plantain

I remember playing with this weed growing up. I’d pick the grain-like stalk and pluck the little parts off, throwing them to the wind. Little did I know that this plant could help with a cold, act as a band aid, or take away the sting of a bee! It is a natural antihistamine. I’ve written a blog on how to use it to make tea.

6. Aloe vera

The one plant that I still have growing in my house that isn’t about to die is an aloe vera plant. I started it from a small start one of my kids brought home. It’s grown and spread in its basket. It’s not the healthiest it could be, but it’s still alive! The best use I’ve seen for aloe vera is to take a section of the leaf and squeeze out the juice inside for burns. I remember doing this as a kid.

7. Basil

Wait! Isn’t this an herb used for Italian dishes? That’s the one! I’ve just discovered its healing properties this week, and it’s on my to-be-purchased list as an essential oil. According to several sites it says basil can help with asthma, sinus issues, and migraines. However, I did find warnings of using it in more than food quantities.

Greetings, this is Kyn. Kandi welcomed me to her site to chat with you all. I’m a trained healer, and I use my pouch of herbs to make teas and compresses and to heal minds. However, not all things found naturally are good for you. Take dragons for instance, they’re one of the most wild creatures I’ve ever seen. They can do great good, but I’ve seen them blow fire and burn a person badly. You might not have dragons in your world, but Kandi told you how her ma had younglings sick all over the yard. So, do your own research and check with your local healer.

Many of you don’t have the access to Philippi Canyon like I do, or you don’t want to go through the hassle of distilling the plants into oils. If so, Young Living’s a wonderful company that sells high quality oils. Wherever you are on the road to staying healthy, I wish you the best. May your dragon fly true!