Many years ago, far over the horizon where the Sun rises, there lived an Overlord who was both a Warrior skilled at the art of battle and a Sage wise in the ways of the spirit. Charged with the care of many lands and peoples, this Overlord trained warriors to be the most skillful swordsmasters in all the Provinces. With every battle fought, victory and safety came for the lands they defended. The people revered and appreciated these warriors and bestowed many accolades and tributes upon them.
These swordmasters enjoyed this high status for many years. Their renown grew so great that their nearby rivals began to avoid them, so battles became fewer and farther between. At this, they became confident that their triumph was assured, and even minor skirmishes became excuses for grand celebrations and indulgent behavior.
Until it came to pass that a new army arrived. The army came from far over the horizon where the Sun sets and it arrived with no knowledge of the great reputation of the swordmasters. Exuberant at the prospect of new battles and the accolades they were sure would follow, the swordmasters rode out to meet this new army. Instead of triumph, they found that their swords broke regularly during combat. And so they began to experience something quite foreign to them: defeat.
It is said that the Overlord, this Warrior-Sage, retired to a cave in the mountains to contemplate and meditate on this predicament. Time passed while the warriors continued to struggle against their new adversaries. It is not known exactly what the Warrior-Sage might have met and discovered deep in that long darkness. But it is said that after many years alone in that cave the Overlord finally returned with knowledge of this game, carrying a set of swords made of wood.
The Warrior-Sage cautioned the swordmasters and gave reason for their constant defeat and the breaking of their swords: they had begun to feed their Dragons and not keep their practice.
We are all unique individuals and yet we all share a common experience of being human. Myths are stories and metaphors that are designed to help us relate to the struggles we all face. They offer us images or tales that- though they may not be factual- can still help us figure out how we can navigate this tricky business we call life.
Flowing Dragon Swords uses a mythological framework of “Dragons” to help us work on personal development and our individual journeys. “Dragons” are what the practice calls the parts of our psyches that are interrupting our ability to realize our true wants and needs and/or interfere with our ability to connect genuinely with other people. By recognizing and acknowledging these “Dragons”, we can work towards rebalancing their energy so that they can help us instead of distracting us.
Flowing Dragon Swords is presented as one way to practice recognizing, meeting, and being with these aspects of ourselves. We use the game to go looking for those Dragons, creating an opportunity to acknowledge and reflect on them. Our intention is to rebalance those energies, integrating them in such a way that they help propel us forward in our quest for a meaningful and joyful life. We have the opportunity to learn more about ourselves, come to a new understanding, and move forward.
Richard Squeri 