In esoteric tradition the dragon is a guardian of wisdom before it is a monster to be feared. The Uraeus on the pharaoh's brow, Kundalini rising along the spine in India, the name "sons of the serpent" given to initiates: all speak of this wisdom.
From wisdom to fear
Over time these symbols took on negative, even demonic associations. The word "draconian" comes from Draco, the Athenian lawgiver known for his harsh laws, and today describes severe measures. Yet in Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine the "Dragons of Wisdom" are humanity's great teachers.
The former pole star
Thuban, a star of Draco, was the northern pole star about five thousand years ago. It is often suggested that certain shafts of the Great Pyramid at Giza were aligned with it. Today the pole star is Polaris; as precession continues, Thuban will approach the pole again thousands of years from now. In this sense the dragon's tail is an ancient guardian holding the axis of the sky.
Saturn, Capricorn and the throat centre
Some interpretations link Draco with Saturn and Capricorn, recalling that Saturn rules the throat centre and that the fifth Creative Hierarchy is governed by Capricorn. It is also suggested that the alignment of ancient temples with the sky was meant to invoke these energies consciously and hasten human evolution.
The Nagas and water
The Nagas of Indian tradition are serpent-like beings of wisdom associated with water. Sacred waters such as Lake Manasarovar are therefore symbols of mind and wisdom. Water is the reflecting mind; the serpent is the wisdom that awakens in it.
Hercules and the golden apples
In the third labour of Hercules the golden apples of the Hesperides are guarded by a dragon. Hercules reaches the apples not by force but through the service he renders along the way. This is the dragon's real lesson: wisdom is not seized; it is earned through service. We study this labour and the other eleven alongside the signs in the Zodiac Mythologies course.