Dragon Dreaming
Dragon Dreaming: Held by Spirit, Rooted in Gratitude.
Each year, Dragon Dreaming opens its heart through a new element. It’s a living theme that ripples through every stage, every space, every offering.
This year was The Year of Spirit and you could feel it woven into the earth, floating on the air, carried in the laughter, movement, and prayer of every soul who gathered.
Each area of the festival was blessed with its own totem and three intentional words, a collaboration between the festival and Brother Daniel and the Wiradjuri mob. The Healing Village, known as the Lifestyle Village, was held by the Nook Nook, the Owl, embodying wisdom, expansion, and protection.
That felt so deeply aligned because the Healing Village is a space where people come to return to themselves. To rest. To soften. To remember that healing is sacred. And under the gaze of the Owl, there was a tangible stillness this year. A sense of being watched over. Of being exactly where we were meant to be. The space itself was decorated in simplicity, showing us that all we need is within. We didn’t need vast altar spaces, in fact, the small altar space that was crafted in this space was so potent and drew you in. It felt cosy, nurturing and safe. Exactly as a healing space should feel.
Returning Home to the Land
When I arrived this year, I felt that unmistakable flutter in my chest, the one that comes when you’re stepping onto sacred ground. It was like the land itself exhaled in recognition. I feel this every year. The settling of “coming home”. The feeling that I am back, I have returned to land I was meant to be on.
I have attended Dragon Dreaming for six years now, and this was my third year offering within the Healing Village, and for the first time, I felt completely grounded and settled into my role as space holder. Last year I felt the nerves fluttering in my stomach, the head of the imposter rearing its head, but this year, this year I felt solid in my role. The difference in the way I held myself this year was vastly different to the years prior and it really allowed me to see my growth. Something I find each year with Dragon, it show me where I have indeed grown, and where I have held myself back.
There’s a rhythm that builds each year, a familiarity that becomes family. The way the Healing Village crew greet each other with open arms, the way the land greets you with open heart. There are faces I see each year that light me up instantly. There’s something about this place that feels like home in every sense. It’s wild and warm, ancient and alive. It’s a staple part of my year, a non-negotiable for me to be there.
Dragon Dreaming holds such a special place in so many hearts, and for good reason. It’s more than a festival. It’s a living community, one that has weathered challenges, rallied together and risen time and time again because of the deep love people hold for it. In a time when doofs and festivals face so much uncertainty, to see this one continue and thrive is a powerful reminder of what can happen when people gather with shared purpose and care. You can feel the love Dragon has for its people.
Holding Space in the Healing Village
This year, my offering was to hold space. Quietly, intentionally, humbly.
I had the honour of being one of the space holders in the Healing Village, tending the energy, holding the portal steady, ensuring the medicine flowed safely.
The village itself was alive with such beauty. We had sound healers, bodyworkers, energy healers, intuitive guides that were all weaving their unique medicine into a shared tapestry of care. From the first morning to the last light, there was a sense of balance. The Owl’s wisdom was truly present. It was truly beautiful to see the faces of those who received, whether they were in for a 1:1 session with one of the facilitators, or just found themselves in the space, the look of peace, of settling into themselves was truly a blessing to witness.
And then, on Sunday evening, I held my workshop, Grief Circle: An Elemental Journey.
The Grief Circle. Fire, Laughter, and the Unexpected Magick
Holding a grief circle at a doof might sound unusual, but it felt right. Grief is part of the human story and in spaces that are so alive with celebration, it’s sacred to create a moment of stillness for the other side of the pendulum swing.
Because grief and joy are sisters. They both move energy. They both open us.
The circle began gently. We spoke of the elements, Water as the realm of emotion, Air as breath and voice, Fire as transformation, and Earth as the grounding force that holds it all. I shared stories of how each element had shown up in my own journey with grief and how they teach, heal and transmute in their own way.
Each person was invited to feel into which element they were most drawn to. I had written the names of each on separate pieces of paper and placed them around the space. It was beautiful to watch everyone intuitively move. Some drawn straight to fire, others curling close to earth. From there, they gathered in small groups to speak and share stories, to recognise the ways they’d already been working with the elemental kingdom, perhaps without even realising. I floated around hearing the realisations of those who joined, seeing their connection to the elements without awareness, and I witnessed the joy the awareness brought.
Because it was the evening and doofs can get wild at night, I held a strong intention for safety and grounding. I didn’t want anyone to feel overwhelmed. The energy stayed light but deep, held but flowing.
And then… the magick arrived.
We were speaking about the spirit of Fire, about its power to move, to burn away, to awaken and then, from the distance, came the unmistakable beat of the Nutbush.
And suddenly there I was, leading a grief circle and the Nutbush. Something I never thought I’d say! But it was perfect. Everyone laughed, bodies were moving, hearts opening, it was pure. I could feel the grief transmuted through joy, through fire, through the sacred silliness of dance.
And that is the medicine of Dragon Dreaming. It reminds you that Spirit moves in all ways, not just in silence or prayer, but in laughter, in music, in community, in life.
The Afterglow of Gratitude
When the circle ended, I sat by the fire for a while, I watched the performers sharing their magick, watching the flames themselves dance and rise into the night sky. There was this deep stillness in my body, like everything had come full circle. I felt gratitude pouring through me, for the land, the people, the spirit of the work.
Dragon Dreaming has a way of expanding you. It cracks open your heart and fills it with everything you didn’t know you needed. The food, the music, the stalls, the laughter with friends, it’s all part of the medicine. Every element feeds into the next. It’s a place I recommend to all my friends, and once they come they understand my deep love for this doof, it really is like no other.
This year, under the energy of Spirit and the wisdom of the Nook Nook, I felt a profound sense of being exactly where I was meant to be.
Held. Seen. Connected.
It’s an honour that I will carry always, to offer my work on this land, to be part of a community so full of love, and to witness Spirit move through every layer of it.
To the Dragon Dreaming team, to the Healing Village family, to Brother Daniel and the Wiradjuri mob, and to the land herself, thank you. May the Dreaming continue. May the Spirit guide. And may we keep coming home, again and again.
All images used were from Dragon Dreaming 2024 as the photos aren’t out yet for 2025.
All images used were from the Dragon Dreaming Facebook page, see here.