The Golden Dragon Awakens in Wales

Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Welsh culture, the meaning behind the golden dragon, and an inspiring vision for Wales that includes five kingdoms, fifteen castles, and a modern charter inspired by the Laws of Hywel Dda.

Bringing Together Five Kingdoms: The Golden Dragon as Our Symbol

You can call me Goldie The Grey.

While the reference to gold merits some explanation, the grey is quite straightforward.

But what does the golden dragon represent?

There is a captivating story to unfold. So, grab your drink of choice—whether it’s coffee, tea, or something stronger—and let’s delve into the visions I’m about to share through storytelling.

Starting the Adventure of Exploration

One might expect the adventure to kick off with a sword, an ancient prophecy, or a mysterious figure emerging during a tempestuous night.

My journey, however, begins with the responsibility of digitising my mother’s documents to preserve them for future generations.

That’s quite a significant task, wouldn’t you agree?

Yet, family documents often become more than just papers. A name evolves into a question. A branch morphs into a journey. Before long, you find yourself pondering a family tree, reflecting on how much of your identity you understood prior to embarking on this journey.

Eventually, the narrative expanded far beyond simply organising my mother’s documents.

Unearthing the Names that Bind Us

As I trace my lineage, the family tree reveals that I am thirty-five generations away from Rhodri Mawr.

This connection holds great importance. Tracing these generations is vital because a family tree signifies more than a mere link between a king and a modern descendant.

There are individuals in between.

Each of these individuals has families to nurture, children to guide, grief to endure, and decisions to make.

They deserve more than a fleeting mention on the way to an illustrious name.

I long to learn about them as well.

I want to create space for family stories that do not fit neatly into a chart.

The House of Rhodri, as I’m beginning to refer to it, is rather unconventional.

A House Filled with Diverse Identities

Witches. Mages. Shamans. Seers. Healers. Empaths. Mystics.

These terms capture the essence of the mystical experiences present in my family.

Not everyone would choose the same language. Each generation might have interpreted these words in unique ways.

I don’t imply that every ancestor left behind documentation attesting to their extraordinary abilities.

My mother had more than enough paperwork to manage.

Yet, these terms are part of the vocabulary through which I understand our family: love, intuition, mystical practices, inspiration, care, and experiences that often require more time to explain than to feel.

I can share these stories without expecting everyone to interpret them in exactly the same way.

They deserve to be acknowledged on their own terms.

Finding My Unique Voice

Personally, I describe some experiences as shamanic, while others resonate more like a mage’s journey. Inferred

These terms currently express my understanding most closely.

The narratives behind them deserve their own telling. I do not wish to obscure them in borrowed mystery, nor imply that I have simplified something by merely attributing a mystical label.

This space invites belief.

This space also encourages questions.

In recounting this journey, I aim to distinguish between what I remember, what my family has shared with me, what I can verify, and what I perceive through my own mystical encounters.

The golden dragon can carry deep meaning without being unequivocal proof of everything.

Claiming My Kingdom and Its Legacy

Before we get carried away:

I am not laying claim to a throne.

I am asserting ownership of a kingdom.

The celestial kingdom of Wales is how I describe the mystical landscape of this narrative: ancestry, imagination, belonging, and the vision of what may still be achievable.

As Above, So Below.

This vision begins to take form on the map.

Gwynedd.

Powys.

Seisyllwg.

Then Dyfed and Gwent.

Five Names, Five Colours: A Unified Vision for Wales

This map stemmed from a fascination with Rhodri’s realm. The discussion extends beyond mere history.

The family narrative extends beyond the initial three coloured regions. As it grew, so too did the vision.

It’s essential to clarify this distinction:

We are not rewriting history while pretending it always appeared in this manner.

We are envisioning a future.

Our map of five kingdoms serves as a proposal articulated through narrative and art. Its borders define an idea rather than a claim that every component once belonged to a single ruler at a specific moment in history.

The House of Rhodri is the name under which I am gathering this concept.

The Castles Under the Protection of the Dragon

Then the castles came into view.

If we are discussing five kingdoms, we must identify the locations within our vision.

Fifteen castles became our initial landmarks.

These are not the only castles in Wales, nor do they encapsulate the entirety of the story. They represent fifteen sites from which we can begin weaving the narrative threads.

In Gwynedd, we recognised Caernarfon, Conwy, and Harlech.

In Powys, we identified Powis, Montgomery, and Dolforwyn.

In Seisyllwg, we noted Cardigan, Dinefwr, and Carreg Cennen.

In Dyfed, we acknowledged Pembroke, Carew, and Manorbier.

And in Gwent, we named Caerphilly, Cardiff, and Chepstow.

There they stand.

Fifteen Castles, Five Kingdoms: One Unified Wales

Within our House of Rhodri vision, each stands beneath the golden dragon.

This is how we position them within the narrative; not by suggesting that they were all built by our ancestors, nor that their histories began with us. Each castle has its own legacy, and this declaration does not interfere with its current guardianship or stewardship.

We envision how these sites might belong to a shared future.

Some may enter our family narrative through a memory. Others through an undiscovered connection. Some may serve as spaces where we pause, reflect, and consider what we wish the next chapter of Wales to encompass.

Naming them brings the vision closer.

You can mention “five kingdoms” and leave people imagining nearly anything.

But mention Caernarfon. Mention Dinefwr. Mention Pembroke.

Suddenly, there are destinations to explore, questions to ask, and stories to uncover.

The map starts to become a realm you can navigate.

Which is all well and good.

Before anyone wonders where I plan to store the keys to the fifteen castles (that remains a secret!), I should remind you that this all began with the need to digitise my mother’s documentation.

We are addressing one responsibility at a time.

The Flag that Unifies Our Aspirations

Then we designed a flag for this vision.

For this proposed flag, we kept the white above and green below, placing a golden dragon at the centre, where the red dragon typically resides. The red dragon represents primal emotion, a force of will, fire, and ash. We replace it with intention, love, and fearlessness…

The white symbolises the heavens.

The green embodies the earth.

The golden dragon represents our hopes for Wales’ prosperity within our vision of the House of Rhodri.

To me, the colours reflect the belief that God created both the heavens and the earth. They unite the mystical and the terrestrial into a single image.

As Above, So Below.

And beneath that imagery, our guiding principles:

Peace, Prosperity, Patience & Justice Under God.

• Peace – not a demand for unanimous agreement, but a commitment not to impose consensus.

• Prosperity – not wealth concentrated in a few hands, but the flourishing of individuals, communities, culture, and land.

• Patience – because a future worth cultivating cannot simply be summoned into existence by proclamation.

• Justice – because none of the other promises hold much weight if individuals cannot expect fair treatment.

“Under God” conveys my unwavering faith and the accountability I feel within it. It is not a necessity for everyone to share my beliefs.

No one should be required to profess a religion, accept a mystical assertion, or acknowledge something sacred in the dragon to enjoy equal dignity.

I would raise this flag as an invitation to reflect on a vision.

Not as an endorsement to silence another’s voice.

What Do the Kingdoms Signify?

A map serves as an excellent starting point.

It is insufficient as a governing tool.

Eventually, someone will rightfully ask a practical question.

What would this mean for the individuals living here?

That is a valid inquiry.

A golden dragon is visually captivating, but it cannot resolve grievances merely by shining brighter.

The narrative requires a charter.

I do not recognise the current governmental structure as the future I envision for Wales. Yet, dissatisfaction, no matter how deeply felt, is only the beginning of a discussion.

If I am to articulate a different future, I must be prepared to explain it.

Not just who would be at the centre of the map.

How power would be limited.

How individuals would be heard.

How someone could disagree with the House of Rhodri and maintain the same freedom, safety, and Welsh identity as anyone else.

A Modern Charter for Our Future

To establish this foundation, we have chosen to draw inspiration from Cyfraith Hywel… the Laws of Hywel Dda.

This is not a literal restoration of every medieval law.

It is a contemporary charter rooted in that legacy, carefully reviewed and tailored for the people who would live under it today.

This is the proposal we have begun to articulate.

No longer the Laws of the Sea, we demand the Laws of the Land…

Equal dignity.

Freedom of conscience.

Freedom of speech.

Leadership that is accountable for its decisions.

Justice that strives to remedy harm where possible while safeguarding those who have been injured.

Care for the land, the water, the minerals, the language, the traditions, and the places entrusted to us.

A meaningful voice for individuals across all five kingdoms.

These are commitments we must honour in practice, not just empty phrases to place beneath an attractive image.

The charter must allow for individuals whose beliefs diverge from mine.

There must be space for the mystic and the sceptic, the religious and the agnostic, the person who finds significance in the dragon and the individual who appreciates the artistry.

No one should need to share my mystical understanding to possess equal rights.

Justice Within the Castles

In this proposed future, the castles would serve a purpose beyond their geographical location.

We envision them as venues for courts: places where justice is administered within the communities they serve.

This is not the existing judicial system with a new flag draped above its entrance, but a proposed alternative whose authority would stem from an agreed charter and laws established openly with the consent of the people.

Our aim would be for all courts to convene within castle settings, wherever conservation, safety, and accessibility can be aligned with that purpose. If a location cannot accommodate an operating court, suitable facilities would need to be considered without compromising the site we wish to honour.

Because a symbol is ineffective for justice if access is limited.

Judgment would be entrusted to peers within the community governed by the new laws we propose.

“The community” must never become another term for the loudest voices within it.

A person should not lose a case because they are unpopular, unfamiliar, impoverished, or different.

Knowledge of someone’s reputation must not be confused with understanding the evidence.

The charter would need explicit protections: impartial selection, the removal of anyone with a conflict of interest, independent legal counsel, and a fair opportunity for each party to present their case.

Anyone accused would be presumed innocent unless the evidence against them meets the legal standard. They would retain the right to comprehend the accusation, receive legal aid, contest the evidence, and pursue an independent appeal.

Those who report harm would deserve safety, dignity, and support throughout the process.

Decisions must be accompanied by justifications.

The laws themselves should be public, comprehensible, and open to scrutiny and revision through agreed procedures.

No one—not a leader, not a relative, nor the founder of this vision—would have the authority to dictate a verdict.

Including me.

Especially if I happen to be standing beneath a particularly impressive dragon at the time.

Where harm can be rectified, the court would seek meaningful restoration. Where protection is necessary, it must be provided. Forgiveness may be freely offered, but never demanded from someone who has suffered.

This is the justice I aspire for these castle courts to pursue.

Not spectacle.

Not vengeance.

Responsibility, fairness, and a path forward.

These proposals envision a potential future, not courts we can establish simply by declaring their existence. Until any changes are legally instituted, the vision would not replace existing courts or relieve anyone of their current legal obligations.

The Importance of a House

When I use the term “House,” I intend it to convey a sense of responsibility.

My ancestry may help explain why I embarked on this journey. It does not elevate my worth above those alongside me.

It does not exempt me from the law.

And it cannot, by itself, grant me authority over those who have not chosen it.

Any future political structure would require the freely expressed consent of the populace, achieved through peaceful and lawful means.

Otherwise, we would have delineated five kingdoms without addressing the most critical question:

Whose home are we referring to?

Wales is already home to individuals with their own lives, beliefs, aspirations, and conflicts.

A meaningful vision must accommodate them.

The House, as I envision it, must be capable of listening as well as speaking.

If its proposals do not withstand scrutiny, then those proposals require further refinement.

Awakening to New Possibilities

When I declare the Golden Dragon of Wales is awake, I am naming the awakening that resides at the heart of this narrative.

My growing focus on family.

My quest for a language that encapsulates mystical experiences.

My desire to envision a Wales centred around belonging, responsibility, and justice.

The dragon serves as the symbol that unifies these elements.

Its awakening does not imply that I possess all the answers.

It signifies the beginning of my inquiry into how I intend to engage with these questions.

What does my ancestry demand of me?

What does my faith require in terms of how I treat those who do not share it?

What am I prepared to change in my vision after listening to another’s perspective?

These questions are as essential beneath the flag as any proclamation.

Our Position in the Narrative

This is our current situation.

A lineage being traced.

My mother’s research.

My own attempts to articulate experiences that hold significance for me.

Five kingdoms illustrated on a map.

Fifteen castles identified within the vision.

A proposed flag of white, green, and gold.

And the inception of a charter: a document to discuss, test, question, and refine.

There remains much that I do not yet know.

This is not a justification for fabricating the missing elements.

It is a call to continue seeking.

They refer to me as Goldie The Grey.

The gold requires explanation.

The grey is self-explanatory.

If you arrived here expecting a demand for a throne, you may have to settle for a family narrative, a proposed charter, and an ambitious map.

All of which commenced with the quest to find a suitable place to store and digitise my mother’s research.

Peace, Prosperity, Patience & Justice Under God.

As Above, So Below.

The Golden Dragon of Wales is Awake.