The Golden Dragon Awakens in Wales

Immerse yourself in the vibrant tapestry of Welsh heritage, exploring the significance of the golden dragon, alongside a visionary future for Wales encompassing five kingdoms, fifteen castles, and a modern charter inspired by the Laws of Hywel Dda.

Embracing Unity: The Golden Dragon as the Heart of Five Kingdoms

People affectionately call me Goldie The Grey.

The reference to gold deserves clarification, while the grey speaks for itself.

What is the story behind that golden dragon?

A captivating tale is waiting to unfold. So, grab your drink of choice—whether it be coffee, tea, or something a bit stronger. Settle in and let yourself be transported through the stories I share.

Beginning the Exploration Journey

One might imagine the journey starting with a sword, an ancient prophecy, or a mysterious figure emerging on a stormy night.

My journey, however, begins with the responsibility of digitally preserving my mother’s paperwork for future generations.

That’s quite a significant duty, isn’t it?

Yet, family paperwork does not stay as mere paperwork. A name becomes a question. A branch of the family tree evolves into an adventure. Before long, you find yourself contemplating your family tree and pondering how much of your identity you truly understood before embarking on this journey.

As I progressed, the narrative expanded well beyond simply archiving my mother’s documents.

Uncovering the Names That Bind Us

In the lineage I am tracing, my family tree reveals I am thirty-five generations removed from Rhodri Mawr.

This connection is significant. Tracing generations is crucial because a family tree signifies more than just a link between a king and a modern descendant.

There are people who lived between us.

Individuals with families to care for, children to guide, grief to endure, and choices to make.

Individuals whose lives deserve more than a fleeting mention on the way to a notable name.

I long to learn about them, too.

I wish to carve out space for family stories that don’t fit neatly into a chart.

The House of Rhodri, as I’ve come to refer to it, is anything but conventional.

A House Filled with Varied Identities

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

These labels capture facets of the mystical experiences within my family.

Not everyone would use the same terms. Each generation may have interpreted these concepts differently.

I do not suggest that every ancestor left behind a certificate of their unique gifts.

My mother had enough paperwork to manage already.

Yet, these terms are part of the language through which I understand our family: love, intuition, mystical practices, inspiration, care, and experiences that often take longer to express than to feel.

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

They deserve to be heard for their own value.

Finding My Own Voice Amidst Tradition

Personally, I describe certain experiences as shamanic, while others resonate more with a mage-like essence. Inferred

These terms currently capture my meaning most accurately.

The narratives behind them need their own telling. I do not wish to obscure them in borrowed mystery or suggest I have simplified something merely by assigning it a mystical label.

This space allows for belief.

This space also encourages questions.

As I recount this story, I aim to differentiate between what I remember, what my family has shared with me, what I can verify, and what I perceive through my own mystical experiences.

The golden dragon can hold deep significance without being definitive evidence of everything.

Claiming My Place in the Kingdom

Before anyone gets the wrong idea:

I am not claiming a throne.

I am declaring ownership of a kingdom.

The heavenly kingdom of Wales describes the mystical landscape of this narrative: ancestry, imagination, belonging, and the vision of what might still be possible.

As Above, So Below.

This vision begins to take shape on the map.

Gwynedd.

Powys.

Seisyllwg.

Followed by Dyfed and Gwent.

Five Names, Five Colours: One Cohesive Wales

This map emerged from an interest in Rhodri’s realm. The dialogue transcends mere history.

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

It’s essential to clarify this distinction:

We are not rewriting the past while pretending it always appeared this way.

We are envisioning a future.

Our five-kingdom map represents a proposal articulated through narrative and art. Its borders outline an idea rather than a claim that every component once belonged to a singular ruler in a specific historical moment.

The House of Rhodri is the name I am using to gather this concept.

Castles Beneath the Dragon’s Protection

Then the castles came to light.

If we are to discuss five kingdoms, we must pinpoint the locations within our vision.

Fifteen castles became our initial landmarks.

These are not the only castles in Wales, nor do they define the extent of the story. They are fifteen sites from which we can begin to weave 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 broader Gwent, we named Caerphilly, Cardiff, and Chepstow.

There they stand.

Fifteen Castles, Five Kingdoms, One Wales

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

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

We are envisioning 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 for reflection, where we pause and consider what we want the next chapter of Wales to entail.

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 discover.

The map begins to evolve into a realm you can traverse.

Which is all well and good.

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

We are tackling one responsibility at a time.

The Flag that Represents Our Unity

Then we designed a flag to embody this vision.

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

The white symbolises the heavens.

The green embodies the earth.

The golden dragon represents our aspirations 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 earthly 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 to not 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” expresses my unwavering faith and the accountability I feel within it. It is not necessary 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 contemplate a vision.

Not as permission to silence another’s voice.

What Do the Kingdoms Symbolise?

A map serves as an excellent starting point.

It is insufficient as a governing tool.

Eventually, someone is entitled to ask a practical question.

What would this mean for the individuals residing here?

That is a valid question.

A golden dragon is visually striking, but it cannot address grievances simply by shining more brightly.

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 equipped to explain it.

Not just who would occupy the centre of the map.

How power would be constrained.

How individuals would be heard.

How someone could disagree with the House of Rhodri and remain just as free, just as safe, and just as Welsh as anyone else.

A Modern Charter for a Progressive 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 grounded in that legacy, meticulously examined 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 mere 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 current judicial system with a new flag hung above its entrance, but a proposed alternative whose authority would derive from an agreed-upon 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 harmonised with that purpose. If a location cannot accommodate an operating court, appropriate facilities would need to be considered without compromising the site we wish to honour.

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

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 proclaiming their existence. Until any changes are legally instituted, the vision would not supplant existing courts or release anyone from their current legal obligations.

The Meaning 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 state the Golden Dragon of Wales is awake, I am referring to the awakening that lies at the heart of this narrative.

My increasing focus on family.

My quest for language that captures mystical experiences.

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

The dragon serves as the symbol that intertwines these elements.

Its awakening does not serve as proof that I have all the answers.

It signals the beginning of my exploration 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 alter in my vision after listening to another’s perspective?

These questions are as integral beneath the flag as any declaration.

Our Position in the Narrative

This is our current state.

A lineage being traced.

My mother’s research.

My 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 beginning 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 call me 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.