The Dragon Within

🎙️ Episode Summary In Episode 21 of The Alighted Way, Colleen hosts a warm, wide-ranging conversation with Carmina Trisic—a self-described “professional demystifier of mysteries” who works with creativity, imagination, palmistry, tarot, and numerology at The Divine Mine in Calgary. Colleen shares that one of her own first tarot readings, with Carmina in the early 2020s just before the COVID shutdown, was a turning point that opened up her spiritual life and set her on the path to becoming a tarot reader herself. Carmina traces how dragons entered her world—not as creatures she possesses, but as a symbol she embodies. Born in 1964, a Wood Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, she recalls finding a dragon-shaped piece of wood on a hillside in Chile, glimpsing a dragon while buried in autumn leaves in a Calgary park, and the “three dragon girls” she met at art school. The dragon, she explains, lives in the mystical, ethereal realm and can take any form the moment needs. The conversation opens into big, playful ideas: reframing the old “slay the dragon” myth, the zodiac as a “zoo” of archetypes, and Draco—the constellation known as the Watcher—as the etymological root of the word dragon. Carmina describes channelling dragons through her intuitive side-profile portraits and her tarot work, where doubt becomes a trusted tool, and each client picks their own cards. It closes on an invitation to expand the mind, plant the seed of your potential, and let your own spirit navigate the ship. 🔥 Key Moments 00:07 — Welcome, and how Colleen and Carmina met: a life-changing tarot reading before the COVID shutdown 02:36 — How dragons entered Carmina’s world: imagination, artists and scientists, and being a Wood Dragon (1964) 04:30 — Signs everywhere: the dragon-shaped wood in Chile, a dragon in the leaves, and the “three dragon girls” at art school 06:46 — Dragons as passing signs, and messages in the clouds after her brother passed 08:15 — Embodying the dragon within: quiet, then “fire out of the mouth” — a wood, not fire, dragon 09:52 — Rethinking “slay the dragon”: Matías De Stefano, the war with China, and the sacred Eastern dragon 11:47 — The zodiac as a “zoo,” and Draco the Watcher: the etymology of the word dragon 13:06 — Watching from the middle: your sign as a tool, not a box 14:03 — Channeling dragons through portraits: the unseen profile, and how you see vs. present yourself 16:24 — The creative process: centering, the “spider web” of elements, and automatic drawings 17:57 — Dragons and tarot: going blank, trusting doubt, and letting the client pick the cards 20:19 — The dragon’s message: expand the mind, plant the seed, and let spirit navigate the ship 22:44 — Why dragons are showing up now: facing what’s hidden in the cave, and using all twelve tools 25:51 — Wrap-up and what’s next: Janelle’s conversation with Claudia (airing October 29) 💬 Memorable Quotes “I don’t have one dragon. They just pop out.” “Doubt is my best friend.” “How dare you limit the dragon?” “You are all of them. And so are you.” 🪶 Themes Explored Embodying the Dragon Within • The Wood Dragon & Chinese Zodiac • Draco, the Watcher • Collective Consciousness • Intuitive Art & Dragon Portraits • Tarot, Doubt & Creative Potential 💠 Takeaway Message Carmina’s dragon isn’t something to slay or to own—it’s a way of seeing. Instead of shrinking to fit a single label (“I’m just a Virgo,” “I’m just this”), she offers the dragon’s-eye view from the middle of the zodiac: you contain all of it, and every archetype is a tool you can pick up. The invitation is to trust your doubt, keep your imagination alive, and plant the seed of your potential without needing to control how it grows—letting your own spirit, not fear, steer the ship. 🔗 Resources & Mentions Carmina Trisic — The Divine Mine — guest; tarot, palmistry, numerology, and dragon portraits in Calgary, AB The Divine Mine — Calgary spiritual shop, readings, and workshops Matías De Stefano — teacher whose ideas on dragon mythology and the zodiac Carmina references Chinese zodiac — the Wood Dragon (1964) and the dragon as a sacred Eastern symbol Draco — the constellation known as “the Watcher,” and the etymological root of the word “dragon” Carmina’s dragon portraits — intuitive side-profile portraits (sample image to be added to the show notes) Introductory Dragon Course — The Alighted Way — Janelle’s beginner-friendly course ✨ Call to Action If this conversation lit something up in you, share The Alighted Way with someone who loves mystery, imagination, and the dragon within. Join us next time, when Janelle talks with Claudia—born into a psychic family and a long line of First Nations people—who shares how she encountered the dragon and works with them alongside her team of angels and a unicorn (airing October 29). And if you’d like to go deeper, Janelle’s beginner-friendly Dragon Course is available now at thealightedway.com—become part of the community, or “brood” in dragon speak. New episodes drop twice monthly on Thursdays, so be open, come along for the wild ride, and keep the flame of curiosity alive.