The Alighted Way

In Episode 08 of The Alighted Way, Janelle and Colleen revisit and thoughtfully recreate one of Janelle’s earliest recorded conversations—an interview with Marilyn that was too meaningful to leave behind, despite technical challenges.

Through this reconstructed dialogue, listeners are invited into Marilyn’s lived experience of working with dragons—not as myth, but as a consistent, supportive presence in her everyday life. What begins as an unconscious “dragon breath” during Reiki evolves into a deeply embodied relationship with a full “dragon entourage” that surrounds, protects, and guides her.

The conversation explores how these connections emerge organically through breath, intuition, and openness. Dragons are described not as something to summon, but as beings already present—offering protection, guidance, and energetic support, especially in moments of vulnerability or transition.

Woven throughout the episode are themes of trust, spiritual partnership, and the quiet knowing that we are not alone. The discussion also touches on dragons as protectors, their role across realms, and how they may work alongside other spiritual allies such as angels.

This episode gently expands the listener’s perception of what is possible, encouraging curiosity about the unseen forces that may already be walking beside us.

Key Moments
  • (00:08) - — Introduction and context: recreating Marilyn’s original interview
  • (02:18) - — Entering the role-play format to retell Marilyn’s experience
  • (03:08) - — First encounters: Reiki, breathwork, and the emergence of “dragon breath”
  • (04:45) - — The Sedona experience and first conscious dragon sighting
  • (05:02) - — Dragons appearing in dreams and energy work
  • (06:13) - — The concept of a “dragon entourage” and constant presence
  • (07:25) - — The significance of Marilyn’s dragon tattoo and feminine energy
  • (08:56) - — Interaction vs. peaceful knowing: how Marilyn relates to her dragons
  • (10:07) - — Calling in dragons for protection during travel
  • (10:39) - — Dragons as guides rather than beings to fear
  • (11:01) - — Dragons existing in another realm
  • (11:51) - — A fall, protection, and unseen intervention
  • (14:15) - — Working with both dragons and angels (including Archangel Michael)
  • (15:13) - — Patterns emerging: dragons as protectors and guides
  • (16:05) - — Curiosity around “dragon breath” and embodied practice
  • (17:32) - — Closing reflections and invitation into future dragon stories

Memorable Quotes

“You don’t have control over it—it just happens when you’re in your essence.”

“They’re around all of the time… my dragon team, my dragon entourage.”

“If something needs reinforced, then she brings them in to feel very protected.”

“Instead of being afraid of them, be open to being guided by them.”

Themes Explored

Dragons as Protectors • Spiritual Partnership • Breath & Embodiment • Intuitive Knowing • Multidimensional Realms • Energetic Safety • Angels & Dragons Working Together • Everyday Mysticism

Takeaway Message

Dragons, in this context, are not distant or mythical—they are present, relational, and responsive. Whether experienced through breath, dreams, or intuitive awareness, they represent a form of support that is already available.

This episode invites a subtle but powerful shift: rather than seeking extraordinary encounters, begin by noticing what may already be surrounding you—guiding, protecting, and waiting to be acknowledged.

Resources & Mentions

Thealightedway.com
Dragon breath 
Archangel Michael
Dragon courses available through The Alighted Way

Call to Action

If this episode sparked reflection or curiosity, share it with someone who feels drawn to the unseen and the symbolic. Follow The Alighted Way as we continue exploring real experiences that stretch beyond conventional boundaries—always grounded in awareness, curiosity, and safety.



Creators and Guests

C
Host
Colleen
J
Host
Janelle
M
Guest
Marilyn

What is The Alighted Way?

We explore stories of mystical adventure, inner transformation, and a little bit of fire – sometimes literally.

This show is about pushing limits into the unknown, discovering who we really are in the process, and celebrating the moments of connection that make us feel more alive.

Janelle 0:08
Welcome back to The Alighted Way we are going to jump from the frying pan straight into the flames of a different fire in this next episode today, Colleen and I are recreating an interview I did with Marilyn a few years ago. At that time, I was just talking to people, recording conversations without really knowing for sure if it would turn into a podcast. But we really want to share what is important from that conversation. On thealightedway.com the website, there's a gorgeous picture of Marilyn’s tattoo that you can check out. This show is about pushing limits into the unknown, discovering who we really are, and celebrating the moments that make us feel alive. So let's get into it.

Colleen 1:02
Hi Janelle, how are you doing?

Janelle 1:07
Hey Colleen, I'm doing well. And yourself.

Colleen 1:08
Pretty good, pretty good. So we're here for another episode of about dragons, people's experiences with dragons, and tell me a little bit about what happened with this interview with Marilyn.

Janelle 1:25
Well, Marilyn was interesting because she was one of my first interviews.

Colleen 1:31
I think she was the first one, wasn't she?

Janelle 1:32
She was the second second one.

Colleen 1:34
Oh, second one. Okay, yeah.

Janelle 1:36
But it was very interesting because we met at the Good Earth Cafe, and we were having a great old time, but it was a very noisy environment. We were surrounded by people. There was banging and clattering everywhere. Yeah, I mean, I recorded it, but it's really, really hard to hear. And so I am thinking that it's, you know, I wanted some of this that she shared to be shared with with everyone. So we're sort of adapting it okay, to accommodate accordingly.

Colleen 2:18
Thanks for letting everybody know about that. So what's going to happen, I'm going to play the role of Janelle, ask some questions, and Janelle is going to answer, and then we'll, we'll kind of discuss as we go along, and see how things go, and it's very interesting. Marilyn's interview is very interesting. So you're ready?

Janelle 2:48
Yeah, absolutely.

Colleen 2:51
So first of all, thank you very much, Marilyn for giving us this interview. That's fantastic. And so one of the first questions that was asked was, how do you come upon dragons in your world?

Janelle 3:08
And Marilyn basically responded with that she used to do a lot of Reiki, and that she did this breathing sensation where she would go deep and close her eyes as she did certain breaths. And it happened a couple times. And then there was a lady from Mexico that was walking around doing work, and when she experienced Marilyn doing this, she basically said, you know, you you have this breath when you go deep that you're actually doing dragon breaths And so it was very interesting, because what Marilyn explained was you don't have any control over it, almost like being in a trance when she was in her essence and doing what comes naturally to her. So that's basically the first time it started, okay. And then she moved to Sedona, okay, where she was taking another course. And at this course, there were five of them staying in a hotel, doing meditations. And Marilyn looked up and said, Oh my god, girls, did you see that red dragon pass by the window? They were all like, No, we didn't see the red dragon. And then they were like, that red dragon must be just for you, because no one else saw it. So since that time was when Marilyn actually began working consciously with the dragons.

Colleen 4:45
Oh, that's great. So it's very, really neat when people can have such a strong experience with the with the dragons. So the next question was, do you feel the dragon partnered with you? And has come back other times.

Janelle 5:02
And Marilyn shared that, yes, it has come to her in her dreams, the dragon always comes to her whenever she does energy work, and that she has eight to 10 crystal dragons that she has at her place, and they're always talking to her, especially when she goes into deep breathing, she goes into her dragon.

Colleen 5:29
Oh, that’s very cool. Yeah, I love crystal dragons. That's fantastic. When you are breathing, does it feel like you are becoming one with the dragon?

Janelle 5:40
She definitely said yes, yes, that she is supported by the dragons. She had her whole home balanced the other not long ago the other day, and the lady who was doing it said to her, Do you know your whole house is surrounded by dragons working with you, like they're outside the front of your house. It's very protective, you know, so you never have to worry, because they surround the house and are around the back.

Colleen 6:11
Oh, that's wild.

Janelle 6:13
And it's so funny, because Marilyn is like, like, yeah. Like, I know,

Colleen 6:18
A busy place, yeah. So they are just there so that you don't really need to necessarily call them in,

Janelle 6:29
According to Marilyn, no, they're just around all of the time.

Colleen 6:32
And since there's more than one, can you feel that?

Janelle 6:37
Yeah, more than one. Definitely, she does. She calls, she calls them my Dragon team, or my dragon entourage.

Colleen 6:48
Oh, I like that. I like the dragon entourage.

Janelle 6:53
And she had a dragon picture on her zoom, and it was really important that she got a dragon tattoo that was similar to her zoom Dragon.

Colleen 7:07
Yeah, I've seen her dragon tattoo. It's really beautiful. It's a, yeah, a large, it's a large tattoo, and it's just really done well.

Janelle 7:16
And it's gonna be on the website for this episode so people can have a look at her gorgeous tattoo.

Colleen 7:25
So is the tattoo then based on the red dragon or some characteristics of it, or is it a completely different dragon? I didn't want to give too much away.

Janelle 7:35
So it is, in a sense, because when the tattoo lady first drew the dragon. Marilyn said, No, like that is not going on my hand.

Colleen
Okay?

Janelle
So it just didn't feel right. And you know, it has to have more feminine energy to it. So the one that the tattoo lady drew initially was very masculine, and it just did not work for Marilyn.

Colleen 8:05
Right then the eyes. So I know that you are when I know I remember when we were putting together the the podcast and looking at pictures of dragons, eyes were important to you in terms of they had to be kind and wise. Was that something similar for Marilyn.

Janelle 8:28
I mean, she knows that they're around her all the time, and she's actually, I think it is, you know, one of the things, like her dragon tattoo has has very nice eyes, like good.
She is definitely considering that, that there's a lady who does portraits of you and draws you and your dragon around you, so she definitely wants to get that done in the future.

Colleen 8:56
Okay, okay, I and I think I know who that lady is, and I'm hoping we can get her on one day. So hope to interview her, and did she talk to her dragons or interact with them? Or is it more like a peaceful knowing that they're there.

Janelle 9:15
For Marilyn, it was definitely a peaceful knowing that they're there. But she mentioned that when she finds herself in a situation that she's not normally in, and it feels negative that she definitely will call dragons in to help protect her. So other than that, she doesn't really call them in because she knows that they're around her all the time. But if she feels something needs reinforced, then she brings them in to feel very protected.

Colleen 9:50
And I know that you often call dragons in as well, to help with your projects, or purify something or transmute something. And is that something? Mean, like, I mean, I know she says that she doesn't really call them in, but are there special times when she might do that?

Janelle 10:07
Absolutely, so she was going to a trip to Africa, and so she definitely said that she called them in when she got off the plane to protect her for the 20 days that she was in Africa. So even though those are her roots, she needed extra protection when she stepped off the plane.

Colleen 10:28
Oh, cool. That's what the dragons are great for. They really are. They are so very, very protective. So what did she think the dragons were here for?

Janelle 10:39
Well, she basically felt they were here to guide us, and that they've been in this world for so many years, and that, you know, instead of people being afraid of them, to be open to being guided by them.

Colleen 10:57
Right? And they are in a different realm.

Janelle 11:01
Yeah, absolutely, she firmly felt the dragons were on a different realm. And you know that they continue to be on a different realm.

Colleen 11:13
Okay, and today, what do they need from her?

Janelle 11:14
They need to be honored that she needs to work with them more. She does spend a lot of time alone, and it feels important that she tries to consciously and organically just honor them and to be with them. So she knows she needs to work with them more, you know? And so that's sort of her process with it.

Colleen 11:39
Yeah, that's like the awareness of what's what you're needing at that point, and then moving forward. And anything else you might want to say about that.

Janelle 11:51
I mean, she had a really interesting experience where she fell down. So when I did the interview with her, she fell down about two weeks before the interview, and her girlfriend couldn't believe that all she got was a scrape on her knee so she could walk. She had a premonition before, but there was nothing for her to hold on to, and she didn't want to hold on to her friend, because she had just had a hip replacement. So so she felt that if she touched her friend, she would have gone down, and that was not an option for her. But she talked about the sidewalk, that there was a little lip, and that she saw it, and her foot did not move the right way, and the next thing you know, she knew she was down, and it happened so fast. You know, it was like a split second, and she was down. And then, you know, her and her friend went back to her apartment right away, and she said, the universe gave me, like, a two by four to my head all of a sudden, like, you know, like, so, yeah, it was a big fall, but, you know, she had a little scrape on her right knee, and her friend was like, you know, Marilyn, like, I think someone was protecting you and that you had to go down that it wasn't preventable, but at least you didn't break anything, and you didn't have to call the ambulance. You know, even when she went to the dentist the following day, because she had sensitivity to hot and her dentist was like, oh my god, Marilyn, like someone was looking after you damn good. So it was, yeah, she felt very blessed, you know, to come away with the least amount of injury possible.

Colleen 13:52
Oh, yeah, but it could have been a lot. It sounds like it could have been a lot worse, but it wasn't Yeah, really at all. And something that I've been looking into a little bit more too, is about spirituality. And I see that in that interview, you asked her about if she had relationships with angels, then too, yeah.

Janelle 14:15
And she fully agreed, yes, yes. She absolutely has relationships with angels too, not only dragons. You know the combo of the two for sure.

Colleen 14:25
Okay, cool. And did she call on a certain particular Angel?

Janelle 14:31
Absolutely. So she mentioned Archangel Michael in particular. I'm not sure when she calls on the angels versus when she calls on the dragons, but I think she definitely uses both.

Colleen 14:46
Yeah, oh, wow, that's very cool. So this is again, like this podcast is really about people's everyday interactions with dragons, and the more we’re going into this, the more I'm seeing this theme of dragons, protecting, dragons guiding, dragons helping humans really well.

Janelle 15:13
And I find it interesting how some people have some dragons and some people have, like, a schwack of dragons. Yeah. That's like, you know, it's one thing to have, like, a dragon or two, and then it's another to have, like, over 10 or more, you know?

Colleen 15:32
Yeah, I wonder what that's like. Wow.

Janelle 15:37
The other thing that I didn't do at the time of the interview, but that, you know, I thought about after was, I wonder what when she does the Dragon's Breath, what that actually looks like, or sounds like for the Dragon's Breath, because it's like in Reiki. Have you heard about, like, Dragon's Breath at all as part of Reiki?

Colleen 16:05
I haven't heard of Dragon's Breath, but I've heard of, I've been in situations where I've been with other people, and we're doing really deep meditations, and then they do a certain kind of breath when they're really, really into it, and it's a very deep, heavy breath. And I know there's a thing called the Lion's Breath, which is the there's that breath, but I personally have not heard of the dragon's breath. So okay, we should get we should try that out. Figure out what that is and try it out.

Janelle 16:41
Well, I know like in shamanic training, there's like fire belly, where it's a specific type of breathing that creates a lot of heat in your belly area, but nothing like specific to Dragon breathing. So yeah, so it was more just of a question.

Colleen 17:00
Yeah, we’ll do some research into that. Yeah, see what that is. See what that might look like. Exactly. Think that's it for now. Anything else we need to add in here?

Janelle 17:10
No, I think we're complete. And again, we just thank Marilyn for sharing her wisdom and her knowledge about dragons with us.

Colleen 17:21
Yes. Thank you very much. Marilyn, you're here with us in spirit. We know that. All right, everyone, take care wherever you are in the world.

Janelle 17:32
There it is, and there you have it. Thank you for sharing and brightening the path today. Join us next time as Janelle is in conversation with J, who was a dragon rider in another time and place and was injured. She was then reunited with her dragon in 2013 this episode drops April 16, so don't miss it. We will continue to share and explore more stories that may take you beyond the edge of your boundaries. We encourage you to be open and come along for the wild ride. Safety first, though, so buckle up if you are interested in learning more about dragons. Janelle has created an introductory dragon course, which is live now, so you can go to
thealightedway.com website to register become part of our community, or brood in Dragon speak. And the magic that lies within. New Episodes drop twice monthly on Thursdays, so don't miss an episode until then. Keep the flame of curiosity burning you.