Talking with Dragons by Leela J. Williams

Dracones Loqui and The Architecture of Inner Dialogue

Ravynne Phelan and I first crossed paths in 2007 when the luminous Lucy Cavendish interviewed her for Spellcraft magazine. Her fantasy artworks brought the elements of magic to life in a dance of wings, scales, myth, shadow and light. I was already a fan. Then I read the accompanying text. Ravynne has since revealed that she was altogether and entirely nervous and somewhat overwhelmed at being featured in a magazine. There was no sign of this at the time. Her words landed with a clarity grounded in profound self-awareness and deeply lived experience.

It was no surprise when the edition featuring Ravynne on the cover sold out. Our readers recognised something. Looking back, there may be another layer to what we saw and felt.

Ravynne and I were, unknowingly, members of the same pre-diagnosed club. While our friendship was forged more than a decade before either of us had language for our neurodivergence, I always felt seen, heard and represented in her writing. She created oracular spaces that felt familiar, meaningful and grounded. Ravynne is one of those rare beings who can turn brush to canvas and word to page with equal eloquence. In all its modalities, her expression is intense, layered, honest and vulnerable. She absolutely refuses to flatten complexity – and that is something to be embraced!

We now have language for what her work communicates. For many, if not most, neurodivergent beings, making oneself less than is a form of self-preservation. For far too many, “masking” is a lifelong exercise in self-loss. When someone fills pages and canvases with their whole authentic neurodivergent self, it’s not just exciting, it’s pure magic: influential, vibe-shifting and inspiring. It goes beyond modelling or permission granted: limits are removed, a dare is issued. It’s an unequivocal invitation to the dance!

What does neurodivergence have to do with a review of Dracones Loqui? Everything.

Dracones Loqui is a 54-card oracle with circular cards, gold-foil stamping and gold-painted edging. You can tell from a first glance at the packaging that this deck is unique and as a portal to the extraordinary, it does not disappoint. Each card delivers the three perspectives: those of the dragons Lux, Terra and Umbra.

The dragons speak to us as a compassionate presence, a pragmatic guide and a challenger. They are individual voices delivering distinct messaging from the same divinatory source. How do you know which message to pay attention to? Therein lies a hint of the brilliance at work in this deck. You don’t have to choose. Here we have insight into the neurodivergence of the creator. Ravynne’s inner world is accustomed to holding multiple truths at once. More than that, those truths are in constant dialogue with one another. Dracones Loqui encourages us into conversation with the dragons within for multi-layered understanding and decision-making.

Curiously, a three-voiced structure emerged when I was co-authoring Sacred Earth Oracle with Toni Carmine Salerno. With the artist, Helena Nelson-Reed, the project was a threefold collaboration. Having three sections for each card — Earthly Meaning, Spiritual Meaning and Insight — was a deliberate way of honouring those energies. For Dracones Loqui, the plurality is embodied in wholeness. There is one creator. Each voice arises from that singular source.

And those voices! They converse. They question, soothe and clarify. For many autistic and ADHD individuals, this internal dialogue is a constant reality. Thoughts loop. Conversations replay and adjust. Emotional truth and pragmatic truth coexist. Compassion and clarity are not opposites. Understanding and frustration occupy the same space.

With Dracones Loqui, Ravynne dignifies this multiplicity — normalising the experience by mythologising it. This paradoxical brilliance forms the enigmatic foundation of an oracle deck — effortlessly and organically tapping into the nature of divination.

In Ravynne’s words, “This deck offers a compassionate voice, a pragmatic, motherly voice and a voice that offers a challenge. The shadow work is shame-free because Umbra does not judge. Instead, he offers clarity.”

For those living with burnout, masking fatigue or the quiet shame of being perceived as difficult, clarity can be profoundly compassionate. Lux shines without any sense of hierarchy or disembodied positivity. Terra speaks to our present, with presence, nurture and practice. Together, they help us step into and navigate complexity without collapsing into overwhelm. We have depth without platitude. We have a safe space for honest self-appraisal. We have a fierce daring to live at one with all our dragons. Dracones Loqui is an oracle with roar and empathy in equal measure. Best of all, these dragons speak to the diversity within us all.

Discover more about Ravynne Phelan and her wonderful creations, including Dracones Loqui, at www.ravynnephelan.com. Connect with Leela at https://linktr.ee/leelajwilliams and find her oracles and journals, including Maxine Gadd’s Zoologica: The Steampunk Oracle at Tarotopia.