There are few "mythological" beings with as much presence in the world's collective consciousness as the dragon. In the Otherkin community, dragon is something so prevalent that to some outsiders, the dragon is a stereotypical symbol of being Otherkin. The draconic density in the community has always seemed thick, and while a proper census is difficult, dragon kin may be neck-in-neck with various forms of the elven for frequency. Part of the difficulty that comes in dealing with dragon as identity is that there are so many things that seem to instinctively feel "draconic" to us. The dragon as a mythical creature spans the globe and variations on dragon myths can be found everywhere. The mythological dragon is often at odds with itself, malevolent in one region, benevolent in another. And in still others, something entirely beyond human labels. Some of the stereotypes associated with dragons that are common in the European and Western world include:

• A monstrous reptilian beast of immense power and size, tied to the primordial forces of nature. Majestic but terrible, with the capacity for great rage.
• Lives in places hidden by nature, either by natural features - such as caves, deep forests - or in remote locations: mountain peaks and passes.
• Hoards and guards valuables of the earth like precious metals and gems.
• Between activity and displays of power, the dragon is slothful. While possibly a trait normally associated with reptiles, the significance in the dragon is often tied to metaphors of those with great wealth becoming fat and lazy.
• Frequently capable of apparently 'supernatural' traits. Being able to fly despite vast size, innate magical powers or protection (unable to die except by enchanted weapons or special circumstances), and the classic ability to breath fire as a weapon.
• The classic opponent of the heroic knight, adventurer, or warrior. Confronting a dragon is often a major obstacle or ultimate goal of a hero's quest. Whether the primary threat to the people or land, or guarding something of value, the dragon in the West has long been the symbol of savage nature opposing the success of mankind.

The image of the dragon in the West is not exactly flattering overall to the person who may identify personally with them. Even when the dragon is generally portrayed as powerful and mighty (traits which may appeal to some people for the sake of power and might alone), it is also generally portrayed as a monster, not merely another animal (like man himself). With the human value judgment of representing 'evil' tagged on to boot. The stereotypical Eastern images of the dragon, by contrast, can look rather different:

• In the East, the dragon is also a symbol of primordial forces and nature.
• The Eastern dragon also tends to hide itself away from human eyes, though with great intelligence and knowledge attributed to it, the Eastern dragon may conceal itself in places that are closer than people may think.
• Compared to the West, the dragon is less a symbol of nature to be defeated, and more a reminder of nature's power over man and the natural order of the world.
• The dragon in this capacity has been called the "red tape of the gods" - the enforcer of the celestial rules and regulations.
• Eastern dragons may share their wisdom with men as appropriate, but may challenge men to rise to a high standard of wit or intelligence before divulging their secrets.
• In Eastern mythology, the more benign nature of the dragon leads humans to believe they can outwit or manipulate dragons for their own gain. Usually these stories involve the dragon either discovering the deception quickly or going along with it to amuse themselves or teach a lesson.
• Royalty has claimed direct blood connections to celestial dragons to help justify their authority or ties to divinity.

For the Otherkin person, dealing with draconity as an identity can be especially confusing due to a wealth of fascinating and compelling, yet conflicting, mythology. And there's more that merely the most generic Eastern and Western stereotypes. At the same time, the prevalence of those stereotypes - especially the destructive, Western dragon - have led some people to be at odds with themselves. Questions such as 'Does having some part of myself that seems to be this creature of great power mean I am destructive?' have been common ones. In spite of all this, the essence of dragon has proven to be a exceptionally powerful one among Otherkin. Many dragon kin do not feel they really embody any of the mythological stereotypes at all, but might incorporate pieces from different traditions. Statistically speaking, dragon also seems to be a category in which people fall who are largely 'alien' with no significant ties to Earthly mythology except for some tell-tale of perceived past form that seems unmistakably draconic. The basic question "so what do I do with all this?" has its own special challenges for the dragon kin. The draconic segment of the Otherkin community has a reputation for some egotistical personalities which take some of the more spectacular mythological attributes of dragons very literally. In some cases, one can't help but suspect that a person is engaging in either pure wish-fuffilment or power fantasizing.

Yet what many people have discovered individually is that the dragon essence does carry with it a certain tint of the primal and nature as a great power. Some people may get carried away and read the wrong things into these feelings or go too far, but others have found that a strong sense of draconity has given them a great deal of strength in dealing with their life in the here-and-now. If a dragon is truthfully what you are, perhaps the most important realization is that you don't need extravagent displays of pride or power. The draconic spirit has been shown by many individuals of integrity to be far more potent than that.

Direct advice to offer the dragon kin might be "keep your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds". Dragons are symbols of the fantastic. There is something fantastic about dragons. It would be a disservice to them, to retreat too far in the opposite direction of egoism due to fear of being delusional or wrong.

Finally, while dragons may be one of the most visible expressions of Kiness, draconity is not a uniform expression. One will find a startling array of creatures that for all their variety still cannot call themselves anything but "dragon". When approaching draconity, either as an observer or as a dragon kin, you should be prepared to be surprised by what you find.