Irish Ogham: My Divination Method

For those who do not have Ogham staves but want a reading using the Ogham, I devised the stick method. The querent can either use sticks that they find lying on the ground or form the letters as the sticks lie or use a fallen tree branch as it lies. I field tested this method on my walks around my urban neighborhood.

The querent asks a question, looks for the third fallen tree branch (since the Irish prefer doing things in threes). Using the main (thickest) limb as an axis, the querent notes how the branch lies on the ground – whether the twigs are on the left, right, sticking up, or poking into the ground. This will determine whether the letters will be read left or right for the first and second aicmes respectively. Smaller branches sticking up or down from the main one will be read as either the third or fourth aicmes. A curved branch will represent the third aicme comprised of diagonal letters, while a straight branch will represent the fourth aicme comprised of horizontal letters. The fifth aicme would be constructed from any overlapping sticks under or on top of the branch found lying on the ground.

I asked the question, “How do I learn the Tree Ogham?” Reading a cherry branch that I found, I saw three distinct letters. (The querent uses three letters for the reading.) I interpreted the long lower limb on the left as “Beith (Birch)” (the first aicme, first few). I interpreted the next limb (on the right) with its two twigs going downwards as “Dair (Oak)” (the second aicme, second few). Finally, I interpreted the main branch with four branches curving upwards as “Straif (Blackthorn)” (third aicme, fifth few). In order, these letters read “Beith: new beginnings,” “Dair: wisdom and strength,” and “Straif: trouble and negativity.” I interpreted the reading to be “new beginnings of wisdom and strength comes from trouble and negativity.” When I had asked the question, I had trouble visually understanding each letter, and confused the individual letters in each aicme.

Irish Ogham: The Forfeda (additional letters)

Besides the original Ogham fews, there are several sets of additional ones listed in “The Scholars’ Primer (Auraicept na n-Eces)”. Called the Forfeda, these additional letters include diphthongs and abbreviations. Except for the diphthongs, the other Forfeda do not seem to be translated or readily used.

According to the materials from the Grey School of Wizardry class, “Tree Oghams and Divination,” “After Greek language came to Ireland, the people using the Ogham…needed other symbols for the diphthongs and extra sounds in Greek and so the Forfeda were added, EA-AE.” Rev. Robert Ellison, author of this class, adds that though there are four sets of Forfeda, only one set was used with any regularity, and found on Ogham stones. He says that this set was “added for the new sounds coming into the Irish language.” I believe that this particular set was the diphthongs (EA, OI, UI, IO, and AE).

Ellison adds in his book, “Ogham: The Secret Language of the Druids,” that the lists of abbreviations and additional letters (Forfeda) “would fall in with the use of the Oghams as a regular alphabet (Page 61).” However many were not translated, except for the set of diphthongs, which have been integrated in the Cipher Ogham and numbering lists. Moreover, one of the most well-known of the various Oghams, Fionn’s Window (#103), features the diphthongs on its second round circle between each of the second fews of the four original aicme. The Oghams that include these letters are The Three Ridge Ogham (#31), Unnamed Ogham (#34), Uproar of Anger Ogham (#63), Fraudulent Ogham (#87), and the Strand of Ferchertne (#103).

Supporting my idea that the diphthongs were regularly used is that they also have kennings as do the original fews. The fifth aicme, first few – “Eabhadh (White Popular): EA” had the most, since it was used often. The second through fifth fews are referenced in the Word Ogham of Morann MacMain as well as the Word Ogham of Mac ind Oic.

Ellison, Robert, “Ogham: The Secret Language of the Druids,” ADF, 2007.

----, “Tree Ogham and Divination,” Grey School of Wizardry, class.

Divination: Irish Oghams: my opinion

Because I am a diviner, I need to know many divination systems in order to do my work successfully. When my primary method gives murky or indefinite results, I often use an alternative method for gleaning more information. At other times, I switch my methods of divination to gain new insights. Therefore studying the Oghams fits in with my divination philosophy.

            When people ask questions that affect the direction of their lives, many diviners will use four different methods of divination to assist that person. Each method will either add to the original reading or contradict it. Since they offer different perspectives to the same question, these other readings are helpful to the client. If the other readings contradict the first one, then knowing that is helpful for the client. Using the Oghams would add fresh insights to the original reading.

Studying the Oghams enhances my practice by offering a new way to approach divination. The Irish had different insights on the process than either the Norse or Tarot readers. Each new way of how to answer a question gives me more of an understanding of divination itself. Developed as an alphabet, the Oghams are steeped in Irish culture. They were employed by the Druids in their various “languages” of gestures, mnemonics, and secret codes. Because of these multiple uses, the Oghams offer more shades of meanings for answers in divination.

With the Tree Ogham, there is a connection with the living plants. Using each few of this Ogham, the diviner can tap into the wisdom of that tree or shrub. This makes for a more profound reading since insights from this Ogham comes from living entities. Furthermore, it taps into areas of the unconscious that other divination methods miss.

            Moreover each few in the Tree Ogham has various kennings which give added shades of meaning to it. These kennings can pinpoint the precise meanings in a reading, and give depth to each meaning. Furthermore, the kennings offer alternative points of view. For “Tinne (Holly)” (second aicme, third few), the kennings include “one of three parts of a weapon,” and “o holly, little, sheltering one, thou door against the wind…” This gives a fuller sense of “Tinne” in a reading. For these reasons, the studying of the Oghams enriches my divination practice.

Ethics for Magical People: Psychic Voyeurism (4 of 4): sources

Works Used:

Bennington, Alex, “Psychic Voyeurism,” American Witch Blog, 23 July 2012, http://anamericanwitch.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/psychic-voyeurism/

Britz, J.J., “Technology as a Threat to Privacy,” Simmons College Personal Site, http://web.simmons.edu/~chen/nit/NIT%2796/96-025-Britz.html, 1996

Chametzky, Marc, “Ethics of Divination: An Exploration of the Wiccan Rede as It Applies to Divination,” Ecclasia, 10 March, 2004, http://ecclasia.com/ethicsdivination.html

Christians, Clifford, “Information Ethics in a Complicated Age,” University of Illinois, 1989, https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/593/Christians_?sequence=2

De la Croix, Mariah, “Privacy & Protection from Psychic Voyeurs’ During Intimate Times,” Mariah’s Visions Blog, 23 January 2012, http://mariahsvisions.blogspot.com/2012/01/privacy-protection-from-psychic-voyeurs.html

Goldberg, Ian, Austin Hill, and Adam Shostak, “Trust, Ethics, and Privacy,” The Boston University Law Review, pgs 407 – 22, April 2001, http://www.cypherpunks.ca/~iang/pubs/tep.pdf

----, “Ethical Guidelines,” Remote Viewing Institute, http://www.remoteviewinginstitute.com/en/the-institute/ethical-guidelines/index.html

Taslin, Del, “Breaking Energetic Ties,” Sex, Gods, and Rock Stars Blog, 8 October 2012, http://sexgodsrockstars.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/breaking-energetic-ties

Ethics for Magical People: Psychic Voyeurism (3 of 4)

In the second example, Jordan used Billy to spy on his ex-wife. He told Billy that he wanted to see how she was doing, but Billy knew that Kathy cut off contact with Jordan three years before. Then when Billy tries to peer in on her, she psychically punches him in the face. This sets Jordan off, who is now determined to get in touch with Kathy in order “to save her.” Through his actions, Billy aided a stalker, by encouraging Jordan to seek his ex-wife out. Moreover by spying on Kathy, he enabled Jordan to become psychically connected to her. In addition, Billy forced Kathy to be more vigilant in her physical and psychic defenses.

Simply because Billy can do remote (psychic) viewing, does not mean that he has to acquiesce to everyone’s request. Billy needs to establish boundaries for himself, so that he does not become psychically entangled with other people. The Remote Viewing Institute of Germany has a basic rule for their people to follow: “Put your nose out of things that do not concern you.” 

The Institute stresses “respect for others,” by focusing on the dignity of each person. This ethic is paramount in collecting data – the right to privacy and autonomy of each individual. The other thing that Billy may not perceive is that he has lost the trust of his friends. Because he gave in to their requests, they cannot be sure if he will not spy on them in the future. Since he so easily caved to their pleadings, his friends are unsure whether their secrets are safe from him.

By trying to please his friends, Billy violated their dignity as well. He enabled them to commit unethical acts, and rationalize what they did. Billy allowed his friends to become comfortable in violating another’s privacy for their trivial reasons.  

Most of all, Billy violated himself and his gift. He became a tool for others instead of a human being worthy of respect. By using his ability to please others, Billy debased himself by spying on non-consenting people. He must understand that he has the right to say “no,” and be uninformed about other people.