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.

Ogham (Irish Alphabet): Divination (2 of 2)

 To see the Ogham letters : My previous post

B.N.: “Will ‘Magic, the Gathering ™’ have a story line that will take place in Kamigawa?”

The Ogham drawn in order:

1.      Muin (Vine, 3^rd aicme, 1^st few): prophecy and lack of inhibition.

2.      Tinne (Holly, 2^nd aicme, 3^rd few): justice and balance.

3.      Uilleann (Woodbine, Honeysuckle, 5^th aicme, 3^rd few): drawing things together and binding them. “Through the lack of inhibition, justice, and balance will draw things together and bind them.”

“Magic” is a role-playing card game that has a plot for the players to follow with particular cards that they are dealt. A favorite setting for story lines in the game is Kamigama. B.N. said that the company discontinued this place for a setting because it was not profitable. I told him that he and the other fans need to contact the company. If the fans informed the company of how much money they will spend on this feature, the company may consider bringing Kamigawa back.

C.M.: “Will my friend keep his ‘Pathfinder ™’ game going?”

The Ogham drawn in order:

1.      Gort (Ivy, 3^rd aicme, 2^nd few): search for yourself and inner wisdom.

2.      Ur (Heather, 4^th aicme, 3^rd few): healing and homelands.

3.      Ceirt (Apple, 2^nd aicme, 5^th few): the Otherworld and choice.

“Using your inner wisdom, you know the choice.”

“Pathfinder”, a role-playing game, requires a gamemaster to devise the plot and govern the flow of the game. The gamemaster of this group was getting tired of the game, and wanted to wind down the current plotline. C.M. and his friends wanted him to continue the game.

I believe that word play of the Ogham came out with “homelands” and the “Otherworld” to refer to the game. The gamemaster had decided to end the game, and get a rest from hosting the group. C.M. said that he already figured that out, but wanted further confirmation.

Ogham (Irish Alphabet): Divination (1 of 2)

With the Ogham disks that I made, I did four divinations – one for an older man and three for young men. My method was to draw three disks from a bag. These disks then form a sentence that answers the question.) The difference in the maturity of these four people was reflected in their questions. The older man asked about the on-going war in Syria, whilst the young men asked about girlfriends and various role-playing games. Since each question was a major concern for each questioner, the Ogham treated each with the same gravity. No question was regarded to be silly.

D.W.: “Will the U.S. go to war in Syria?”

The Ogham drawn in order:

1.      Ohn (Gorse, 4^th aicme, 2^nd few): collecting things to you.  The Morann MacMain kenning of “the wheels of the chariot are written” seems more appropriate.

2.      Ceirt (Apple, 2^nd aicme, 5^th few): the Otherworld and choice.

3.      Straif (Blackthorn, 3^rd aicme, 4^th few): trouble and negativity.

“After a gathering of information, a choice will be made which will be trouble.”

I told D.W. that after a period of gathering information, the U.S. will become involved in the civil war in Syria, much to his dismay.

W.C.: “Will my girlfriend continue to be my friend?”

The Ogham drawn in order:

1.      Beith (Birch, 1^st aicme, 1^st few): new beginnings.

2.      Muin (Vine, 3^rd aicme, 1^st few): prophecy and lack of inhibition.

3.      Coll (Hazel, 2^nd aicme, 4^th few): wisdom and intuition.

“After a new beginning, a lack of inhibition will occur. At that time, follow the wisdom of your intuition.”

W.C. was having problems with his girlfriend and wanted advice on how their relationship would turn out. I told him that he and she would start over. Once she felt more secure, she would be less guarded around him. Act on the wisdom of your intuition, and listen to her.