Betwixt the Sea and Sky

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From: Leila137601 (Original Message) Sent: 9/14/2004 1:39 AM

Messages From The Forest
Ogham Divination

You don't need a walk in the forest to reflect upon the mystical nature of trees. Turning a city corner and finding a shady oasis of older, tall trees has an immediate effect of the spirit. But walking in the woods does help make a closer connection to the unique energy of trees, which is recognized by many traditions as being different from that of other plants. Perhaps no culture has appreciated trees more deeply than the Celts, who saw trees as the doorway between practical reality and the spirit world. The Ogham (pronounced OH-um) is an ancient Celtic alphabet based on trees native to Ireland. These symbols can be used for divination. Wooden sticks known as fidh, each carved with a symbol representing a specific tree, are cast three times over the picture of a wheel and are then interpreted with stories corresponding to the past, present, and future. As with all traditional divination rituals, close attention is paid to clearing the mind and having pure int! ention to understand the hidden realities involved. Using the Ogham system of divination lends perspective on difficult matters.

Each symbol is tied not only to a tree, but each one also has an association with a letter, sound, season, color, and animal. The divination begins with the tree's properties, and leads to the deeper, mystical implications of the symbol combinations. Here are a few examples of the trees of Ogham:

* Oak: The Celts most sacred tree, which symbolized the center of the universe and the passageway to the spirit world. Your deepest wisdom grows from the oak and appears as falling acorns with your actions.

* Rowan: Whenever the rowan tree, renowned for its protective qualities, appears in divination, it represents the protection one's own insight will lend to a situation.

* Ash: This tree symbolized connection and movement between different places and aspects; when the ash tree appears, it tells you something about your ability to combine your energy with someone else's.

Using the entire set of archetypal images, the Ogham can reveal a story that is dynamic, poetic, and has personal resonance. You can try Ogham by using natural wooden sticks carved especially for the process; there are also online Ogham tools. Whatever method you choose will allow you to gain new perspective on your life by telling your story in a way you may never have imagined.

For more information visit Pixelations.com

I've always been curious about the Ogham - do you have any suggestions on a good reliable place to look for information?

If you're interested in the actual historical alphabet of Ogam (Ogham) and it's uses, I can recommend a couple of books. These books discuss the various versions in a researched, and documented method. For more information on the Ogham divination methods as discussed above, I would recommend you just make something up. That's what the author of whoever wrote that did.

Both of the following books have information on the Ogam alphabet;

The Celtic Seers' Source Book: Vision and Magic in the Druid Tradition, John Matthews.

America BC, Barry Fells

I have to agree that some 'historical or traditional' information in paganism is spectulation .... which is what the above divination probably is.... so yes Imbas, someone made it up.

However, some sources do give each character(letter) of ogham a tree association, and through that association a value to human nature. The world of wood has always held a spot in our spirituality in one manner or another, that being the case the authors form of meditation or divination is simply a matter of perspective. A tool crafted from the knowledge of ogham available to us, to dismiss it out of hand is a disservice to the creativity that went into it. I am a firm believer in the language of symbols ... the ogham system (like the runic family) may act as a trigger to some and allow them a opportunity to delve farther into an altered state of awareness (in this case, divination) much like the symbology of the Tarot or I Ching.

For additional information on Ogham:

I fully agree that there are tree associations. They are not divinitory though, merely dialects. Different tree scripts were used for different reasons. Ogam was used quite a bit for sending messages in code. My purposes are not to dismiss creativity. In fact I encourage it. You can do the same thing with english or french or even those symbols on your computer wing-ding font. But, once you made that up, you wouldn't go saying that was the puropse of the language would you? If you want to research a subject, you have to go to the research sources. Other symbols were created for divination. Ogam however was not.

The author didn't say ogham was created for divination, he/she said "it can be used for divination" Which is something I agreed to in the spirit and definition of divination.

Although, I personally would not use this system, it is something that may appeal to others who have a green tradition <shrugs> its still a tool, much like another. One can only hope that the historical or archeological information regarding the ogham script is equally enticing and accessible to those that find themselves with an interest in this system.

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