T
he Ogham (pronouncedowam,
and sometimes spelled Ogam) alphabet, or what has become known as the Druidic alphabet, contained hidden secrets for magick and divination. Only the initiated could understand these occult meanings. The letters of the Ogham alphabet were usually single strokes cut against a line or across the corner of an object.
The use of the Ogham appeared among the Celts in about
600 BCE.
At least during later times, the Druids knew and used the Greek alphabet for ordinary mes
sages. The Bards of Wales continued to use Ogham to write down what they remembered of Druidic tradition long after the Christian conquest of Ireland.
Eventually the Christian church forcibly replaced Ogham with the Latin alphabet.
Druidic initiates, especially the traveling Bards, could use the Ogham as a secret sign language by stroking the nose, legs, or any straight object. By this means, a silent message could be passed to another initiate while talking to a third person about something quite ordinary and innocent. This ability made the Druids so for
midable that eventually use of this sign language was outlawed. No one has been
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able to resurrect this ancient sign language because we are not certain what each let
ter meant for that type of communication.
Although many say that the Celts kept no written records, history records that St. Patrick personally burned almost
180
Irish books written in the Celtic language.This set an example for Christian zealots who destroyed every piece of Druidic lit
erature they could find written down.
There appear to have been great wooden "books" of Ogham in ancient Pagan Ireland. Records state that King Art, son of Conn of the Hundred Battles, called together a meeting of Bards and Druids in
166
CE. These Celtic wisemen brought their Ogham Tablets, wooden staves in the form of a fan, which could be closed up to make a staff.The Druids have been considered as the only Celtic priesthood. However, in the beginning of their history the Celts had similar organizations of women. There are references made in many ancient Celtic myths which point to matriarchal origins and the importance of priestesses among the Celtic clans. The Romans called these sacred women Druidesses, but they were more likely Priestesses of the Groves. Cer
tain historical references hint at the name Dryad.
The ancient Celts had a kinship with trees which is shown in this magickal alphabet and in their tree calendar. Further proof of their respect for trees is in the old Celtic word for oak
(Duir);
the wordDerwydd
orDuirwydd
(oak-seer) was probably the origin of the word Druid.The Celts believed that many trees were inhabited by spirits or had spirits of their own. This idea most notably applied to any tree with a strong aura around it.
They also believed that certain trees had a healing influence on humans. From this ancient respect for the power of trees came the expressions "Touch wood" and
"Knock on wood:'
Oak, ash, and thorn (hawthorn) have long been known as the faery triad of trees. It is still said that faeries live where they grow together or in the vicinity.
The Celts had rules concerning the usage of certain trees. It was considered to be unlucky to bring blossoms of the hawthorn indoors; this idea is still followed by some modern Celts and Wiccans. In fact, the only time one could break or cut branches of the hawthorn without inviting bad luck was on Beltane Eve. The elder could never be cut without asking permission of the tree. Even then, it was best to consider that the elder often harbored bad spirits.
The trees of the Ogham alphabet were divided into three classifications, which had nothing to do with their physical forms. They merely represented their order of importance to the Druids. Chieftains came first, followed by peasants and shrubs.
Two symbols, the Grove and the Sea, are not trees; their inclusion points out the Druidic acknowledgement of the power of both the sea itself and a group of trees.
Both groves of trees and the sea have long been symbols of the Goddess.
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Ogham Alphabet
The last five letters are called the Crane Bag. Myth says these were given to humans by the sea god Manannan. However, the originator of this gift was more likely the goddess Don or Domnu, the Irish sea deity.
For divination, paint or engrave the Ogham symbols on one side of flat sticks.
See the Ogham chart in this section. Ice cream sticks or tongue depressors work well for this purpose. The symbols can also be drawn on cards and read as you do tarot.
Choose seven sticks without looking. Concentrate on your question while hold
ing them in both hands. Then gently toss them on the ground or floor in front of you. The closest sticks represent the present; the farthest the future. Any sticks which touch or overlap have a direct and enhanced influence on each other.
The Ogham symbols can be engraved on flat sticks for divination, carved into candles, or used in writing out requests to be presented to the goddesses during rituals.
Meaning: controlling your life; protection against control by others.
Month: January.
Color: crimson.
Class: chieftain.
Letter: F, V
Fearn-Alder
Goddess: Badb, Blodeuwedd, Cerridwen, the Morrigan.
Meaning: help in making choices; spiritual guidance and protection.