Related articles: • Runes

Related Resources • Druidry • Symbols of Druidry

From Other Guides • Viking Runes and runestones • Rune stones and Rune Magick

The Celtic Ogham alphabet dates from the fourth century. The alphabet is named for Ogmos, the Celtic god of knowledge. Ogmos was associated with the Gaulish Ogmios and occasionally the Greek hermes.

The alphabet consists of twenty letters, each named for a different tree believed sacred to the Druids. Each letter is made up of one to five straight or angled lines incised on a straight base line. Because the number of letters, and the number of lines that make up each letter, some scholars have theorized that the ogham may have originated as a system of hand signs. Examples of Ogham writing have been found all over the British Isles, and even as far away as Spain and Portugal. All surviving examples exist as stone carvings, usually on tombstones and road markers.

Although it is commonly used by modern Druids and other NeoPagans as a divination system, there is no real relationship between modern and historical divination systems. When used as a divination method, the letters are usually notched into straight twigs and used much like runes. In this case, I've provided a print version (MS Word) you can print and cut into small cards if you wish to try a simpler way of divining with ogham. A B

The following table gives the characters of the Elder futhark and their modern divinatory meanings:

Stave:	letter:	name:	modern divinatory meaning:
	B	Birch/Beth	Purification, cleansing, new beginnings
	L	Rowan/Luis	Protection, instinctual knowledge
	F	Alder/Fearn	Decisions to be made; contact with the spiritual world
	S	Willow/Saille	Equalibrium, attaining balance
	N	Ash/Nuin	Restriction or limitations
	H	Hawthorn/Huatha	temporary limitations; obstacles
	D	Oak/Duir	Strength, endurance
	T	Holly/Tinne	unity; courage; guidance
	C	Hazel/Colle	Creativity, energy, "flow."
	Q	Apple/Quert	Choices, a fork in the road
	M	Vine/Muin (blackberry)	Insight, spiritual growth
	G	Ivy/Gort	tread carefully; caution
	Ng	Reed/Ngetal	disturbance, disruption, surprises
	St	Blackthorn/straif	confusion, strife
	R	Elder/Ruis	endings, timelessness
	A	Elm/Silver fir	Foresight, perspective
	O	Furze/Onn	Discovery, abundance, goals met
	U	Heather/Ura	Rest, suspension, hibernation
	E	White Poplar/Eadha	endurance; speech or communication
	I	Yew/Idho	change, endings, maturation

Comments? Questions? Don't Agree? Let us know on the Discussion Forum!