WHAT IS THE OGHAM?
Ogham symbols were found inscribed on standing stones mostly in Ireland and Pembrokeshire on the coast of Wales dating back to the 1st Century AD. It is believed that the Ogham Alphabet originated in the South West of Ireland around the Cork or Kerry areas. Around 400 of these inscriptions have been found and most were personal names so an early form of grafitti perhaps?
The letters are named after various trees and is sometimes known as the Celtic tree alphabet. Ogham refers to the form of the letters but the particular alphabet used is called the Beith-luis-nin after the first letters of the alphabet (alpha , beta etc). The individual characters are called Feda.
The alphabet originally consister of 20 feda in four groups of aicme. 5 additional letters were added later in manuscripts called the forfeda.
The oghams were originally written vertically and carved into stone so read bottom to top. Later on they were written left to right in manuscripts.
FIRST AICME
BEITH
LETTER - B
TREE - Birch
MEANING - New beginnings, Creativity, Cleansing, Purity
LUIS
LETTER - L
TREE - Rowan or Mountain Ash
MEANING - Protection, Defence, Herbalism, Inspiration, Insight
FEARN OR FERN
LETTER - F
TREE - Alder
MEANING - Defence, Security, Spiritual guidance, Strength, Choices
SAILLE
LETTER - S
TREE - Willow
MEANING - Balance, Intuition, Harmony, Inspiration, Serenity, Comfort
NUIN, NION OR NIN
LETTER - N
TREE - Ash
MEANING - Transitions, Renewal, Strength, Learning, Wisdom, Healing, Fate, Friendships, Support
SECOND AICME
HUATH
LETTER - H
TREE - Hawthorn
MEANING - Protection, Loneliness, Strife, Despair, Fertility, Celebration
DUIR OR DAIR
LETTER - D
TREE - Oak
MEANING - Strength, Resilience, Endurance, Fate, Growth, Leadership, Kindness
TINNE
LETTER - T
TREE - Holly
MEANING - Analysis, Energy, Transformation, Skills, Balance, Love, Empathy
COLL
LETTER - C
TREE - Hazel
MEANING - Enlightenment, Inspiration, Wisdom, Divination, Knowledge, Practicality, Luck
QUERT OR CEIRT
LETTER - Q
TREE - Apple
MEANING - Rest, Harmony, Choices, Vision, Psychic cleansing
THIRD AICME
MUIN
LETTER - M
TREE - Vine or Bramble
MEANING - Harvest, Celebration, Relaxing, Play
GORT
LETTER - G
TREE - Ivy
MEANING - Wildness, Development, Abundance, Gratitude, Foundation, Destruction, Binding
NGETAL
LETTER - Ng
TREE - Fern or Broom
MEANING - Health, Vitality, Strength, Healer, Longevity, Shelter
STRAIF
LETTER - Ss
TREE - Blackthorn
MEANING - Challenge, Adversity, Secrecy, Choice, Change, Magical power
RUIS
LETTER - R
TREE - Elder
MEANING - Obsession, Jealousy, Karma, Inspiration, Love, Life
FOURTH AICME
AILIM OR AILM
LETTER - A
TREE - Fir or Pine
MEANING - Excitement, Pregnancy, Joy, Spiritual awakening
ONN
LETTER - O
TREE - Gorse
MEANING - Spiritual path, Lust, Spiritual guidance, Movement
UR OR UHR
LETTER - U
TREE - Heather
MEANING - Relationships, Connections, Fairies, Good luck, Magic, Loved ones in spirit
EADHADH OR EDAD
LETTER - E
TREE - Aspen
MEANING - Bravery, Perception, Divination
IDAD OR IODHADH
LETTER - I
TREE - Yew
MEANING - History, Ancestors, Ageing, Death, Transitions, Thoughts, Memories
FORFEDA LETTERS
EBAD OR EBHADH
LETTER - EA
TREE - Aspen
MEANING - Wisdom, Enlightenment, Harmony, Contentment
OIR/OR
LETTER - OI
TREE - Spindle or Heather
MEANING - Abundance, Creativity, Honouring family and loved ones, Community
UILENN OR UILLEND
LETTER - UI
TREE - Honeysuckle or Beech
MEANING - Change, Resilience, Secrets, Thoughts
IFIN OR IPHIN
LETTER - IO
TREE - Pine or Gooseberry
MEANING - Divination, Releasing guilt or shame, Vision, Enjoyment of day to day life
EMANCHOLL
LETTER - AE
TREE - Witch hazel
MEANING - Disease, Illness, Purify negative energy
OGHAM TREE CALENDAR
BIRCH Dec 24th to Jan 20th
ROWAN Jan 21st to Feb 17th
ASH Feb 18th to Mar 17th
ALDER Mar 18th to Apr 14th
WILLOW Apr 15th to May 12th
HAWTHORN May 13th to Jun 9th
OAK Jun 10th to Jul 17th
HOLLY Jul 8th to Aug 4th
HAZEL Aug 5th to Sep 1st
VINE Sep 2nd to Sep 29th
IVY Sep 30th to Oct 27th
REED Oct 28th to Nov 24th
ELDER Nov 25th to Dec 22nd
Ogham inscription at Ratass Church, Tralee, County Kerry
Source - Wikipedia
OGHAM ALPHABET DIVINATION
