Erynn Rowan Laurie - Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom

Ogam

Weaving Word Wisdom

Erynn Rowan Laurie

Stafford, England

Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom

Erynn Rowan Laurie

2007 First edition

Smashwords edition 2011

Smashwords Edition,License Notes

This ebook islicensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not bere-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to sharethis book with another person, please purchase an additional copyfor each person you share it with. If youre reading this book anddid not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only,then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your owncopy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved, including the right toreproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

The right of Erynn Rowan Laurie to beidentified as the author of this work has been asserted by him inaccordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

A Megalithica Books edition publishedthrough Smashwords

Megalithica Books is the non-fiction imprintof Immanion Press

http://www.immanion-press.com

8 Rowley Grove, Stafford ST17 9BJ UK

Cover Photo: Erynn Rowan Laurie

Cover Design: Andy Bigwood

Internal Illustrations: Bob Daverin, PhillipBernhardt-House and J. Buterman

Editor: Taylor Ellwood

Layout: Taylor Ellwood

Dedication

To Ogma Grianainech, eloquent creator ofogam,

may your works be known throughout theworld;

To Brighid b n-ces, sacred poet,

may the fire of your imbas touch all whoseek it;

And to my mother, Bette, who has alwaysbelieved in me.

I love you, mom.

Tableof Contents

This book is the product of nearly twodecades of work, study, conversation, meditation, ritual, andgeneral perversity. It would not exist without the help andencouragement of more people than I can possibly name, but I wouldlike to single out a few who are particularly deserving ofrecognition.

Gordon Cooper first encouraged me to get mymaterial off the computer and into print when I began my ogamstudies many years ago (Okay, actually he said, "If you don't tryto turn this into a book, I will," and I screamed and tore thekeyboard from his hands, thus starting a self-publishing endeavourthat eventually led me here.).

Sam Wagar pointed me to the work of Sen Tuathail, whose ramblings inspired me and sent me in search ofbooks and articles I'd never heard of before. Tagh offered dialogueand focus, reminding me that I was doing the right thing when Ifelt overwhelmed. Bjoern Hartsfvang's superlative divinatory andmagical work with the Norse runes inspired me to look at ogamdivination with new eyes and to work with three sets of fedato represent different aspects of each fid. It is with hiskind permission that I went on to develop the three currents systempresented here in the chapter on advanced divination techniques.Lorrie Wood gave me snuggles and did layout for a short bookletbased on some of the core material presented here so that I couldhave it available for my classes at PantheaCon in 2006 and 2007.Smooches, sweetie!

Alexei Kondratiev argued linguistics, Celtichistory, and religion with me on the Nemeton email list for years,helping to sharpen my debate skills and look to the traditions andthe importance of language in the development of CelticReconstructionist religions. Raven nic Rhisn went over the first mostly-complete draftof the manuscript in between trips overseas and to clients in theUS, making suggestions that have helped immensely. The work she andKathryn Price NicDhna have done on the tree ogam has beeninspiring.

PhillipBernhardt-House (conveniently endowed with a Ph.D. in CelticCivilization) also looked at early drafts, correcting significanterrors and stomping out fires left and right. Phillip additionallydid photos for the book that I could not do on my own for reasonsthat will be obvious, and produced the pronunciation guide in theglossary, as well as helping with the tedious task ofindexing . He is also to bethanked for the many hours of conversation that were germane to thedevelopment and shape of this volume, and for his assistance withthe translation of the title into Old Irish so that the ogam titlewould read properly. It says Ogam: Fige Briathar nEcnai ("Ogam: Weaving of Words of Wisdom") forthose who are curious. Bob and Brenda Daverin generously allowed meto use bits of ritual that they have developed, and Bob has alsoprovided several of the illustrations for the book as well (Bobdoes ogam bindrunes and artwork on commission. Please check out hiswebsite at http://woo.wraptsure.com/). Brenda looked over severalchapters of the book in progress as they were being drafted. C.L.Vermeers accompanied me on my three-night vigil at the coast,described in the ogam and ritual chapter; you're a fine fennid ,Chris!

I must mentionPaul Remley, an associate professor at the University ofWashington, who offered a free class in Old Irish back in the early1990s that was my introduction to that language. Though I doubt heremembers me, I have a fond place in my heart for him, and forDennis King and Charles MacQuarrie, who were in an Old Irishreading group with me at that same time. Their influence wascritical for my budding understanding of Irish.

Mythanks also to Seumas Gagne and Richard Hill, founders of Slighenan Gidheal, Seattle's Scottish Gaelic cultural society, for theirinspiration, dedication, and tireless work in bringing authenticGaelic music, language, cultural traditions, and teachers to thearea from the Gidhealtachd inboth Canada and Scotland. My years singing with Seirm, Slighe'schoir, are something I will always cherish.

Over the yearsthere have been more distant friends and literary spies providingme with photocopies of difficult to find and out of print materialsthan I can possibly thank individually. May the Gods bless you allfor your generosity and your encouragement in this project and myresearch as the years have rolled by. Friends and clients whosenames have been changed to protect the indecent kindly offeredtheir permission to use readings I've done for them as samples inthis book. May the Gods smile upon them and ease their paths. Thankyou to the multitudinous members of the Nemeton and Imbas-Publiclists, and to the regulars on the LiveJournal CR_R community foryour comments and suggestions as I was working on individualprojects necessary to this book and for your private comments andresponses to the material.

Thanks arealso due to Taylor Ellwood and Lupa at Megalithica, who have beencheering me on as well as doing editing duties. Their support andencouragement, and their laid back approach to my deadlines madethis whole thing possible. Without them, this book would not existin this form. Leon and Allen at Travelers and Shiuwen, Rob andDavid at Floating Leaves in Seattle gave me chai and tea and greatplaces to hang out and write to get away from the internet when Iwas too tempted to hang with online friends instead of working onthe book. I got great whacking chunks of writing done in thosewonderful teahouses.

Last -- andyou know we always save the best for last -- my thanks to mymomster, who loves me even though I'm more than a little bitcrazy.

Adrae buaidocus bennachtain!

May victoryand blessing rise to meet you!

Erynn RowanLaurie

Everett,Washington

April 2007

My journey to the ogam began in 1986, beforeI'd really discovered my fascination with early Irish and Scottishhistory and spirituality. I read the usual Pagan sources availablein the mid to late 1980s and found myself unsatisfied with what Ifound there. Being independent-minded and rather stubborn, I setoff on my own quest for meaning and found myself enmeshed inpoetry, Celtic scholarship, and mysticism.