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Study in Recreating and Discovering (copyright 1995 by Searles ÓDubhain, all rights reserved) I have used the Ogham to perform divinations for many years, since I first discovered them while pursuing my Celtic roots. I was fascinated by the secret writings of the Druids. Since that time, I have read every book on Ogham that I could find. I have a set of Ogham (made from 6000 year old "faerie" wood) that I use regularly and I have personally made several sets. In addition to my studies, I have used the Ogham to interpret dreams as well as to determine the future (for myself, as well as others). If I really need to know the Truth of a situation and it is beyond conscious knowing, I turn to the ancient Wood Wisdom of the Druids to show me the way. This work presents what I have discovered about the Ogham, the Self, the Cosmos and the Druid way. In our pursuit of the Wisdom and Secret Knowledge of the Druids, we are faced with many obstacles. Most of these obstacles were created by having incomplete accounts of their knowledge in what they left behind. The ancient Druids did not write their teachings into books or upon paper. They considered the mind to be stronger and more powerful than books, as they also considered the tongue to be sharper than the pen or the sword. If we are to recover their ancient knowledge and Wisdom from the remnants that were recorded during the Middle Ages, we must become as the Druids of old, and relentlessly devote ourselves to a pursuit of Truth and the attainment of a Total Awareness of the Reality that surrounds us. The attitude of the Druids was best summed up by these words: "The Truth Against the World." "An Fhirinne in aghaid an tSaoil." "Y Gwir Yn Erbyn Byd" What is sweeter than mead? - Intimate
conversation (Ifin, Pine). Come share a cup of mead with me from the Well of Wisdom. We shall go into the Darkness of Death, seeking Truth upon the swift wings of the Wind and trusting in the silver splendor of our sharp, singing swords! May the mead of our speech become Spells of Truth. Let us become new creatures of Thought. Let our Knowing become Understanding. Let our Understanding lead us to Wisdom! An Fhirinne in aghaid an tSaoil! Let us become as Druids! We shall read the Ogham and foresee the future. Is there anyone that has not wished they could predict the future? The need to have foreknowledge of coming events seems to be a basic part of our psyches as human beings. Many different esoteric disciplines have attempted to fill this need; everything from reading tea leaves to computer generated astrological charts. Some of these disciplines are more successful than others; giving us hints concerning the relative merits of the many different predictive techniques. At the roots of all of these disciplines is the art/science of divination. Divination is a discipline in which the Druids were considered to be masters. How does divination work? Who can do it? How can we hope to attain the level of mastery of the Druids in this esoteric art? Before addressing what we know about Druidic divination techniques, let's look at the basics of divination in general. Many people have performed a successful divination during the course of their own lives, although they may well be unaware that this is what they have actually done. Have you ever opened a telephone book to exactly the right page? Have you ever "known" that the phone was going to ring or even exactly who was going to be on the other end of the line? Have you ever gone to exactly the right place in a strange town without having any directions? Have you ever known that the "fish were biting"? If you've done any of these things or something akin to them, then you have performed an act of foretelling. You have performed a divination. Perceiving the future is something we humans seem to do everyday. The real key to divination is not whether we can do it but how efficient we can make it. Mastery of divination is found by developing a reliable means for using this ability without having to await those rare and random moments of heightened sensitivity. In order to quantify how we can actually perform such "esoteric" acts, we must first understand the basis of the act of divination itself. Understanding this ability is grounded within our many connections to the surrounding reality as well as our own awareness of how we are tied to it. These ties lead us into realms of consciousness. It is well known that we humans use but a fraction of our minds on a conscious basis. What is it that we are doing with the rest of our awareness? Since our consciousness is only a fraction of our mind's activities, the rest of our mind is characterized as the Sub-Conscious and the Super-Conscious. These two levels of consciousness are thought to connect with parts of reality that we do not normally perceive. These two types of consciousness are our best allies in the quest to predict the behavior of events. It is the Super-Conscious and the Sub-Conscious that allow us to do those mundane acts of "divination" that were previously mentioned. In order to perform a successful divination we must become more aware of our many layers of consciousness and how they are connected to the greater reality of the Cosmos that surrounds us. The connections of the Total Self to Reality hold the keys to our ability to foretell the future and to fully understand the past, as well as the present. Divination centers around the use of our total consciousness to access the hidden answers within the greater Reality. In order for us to open the pathways that exist between the various levels of consciousness, we must first achieve a relaxed, yet aware, meditative state. There exist a variety of techniques for achieving this state. The method that works best for me is a form of meditation. I try to individually relax each part of my Total Self, starting with the body. To achieve this relaxation of the body I start at the extremities(the feet, hands, arms, and legs) and work towards my center of consciousness. When I am completely, physically relaxed and my mind is "quieted" (without those constant "hi there!", "what if?" types of thoughts), I float within a void which then allows the many streams of my consciousness to touch the Cosmos. This is the connecting phase of the divination. It is absolutely necessary to establish such a baseline of calmness before beginning the actual divination itself. The steps that follow this relaxation are the integration phase of the divination. These steps are the most crucial part of the entire process. During this phase, the total consciousness is allowed to seek information and touch the Cosmos. Afterwards, it can translate what it discovers using the symbols of divination. These symbols are one of the many tools that that our higher consciousness uses to communicate divined knowledge to the deductive consciousness. Words are sometimes not powerful or universal enough to convey the knowledge of the divine. That is why divination uses symbols. The revelations of the esoteric consciousness are interpreted through the use of symbols, archetypes and a previously defined knowledge base. The divination techniques of Tarot, Astrology, Runes, Ogham, Casting Lots, all rely on such archetypal systems. The patterns and relationships revealed and defined within such archetypal systems are the means that are used by the conscious mind to interpret the revelations of the Sub-Conscious and the Super-Conscious. Since three levels of consciousness are involved in the acquisition of divine knowledge, three separate sets of symbols are required to efficiently complete the connection between the three levels of the mind. Let's look at how the Celts viewed these matters of consciousness and Cosmos, as well as addressing the threefold nature of existence. To the Celts, the Cosmos was divided into the Three Worlds of Earth, Sky and Sea. This is not to say that they did not further subdivide each of these worlds into many different realms, assigning unique characteristics to each corresponding part. The Celtic society itself had many levels of structure and organization. It should be no surprise to discover that their three worlds were also many leveled and multi-structured. This structuring within their society also extended to the family, the individual and the self or "Fein". The Druids were keen observers of Nature and the world around them. They amassed tremendous amounts of knowledge as they traveled the world with the migrating Celts. This information was memorized by the Druids (and not written down) so that it could be instantly accessed when needed. Druids did not require writing to store their knowledge. In fact, they avoided writing their knowledge within books because such book knowledge was considered to be inert knowledge and not directly available for use. Such knowledge could be easily corrupted by being used out of context. Book knowledge was not as fully integrated as the knowledge that a Druid's memory contained. Book knowledge could be easily changed by the uneducated and unenlightened. Book knowledge was not instantly available. It had first to be read, then digested and finally understood. Words in books were considered to be static representations of dynamic ideas; not the fully fleshed wisdom of a Druid. Books were not suitable for containing the Druidic Wisdom for the simple reason that Wisdom (and its application within Reality) is imminent, dynamic and alive; not dead, static or remote. Each Druidic memory was filled with living, breathing wisdom from across time. They were a rainbow of colors and melodies, harmonizing and surrounding the perceptions of the senses. Druidic memory was the cornerstone of Celtic Wisdom. The Druids did not require books to maintain this Library of Knowledge. What they did require were efficient keys to accessing their own memories. Such efficient access could only have been achieved within a structured, organized and categorized mind, the product of long study and disciplined mental training. The Ogham are the keys to Druidic memory. They are the eochra éocsi or "keys of divination ". The very nature of the Ogham is structure, shape, tone and color. These characteristics were used by the Druids in their systematic cataloging of knowledge. The Celtic divination system centered around the use of the Ogham keys. Ogham were used to unlock the massive amounts of knowledge required to become a Druid.
Much that was once known has long been lost. What was once held sacred within these great Druidic minds is gone, yet fortunately, there is much that still remains for us to consider. Our own knowledge base can itself be increased and expanded to include the realities and relationships of the Three Worlds, the ancient lore from the Dindshenchas and imramas, the stone symbols carved upon the Brughs of the Gods, the speech of the stars and the planets as they wander across the skies, the nature of the Trees, the spirit of the beasts, and the elements of the human self or the "Duíle". Intuition and Deduction are two schools of thought, just as Impressionism and Realism are two schools of painting. Both can be used to paint a picture or to capture a thought. As each approach is taken to its limit, the differences between the two forms disappear. They approach the same image, the object of art or thought. They each become more and more like the very thing that they are describing. The effect of discrete thoughts becoming more interconnected and detailed is the same effect given when the flowing hints of intuition become more focused. Both approaches are attempts at creating reality in the mind of the beholder. This marriage of logic and intuition is the fundamental basis of all occult knowledge. It is one of the guiding principles of divination. It is possible to "see" the complete picture, even when only "splashes" of color are present upon the canvas (this is why we can watch TV or look at a picture in a newspaper). The human mind and its many levels of consciousness are able to integrate a wide variety of images and thoughts into concepts and pictures that are much greater than their individual parts. If we want to become artists of divination, we must also become the scientists of divination. Not only do we need the "gift" of seeing the future, we also must learn to study, organize and remember so that we may interpret and use our foresight. When preparing to paint a picture there are many steps that must be followed. One must select the appropriate size, type and shape of the canvas as well as the frame. The color scheme must be considered. The techniques and style of the paints must be considered. What types of brushes and how many are required to get "just the right effect" are major considerations. Lighting considerations and other factors such as artist's mood, space to move around, noise and other distractions, quality of the environment, cleanliness, etc..., all of these must be considered as well. In preparing to perform a divination, we must take an approach that is similar to the artist's approach. The canvas of our work is defined by our Cosmology. The preparation of that canvas must include the selection of qualities for the various factors within our Cosmology, such as: Ruling Deities, Hallows, Directions, Magical Attributes and Characteristics. The brushes of our divination are the Ogham fidhs themselves. Each of them adds a unique descriptive capability to our foretellings. The Winds, the Sun, the Moon and the Stars all affect the environment that surrounds us while working. Their effects will appear in the picture that the Magic paints before us as we search for answers. In selecting the tools for our trade we must exercise great care in our choices. Only the best and truest will suffice. That is why we base our divination systems upon the teachings and writings of the ancients. They have gone before us to provide us with the wisdom of their experience. It is within the ancient texts that the form and manner of this Ogham divination system was first conceived. Our divinations and pictures will only be as good as the facts we have started with and the way in which we have swirled the colors. Let's take a look at the sources for the basic concepts of Ogham Divination before we approach the canvas of our "castings". The divination system described within this paper is
based on the descriptions of the Three Worlds as
described in several ancient Irish writings. The
Underworld (Depths/Sea) aspects of the Otherworld are
modeled after the imram, "The Voyage of Maelduin's
Boat". The Middleworld or "Land/Earth"
aspects of the system use the Tree Ogham as arranged
around the diagram known as Fionn's Wheel (from the
"Book of Ballymote"). The directional aspects
and qualities for the various divisions of the Land are
those assigned to it by Trefuilngidh Tre-eochair within
the tale of the "Settling of the Manor of
Tara". The Skyworld (Future/Deity) aspects are based
upon the characteristics and practices of the Tuatha Dé
Danann as described in the ancient tale, "Cath Maige
Tuired", as well as, within the stories surrounding
the Brugh na Bóinne and its many resident
deities/owners. Any symbols that I have used are derived
from these ancient tales and books, the Ogham themselves,
as well as, the actual symbols found carved and chiseled
upon the stones of the Brugh itself The Three Worlds of Land, Sea and Sky To the Celts (and the Druids), the Cosmos consisted of the Three Worlds. These worlds are the Skyworld of the Gods, The Middleworld of the Earth and the Underworld of the Spirits and Ancestors. These Three Worlds were interconnected by the Crann Bethadh ("Tree of Life") or the Sacred Bíle. Flows of Spirit, Fire and Water, moved through the many levels of this Cosmos, constantly going from one realm to another in cycles of birth, death and rebirth. The secrets of the Tree of Life are contained within the Ogham (which represent the Wood Wisdom of the Forest) and its many "keys of knowledge". The Brugh na Bóinne "O nobles of Breg, a might that is
not deceitful, "Behold the fairy mound before
your eyes: (Metrical Dindshenchas, Edward Gwynn) To start our search into the mysteries of the Tree of Life, we must first enter into the House of the Dead (for wisdom is the gift of the Ancestors). In some Celtic teachings, this is known as Tech Duinn ("The House of Donn"). Some call this land, Tir Andomain. In other teachings, its doorway is known as the Brugh of Oenghus mac n'Og, the Brugh na Boínne. The Brugh of Oenghus is also known as the Sun Brugh and the House of the Dead. It is the wellspring for the Knowledge of Segais and the collecting pool for the Way of the White Cow. It is only fitting that we should seek the answers to Life, Death and the Cosmos within the holy mound that was home to Danu (as Bóann the White Cow Herself); The Dagda (as the Father of the Gods); Nectain, (keeper of the Well of Segais); and to Oenghus (who is the young God of Life and Love). The First People of Ireland constructed this "Wonder Hill", before the dawn of modern times. Within it and upon it and in its very structure, they imbedded the Wisdom of the Cosmos. For over 5000 years, the stones of the Brugh have held the writings of the Gods. To understand the secrets of the Three Worlds of Sky, Land and Sea, we have only to observe the speech of the stones themselves.
The stones of the Brugh are carved with a variety of Cosmic symbols: the Sun, the Moon, the Sea, the Winds, Dreams, Life, Creation, Sacrifice and Transition. These symbols can be shown to represent the elements of the duine, (body or self). They are collectively called the "duíle" and represent both the components of the body, the mind and the spirit, while also having correspondences to the very elements of the Cosmos. In the following discussion, the relationship of the nine Celtic duíle to the five traditional Magical elements is described (Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit, along with other elements). Overlaying all of these elements upon the Ogham of Fionn's Wheel produces a uniquely Druidic system of divination. This system includes the knowledge from each of the Worlds of Sky, Earth and Sea. This multi-layered Cosmic structure reveals the secrets of the Wheel of the Gods. Before the divination system itself can be discussed, its many parts must first be defined and presented. Each part of the divine Cosmos has a list of correspondences and a unique structure that will ultimately reveal the secrets of Past, Present and Future. The following tables and discussions give the element names, associated deities and sources, as well as their meanings and correspondences. The derivation of this information is beyond the scope of this article but will be completely detailed in a separate work. Top of PageBack to the Class Outline [crossroads/daireclass/_private/_amrún_foot.htm] |
