OGHAM

The ancient Irish alphabet called Ogham (pronounced “OH-am”) provides another central theme of modern Druidry—one that operates in harmony with the two powers and the Wheel of Life.The oldest surviving Ogham writings are carved stones from the third century C.E., but references in Irish legend place its use well back in Pagan times and suggest that it was normally written on wood, which rarely survives long in the wet Irish climate.

As we can expect many who come to the Celtic mysteries will find it through druidic religions, orders and also the Golden Dawn, it is entirely appropriate that we consider the work of John Michael Greer in every way that it is relevant to our mysteries. Greer, a scholar of the both the G.D. and respected elder of druidry in general, however skirts the issue that Yeats would have considered most important:

It was less Irish weather that is to be blamed for the loss of remnants of ogham on rock and wood and more the oppression of eight hundred years under English rule. During those centuries Irish culture was almost entirely erased, children were beaten in school for speaking Irish, and uilleann pipers were hung from trees if found possessing their instrument, often used instead of the organ in Catholic Mass. But the Troubles of Ireland are over. While the Six-Counties in the North of Ireland are still in limbo, in fact not really wanted by either Britain or the Republic of Ireland, there is no more Irish Republican Army, not really. The hard won peace is precious to the people of Ireland and most who propose a renewal of the Troubles, the rIRA (Real IRA), are disaffected youth involved in the drug trade and using cultural issues to obfuscate their economic goals and generational fury that is far from healed.

This is where Yeats’ Celtic mysteries may be of cultural and political value: for healing. We all, always need healing. The linguistic battle and cultural war or revival is still very real, as Gaelic and Celtic languages in general have barely survived the centuries, and in two of the Brythonic languages the last native born speakers died. Celtic peoples need healing, whether still living in their home countries, or like my family still scarred and abusing each other in the Diaspora. When we don’t heal we pass on abuse. The purpose of all mysteries is personal or social transformations. Far before even Eleusis and still today, this is the case.

First, writing the complete chart of the Ogham alphabet will be on the test for initiation. However, it is recommended that we prepare for advanced work with ogham in talismanic work later by gathering a stick of each tree upon which the initiate will inscribe for use in divination and other ritual and meditative practices. Magicians always have their bag of tricks, and we shall have a bag of sticks.

Archdruid John Michael Greer also references the Book of Ballymote, but the evidence of Ogham in a 14th century manuscript as Gaeilge (in Irish) does not tell us more about how old it actually is; nor the details of the culture it came from in ancient, possibly Pre-Celtic, Ireland. Scholars have been studying its contents ever since discovery in 1785. Additional to the Ogham alphabet the Book of Ballymote contains the classic Irish source texts most mythology and more: Leabhar Gabhála (Book of Invasions), Sex Aetates Mundi (Six ages of the world), Leabhar na gCeart (Book of Rights), and of course, the Dinnsheanchas. While there are other key texts like the Book of Kells (the Christian Gospels), the Lebor na hUidre (Book of the Dun Cow) and the “Tain”, or Tain Bo Cuailnge (Cattle Raid of Coole). While Yeats did not have access to all the resources of scholars today, neither had much Irish “on him” (language that is), not to mention the fact that study of older forms of Irish was almost non-existent, he had a resource that is nearly now extinct -- old Irish people themselves, still speaking Irish, still avoiding faery paths and never cutting down hawthorn trees, and telling stories.

W.B. Yeats and his patron Lady Gregory collected these stories and so we have them still today, while Gaeltachts struggle and hawthorns get cut and faery paths, well, those are actually still avoided. Also many hawthorns still stand alone today, uncut about the countryside with only rock walls, cows and sheep for company; grim reminders of the furious curses possible by the faeries, or sidhe under the hills. Those hidden gods, once the mighty Tuatha De Danaan (Tribes of Dana), whom Yeats felt still had a role to play in this Irish play of Celtic mysteries.