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Underground > Temple >

Ogham divination

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22:13 / 22.09.06

I only turn to divination tools in times of crisis when I need help making a really big decision. Primarily, I don't feel like I need guidance through my daily life, I don't want to eliminate surprises, and I don't think relying on divining tools is a good thing in and of itself. This leaves me with the problem that when I do use them, often I don't fully understand what I'm reading in them. So I'd like to begin using them more regularly to help me get more practice in interpretation.

The method I use for divination is ogham sticks, a handful chosen at random and thrown in front of me. I try to take into account their position in relation to me and to each other, using my intuition rather than any tradition about what those positions can mean. I don't use Fionn's Window (detailed in the article linked below) to interpret, and in fact I'm not sure yet how I would use it.

Here is one fairly good article about the use of ogham.

Anyone else use ogham or a similar divination technique?

I'll probably use this thread to report some of my ogham adventures as I continue them. Anyone engaged in similar work should feel free to do the same, if there's not already a thread for that sort of thing. Questions, comments, and kind criticism gratefully accepted also.

01:25 / 23.09.06

Why ogham? For you, I mean.

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07:02 / 23.09.06

Because at the time I started, I felt more drawn to Celtic traditions than anything else. For me at that time, tarot was too High Majyquey for my taste, runes seemed too warlike, and scapulomancy was too difficult logistically.

I continue with it because I enjoy the further randomness of tossing a handful of sticks onto the ground, because that action is very visceral and more earthy it seems to me than laying out cards in a set pattern. I like to see meanings in the relationships of the sticks to each other and to me. I like the kind of insight I tend to get from them— it feels very strategic, and leaves a lot of room for choice in many respects.

Also I've never thoroughly learned runes or tarot, or found a safe place to burn scapulas until they crack/a reliable source for scapulas.

14:49 / 23.09.06

another way to use the ogham is to consult the source trees directly. I often drift in the park or cemetery until I'm drawn to a particular tree (even in the US many of the trees are represented). Usually I mediatate with the tree for a bit just trying to be with it in the moment. Later I will look at the pattern of which trees and correspond that as a form of divination. It's less answer focused and more about seeking unspoken direction from the trees.

For bone divination I make ox tail soup with cow tails purchased from the local butcher. The soup is a high maintenance affair and results in the bones being extracted. I offer the soup to my ancestors and clean the bones by boiling them in salt water then storing them in salt. The end results are great for divination and wards.

This year's bones will be painted after they dry out so I can use them in quick Ordeal divination.