Ogham Information and Meanings

Ogham
The Ogham alphabet consists of twenty letters to which a further five were added at a late stage in its development, probably later than the 8th century. The original twenty letters each consist of from one to five straight lines or notches intersecting a stem line. The earliest surviving Ogham inscriptions are carved on standing stones with the edge of the stone forming the stem line. These stones are found mainly in Ireland, although others have been found throughout the British Isles. The script on them usually spells out the name of an individual and they are thought to be boundary markers.

There is also clear evidence for the magical and divinatory use of the Ogham alphabet from the literature of medieval Ireland. It may be that such esoteric uses were influenced by contact with Rune-using Viking raiders and settlers who came to Ireland in increasingly large numbers from the 8th century onwards.

Historically the symbols were used for divination by the use of four Yew wands, possibly pentagonal in shape so an ogham symbol could be inscribed onto each side. The wands would always fall with one corner pointing upwards and this would be the symbol which was read. The position the sticks fell in may also have been an important factor.

More recently, the ogham alphabet has been used for divination by inscribing it onto small wooden staves or onto discs of wood. One symbol is added to each piece and they are used in a similar way to the runes.

Ogham meanings

Ogham symbol	Ogham name	Tree	General meaning
	Beith	Birch	New beginnings, bringing change, birth of new ideas, general good fortune
	Luis	Rowan	Protection, control of the senses, the strength to turn away negativity, vitality, healing, Magic
	Fearn	Alder	Prophecy, divination, scrying, intuition, remaining true to your ethics, music, poetry
	Saille	Willow	Feminine energy, fertility, psychic powers, intuition, cunning, new forces flowing, enchantment
	Nuin	Ash	Fate, divine process, connections to the world, spiritual inspiration, take action
	Huathe	Hawthorn	Protection, purification, learning through adversity, sexuality, self-sacrifice
	Duir	Oak	Strength, endurance, opening new doors, new paths, power to endure, protection, leadership
	Tinne	Holly	Balance, integrity, justice, tests and ordeals, courage, mastery over self, legal or money matters, growth
	Coll	Hazel	Creativity, poetry, intuition, the powers of divination, perception, inspiration, arbitration
	Quert	Apple	Choosing that which is beneficial, love affairs, beauty, healing, nourishment, living fully
	Muin	Vine	Psychic senses, harvest, visionary states, patience, releasing logic and reason, examine life's lessons
	Gort	Ivy	Follow the spiral of life, explore personal paths, transformation in self, career and education
	Ngetal	Reed	Awareness of environment, creating order from chaos, progress through vigilance, harmony of will, action
	Straif	Blackthorn	Fate, wheel of fortune, trials and tribulations lead to change, true liberation, rebirth
	Ruis	Elder	Passing of old cycles, looking ahead, change and renewal, new residence, career, health
	Ailim	Silver Fir	Clear vision, foresight, being grounded in the present, nurture new projects, gathering insight
	Ohn	Gorse	Increase of material possessions, sexual energy, repelling negative energy
	Ur	Heather	World of spirit, healing, personal success, well-being, fertility, prosperity, Faerie Magic, romance
	Eadha	White Poplar	Overcoming fear and doubt, inner guidance, determination, rebirth, omens and signs, creative solutions
	Ioho	Yew	Accepting the inevitable, reincarnation, destiny, death and rebirth, new starts, contact with the past