This is the first in a series of posts about learning and working with the Ancient Celtic Tree Ogham, their energy and Spirit, use during meditation, and healing energetically.
The first time I began to look at trees differently was after viewing a video series on YouTube about giant trees and other megaflora that theoretically thrived on the planet many, many ages ago. There had, of course, been bits and pieces of teachings about the Ancient Celtic Trees in many of the books I had read over the years, but as with many things they really came front and center when I was ready for them. I began to look around online specifically for information about the Ogham, and developed a real interest in connecting with the Spirit of each Ogham. My intention throughout this year is to explore each Ogham and its meaning, cultivate a relationship with my local trees and share the wisdom and healing that I experience with that intent.
The fifth Celtic Tree Ogham is: Ash or Nuin. It is used in Ogham writing as the letter "N." The Ash tree is sometimes associated with the fifth moon cycle from the beginning of the Celtic new year, from about February 17 - March 18. The Ash tree is not just sacred in Celtic culture as one of the three Ogham the Druids linked with the inner world and integrating it with the outer world (the other two are Oak and Thorn), but also in Norse mythology Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, is an Ash tree.
Glennie Kindred's The Tree Ogham
Learning about Ash came predominantly from discovering some really wonderful authors who had spent the time exploring the Ogham personally. I have been fortunate to have been exposed to the work of Glennie Kindred, and more specifically her book "The Tree Ogham," which she wrote and illustrated. It is through her book that I really became enamored with the concept of the Ogham, their ancient wisdom, and how we can work and communicate with trees. She very thoughtfully writes about each Ogham, their meaningful symbolism and how to communicate with them. For any student of nature, specifically plants and trees, Glennie Kindred is a phenomenal resource.
Sharlyn Hidalgo's The Celtic Tree Oracle Deck
As a Tarot and Oracle reader, I was very pleased when I found "The Celtic Tree Oracle" deck, by Sharlyn Hidalgo. Firstly, the illustrations are vividly colored and beautiful representations of the Ogham. Her guidebook is thorough and thoughtful and gives a lot of specific symbolism, tie-ins with lunar cycles, totems and associations made with each Ogham. The Oracle deck actually expands the original twenty (20) Ogham to twenty-five (25) including the additional: Grove (Koad), Spindle (Oir), Honeysuckle (Uilleand), Beech (Phagos) and The Sea (Mor). Some people are purists and prefer to only work with the traditional twenty. Some may also see the benefit in expanding their perception and learning by working with these additional sacred nature Spirits.
I believe that both resources have provided me with valuable insights, and they are by no means the only published resources about the Ancient Ogham. I encourage everyone to find resources that serve their inner work and self-healing needs the best.
Connecting with Ash (Nuin) with Meditation practice
Much like everything, one can only learn so much through reading and studying in books and images. For me, I find that going within, through meditative practice can be so helpful in connecting with Spirit and letting that be a guide for connecting with just about anything in your inner work.
I found that I was beginning to pull the Celtic Tree Oracle cards fairly often, and realized as I learned about each one through exploring them that they were tying in to my present work, my current self-reflections and self-healing. Not long before writing this post, I pulled The Ash (Nuin) and decided to begin with going deeper into the Ogham by writing a guided meditation to meet and sit with the Ogham I was connecting with intuitively. You can find my guided healing meditation with Ash on YouTube on my channel Sun, Star and Spirit.
Ash is important to the understanding of the integration of past, present and future and of connecting the body, mind and spirit within us all. It guides us to understand that what we do in the now, the healing, the hurting, the actions we take link with the chain of all of our existence. So, if I heal today, I heal the past, and the future as well. It is important to realize that the unbalanced and unhealed experiences also echo in either direction of our lives. Through appreciating this connection, one can recognize how powerful and sacred the present moment truly is.
Finding ways to heal with Ash (Nuin)
First, I will say that nobody takes the same path to healing so if meditation is not useful for you, then I invite you to be creative about the ways you will enjoy connecting with Ash to integrate the ancient wisdom and guidance that it has for your healing journey. If you are fortunate enough to have access to an Ash tree, then I would recommend perhaps visiting one. Sit with it quietly and observe if you receive any intuitive communication or messages. This can take awhile as trees are not in a hurry, and as humans, we typically are.
Some people find a more hands-on approach to learning about the Ogham far more therapeutic, perhaps you want to set out to seek each Ogham and find a fallen twig to create your own set of Ogham divintation sticks. You can also purchase Ogham divination sticks if Oracle cards are not your preference for using divination tools.
If you are interested in a Tarot and Oracle card reading utilizing the Celtic Tree Oracle, you can also book a reading on the Book Online menu. If you would like to keep learning more about the Ogham, or reading more posts about the Ogham don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you recieve alerts to new blog posts. You may also decide to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you are interested in the guided meditation and healing with Ogham series I will be posting there.
Enjoy your journey with the Ogham when it comes to you.
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