Working effectively with the ogham relies on a closely built relationship with the trees and their spirits. In this way, every ogham stave— whether inscribed upon wood or written upon paper—becomes an embodiment of the tree’s particular energy and spirit. The ogham thus becomes an ally in divination, contemplation, and magic. Therefore in this section we will turn our attention to making and preparing ogham staves that still contain and are empowered by the tree spirits themselves for a variety of magical and spiritual uses.
Ogham staves can be prepared using the wood of each tree or a single type of wood; beech and birch are good for this purpose, as is simple box wood or pine. Ideally the wood should be gathered from the wild trees themselves with the permission and assistance of the tree spirit (and any landowners). Gathering may not always be possible, however. Ogham staves inscribed upon wood purchased in DIY stores may be charged and blessed for use quite effectively. Care must be taken, however—the wood should be from a sustainable, ethical, and ecologically conscious source. This is for our own magical and spiritual integrity as well as to encourage the tree spirits’ support.
When gathering wood from a specific tree, time should be spent in a meditative state in the tree’s presence for a time, and decisions need to be made as to whether the wood should be cut from the living tree or gathered from the fallen twigs and branches beneath it. There are two schools of thought on this: the wood gathered at the tree’s base is better as it does no harm, but the wood cut from the tree contains its living essence and is thus superior. In practice, there is no substitute for feeling the guidance of the tree itself. Some trees will want you to gather from fallen branches and twigs, and others will guide you where and how to cut a small piece from a slender branch. If the wood is gathered with the tree’s permission, the spirit of the tree will accompany the stave and empower it. If permission is not granted, the stave will not hold this energy and will be a mere symbol and unusable for magical purposes.
Ideally, you would spend time with each tree and plant spirit represented in the ogham. If you can, you will be able to slowly enter into a relationship with each tree in its physical form. When ready, you will be able to ask each specific tree in turn for a piece of its wood. Seeking each ogham tree in sequence is an excellent magical quest and meditative process in its own right and is by far the best teacher for tree magic and the ogham in all its uses. The very process of seeking out each tree in turn becomes as much a spiritual journey as a magical one, and your soul will gradually align to the ogham patterns of growth with tangible results in your day-to-day life. This “walking with the ogham” aligns you with nature and the great spirits of the green world in a very distinctive way.
Gathering Wood
When you feel you have a sense of the tree spirit of your chosen wood, you need to seek its permission to gather a piece of its wood for your use. Bear in mind that the ideal size for an ogham stave for use in divination will be relatively small, perhaps three to five inches long and the thickness of a pencil. Any larger quickly becomes impractical for ogham casting, although it may be appropriate for wands or staffs.
Sitting at the tree’s base (or if this is not possible, as near to its presence as you can be), ask the tree out loud if you may have a piece of its wood in order to make an ogham stave. Allow yourself to fall into silence, and focus your attention on your breathing and your chest area. Then gently expand your awareness again towards the tree. How do you feel? What sort of response are you receiving? Do you feel any unease or discomfort in your chest or stomach? Do you feel any resistance? Look to your subtle emotions, as these may in fact be the tree’s feelings. What is your initial immediate feeling? If you feel nothing negative, take this as a sign that you may proceed. Next, feel out whether you may take a living or a fallen piece, remembering that fallen pieces may still have the tree’s energy and spirit present in them if the tree wishes it.
Let your eyes and focus soften. If a piece of wood catches your eye that seems suitable in size (especially width rather than length), consider if this is the piece you may have. If there is any difficulty acquiring it, take it as the tree refusing permission for that particular piece, if not your request in general. At each stage, you must be alert, respectful, and sensitive to the tree spirit before you.
If you feel you have permission to cut a piece, then you must use good equipment. Sharp secateurs are good for this—do not cut a piece any thicker than these can handle. Tell the tree what you are doing, and be sure to make the cut clean and tidy, at an angle so that any rain water falling on the cut falls away from the tree’s trunk rather than further into it. When you have made the cut, lay your hands upon it. Raising some energy from the earth, send it into the wood with your heartfelt thanks, and “seal” the area with energy.
Whether you have gathered a fallen piece or cut from fresh wood, you must leave an offering. Sometimes a tree will very clearly tell you what it wants. If this is the case, heed its request to the best of your ability. Spring water is an excellent offering, as is a small lock of your hair to show your equality with the tree spirit and to encourage a lasting bond of good relations between you. Offerings of song and sacred dance are also acceptable, but physical offerings should always be biodegradable and do no harm to the tree or its surrounding area. Gathering any rubbish if you see any is also a valued offering, and should be a continuous part of your work with tree and nature spirits of all kinds whenever it becomes necessary.
This same initial practice is perfect for gathering wood for wand use, with the only change being that a wand will usually be a larger and longer piece of wood.
Charging and Blessing
When wood has been gathered, it needs to be charged and blessed for magical use. If it has been bought rather than gathered, it may also need ritual cleansing by passing it through sage or mugwort smoke and leaving it upon the earth overnight, perhaps longer. Alternatively, it may be cleansed by leaving it in cold running water, but care should be taken to ensure it is dried again thoroughly and without damage.
To charge and bless an ogham stave or wand, you need first to create a simple sacred space, be it a magical circle, a working space in a woodland grove, or some other calm area. Whatever your location, you will need to be uninterrupted and able to work in a sacred and conscious manner.
Take the piece of wood in your hands and breathe deeply, feeling your feet on the ground and your connection with the heart of the earth. Next, turn your attention to the tree from which the piece was gathered, whether you encountered it in the physical world or not. If you are working with each ogham tree and its wood in turn, ask the spirit of the tree to be present and charge and bless the piece with its energy, that you may use it for magic and the seeking of wisdom. Use our own words, but be honest, simple, and respectful. Hold the tree in your vision, and see it sending some of its energy into the wood.
If you are using a different type of wood for your ogham stave, first ask the spirit of the tree that gave the wood for its blessing and assistance, and then ask that the spirit of the specific ogham also be present to bless and charge the piece. Take your time, and wait until each stave feels full of energy and spirit presence.
Next you need to carve, draw, or paint the specific ogham sigil upon the blessed wood. There are various ways to do this: permanent ink, pyrography (burning), or with a sharp knife (bronze or flint knives are the best for this, as they are compatible with the trees’ energy in a way that iron or steel are not). Practicality must come first at this stage; inscribe the sigil in a way that is clear and at your comfort or skill level so that it easily carries your sacred intention. You may need to cut a small sliver of the wood away in order to create a smooth enough surface to mark clearly.
Mark the sigil onto the wood, again asking that the tree spirit charge and bless the sigil. Verbally call the ogham sigil itself (beith, luis, etc.) as well. When you have finished, again hold the piece in your hands. Raising energy up from the earth, and holding the feeling of conscious connection with the tree, see the sigil charged with energy in your inner vision.
You will need to repeat this process with every ogham sigil and stave to make a complete set.
If you are making your own set of ogham cards, thank the wood that made the paper, and then ask for the energy and blessing of the ogham tree you are inscribing upon it. From there, the process is the same.
Wand Charging and Blessing
If you are making a wand rather than an ogham stave, ideally you have gathered the wood yourself and know which tree the piece has come from. Wands gathered and prepared in this way are always better than purchased ones, even though they may be far simpler and more rustic in appearance.
Again, call or invoke the tree’s presence and ask that it charge and bless your wand. Use your own words, but approach the tree spirit in friendship and respect, asking that it be your ally from this point. Feeling your feet upon the ground and your connection to the heart of the earth, hold the wand in your hands. In your inner vision, see the wand being charged, blessed, and filled with light from the earth and the tree spirit’s presence.
You may decide to inscribe the wand’s type of tree in ogham upon it or other symbols and sigils that come to you during this process, but remember that a powerful and effective wand is not necessarily one with a lot of decoration. The source of the wand’s power is the connection with the tree spirit more than any other detail.
An effective wand doesn’t necessarily need to have a point or tip to be cut or shaped into it. Take your time; feel the wand’s indwelling spirit and let it guide you as to its use. Each piece of wood will have its own energy current (usually from the trunk to the tips of the branches), and the direction of the energy in the wand will follow this pattern. Get into a calm, meditative state and use your instincts and powers of observation to support your inner vision. In this way, you will find which end to hold, and which end to use in order to direct your will and magic into the world.
Using a Wand
To effectively use a wand, you need to repeat the energetic pattern of the tree itself. Draw energy up from the earth—your roots—and raise it up your body, trunk, and along your arm. Call upon the spirit of your wand aloud or in your inner vision, and together direct the energy through the wand into a single point in the manifest world.
Wands are particularly effective when casting a circle in this way or for inscribing energetic ogham spirit sigils either on surfaces such as objects, doors and walls, parts of the body for healing, or “in air,” marking energetic boundaries or to invoke a specific energy into a space.
Drawing Ogham Spirit Sigils
Ogham spirit sigils can be drawn using a wand or your hand. Raising energy from the earth, call upon the spirit of the tree and ogham you have chosen to cast, and energetically “draw” it either in the air or upon your chosen surface.
Oghams can be cast in this way for a whole host of reasons, calling upon their various qualities. Try birch for cleansing and new projects, rowan and/or oak for protection, apple for healing, elder to attract faeries, and blackberry for money spells.
Combination Oghams
Oghams can be combined to fine-tune your intentions and spellwork. Each ogham may be used to represent a letter to write out spells in Gaelic or English, or their energies can be combined. For example, birch, broom, holly, and apple can be combined on a single stave for a healing spell. Birch and broom combine to cleanse away illness, holly increases life force, and apple restores wellness and wholeness.
Combination oghams should be drawn vertically up the stem, with a “mouth” at the top and roots at the bottom (see Figure 2).