I arise today through the strength of Life
Light of sun, radiance of moon
Splendor of fire, speed of lightning
Swiftness of wind, depth of the sea
Stability of earth, firmness of rock
Today, I will arise
-The Deer's Cry, From the Yellow Book of Lecan
Today, I begin an artistic and scholarly journey, and I'd like to welcome you along for company on the road. I'm working on deepening and expanding my rapport with my ancestral past and the living world around me, by studying the lore and magic of plants and trees. I'll begin with the ancient Irish writing system of Ogham and work my way through history from there. Think of what I'm posting as working rough drafts. I'd love advice, thoughts, corrections on any of my mistakes, comments and ideas. If you know poems or stories about the plants mentioned, I'd love to see them! I'd like to have a conversation around the themes that come up that we can all benefit and learn from.
For those who haven't encountered it before, the Ogham is the ancient Irish writing system. One long line was inscribed downwards, often on the edge of a square-cut stone, and small lines that created letters or 'fid' were drawn across the central stave. The ogham isn't always about trees; assigning the letters a tree or other attribute was a mnemonic device, the way we teach kids 'a is for apple, b is for ball' until the letters are easy for them to remember. Some letters were mainly about something else-a flame or a bar of iron, for instance- and only had a tree associated with them. But the tree associations resonate with me, so I choose to work with them.
It'll be an interesting journey. You're welcome on the road.
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