Ogam Readers? Trade for a tarot reading?

[murfsdotter]

I'd like to trade a tarot reading for an ogam reading.  I use the Gaian Tarot.

I just started studying ogam using Erynn Laurie's book. I pulled three feda to find out what I needed to know about the feda. I'm hoping to get some knowledgeable assistance in interpreting these three letters: Ruis, Ailm, and h-Uath.

Thanks,
Jean

[Aster Breo]

I'd like to trade a tarot reading for an ogam reading.  I use the Gaian Tarot.

I just started studying ogam using Erynn Laurie's book. I pulled three feda to find out what I needed to know about the feda. I'm hoping to get some knowledgeable assistance in interpreting these three letters: Ruis, Ailm, and h-Uath.

Thanks,
Jean

I have some experience with ogham, but I'm not clear on your question.  Can you elaborate?

~ Aster

[murfsdotter]

I'm not clear on your question.  Can you elaborate?

~ Aster

Well, the first two seem to indicate that studying ogam might be a great learning experience if I'm willing to put some effort and passion into it.  

However, the concepts associated with h-Uath were a little unsettling. My first instict was to interpret it as advice to get rid of the ogam book as quickly as I can and look elsewhere for insight. I'm hoping to learn some other ways of interpreting h-Uath in this reading.

Thanks, Aster.

Jean

[Aster Breo]

I'm hoping to learn some other ways of interpreting h-Uath in this reading.

Thanks, Aster.

Jean

But what's your initial question?  Are you asking the ogham whether you should study ogham?

[murfsdotter]

But what's your initial question?  Are you asking the ogham whether you should study ogham?

Yeah, I guess that is what I'm asking. My exact question was "What do I need to know about learning ogam."

[Aster Breo]

Yeah, I guess that is what I'm asking. My exact question was "What do I need to know about learning ogam."

TBH, I've been struggling a bit with your question, which has made it somewhat harder for me to figure out how to interpret the feda you drew.  I'm not saying you did anything wrong!  Just that I don't think I would have consulted a divination method *that I don't know yet* to get advice about whether I should try to learn that same method.  I guess I'd go to a method I already know to ask about a method I don't know yet.  If that makes any sense...

Anyway, I think I've finally worked my way past that.  

You drew Ailm, Ruis, and H-Uath.  

Ailm is about new beginnings, discoveries, epiphanies, and the labor required to bring something new to fruition.  

Ruis is about strong emotions, which can cut both ways.  It can be the passion one brings to a love affair (or, in this case, an important project), but it can also be about the frustration and embarassment of putting oneself "out there" and not succeeding as expected.

H-Uath is often a scary fid because it can appear as a strong negative.  It can indicate that one is moving in the wrong direction, making a big mistake, getting into a destructive situation, etc.  But it can also simply refer to fear and anxiety or the need for caution.  It has to be read in the context of the other feda drawn.

Putting these three together, I think the positive message of Ailm -- the new beginning and epiphanies it heralds -- tempers the other two and also refers to this project as a labor of love, so to speak.  Ruis speaks of your interest in this project and cautions that you will need to draw on your passion for learning to get you through the rough patches.  That will be necessary in order to overcome the probably significant frustrations you'll encounter in the process, as indicated by h-Uath.

In short, I think you're urged to go for it, but with the understanding that it won't be easy.  You'll have to be willing to really put in the effort and not give in to discouragement.  But, if you succeed (and I think you can succeed), it will be worth the time and difficulties.

Hope this helps.

Also, if you haven't already, I'd strongly recommend Erynn Rowan Laurie's book _Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom_.  There are many good books about ogam out there, mostly focusing on the history.  This is, IMO, by far the best one about ogam specifically as a divination method.  

One of the techniques she discusses is the use of a triple set of ogam staves or stones (mine are stones), one set for what she calls the chthonic current, one for the oceanic current, and one for the celestial current.  This is kinda-sorta loosely analogous to suits in tarot.  I have a single set and a triple set, and I vastly prefer to use the triple.  I think it gives a far more accurate and nuanced reading.

YMMV, of course.

Let me know if you need anything clarified.

And good luck with your project!

~ Aster

[murfsdotter]

You're a very skilled diviner, Aster! I'm going to print this reading and keep it for my studies.

Your explanation of the feda was very clear and feels right.  Thank you.  If you'd like a tarot reading in exchange, just let me know your question. E-mail me privately if you prefer.

Thanks for the recommendations and the reading!

Jean

[Aster Breo]

You're a very skilled diviner, Aster! I'm going to print this reading and keep it for my studies.

Your explanation of the feda was very clear and feels right.  Thank you.  If you'd like a tarot reading in exchange, just let me know your question. E-mail me privately if you prefer.

Thanks for the recommendations and the reading!

Jean

You're very welcome!  I'm glad it was helpful for you.  Post or PM if you have other ogam questions.

I'll keep your tarot offer in mind.  I don't have a need at the moment, so, if it's ok with you, I'll just "bank" it.  

Thanks!

~ Aster

[SunflowerP]

Just that I don't think I would have consulted a divination method *that I don't know yet* to get advice about whether I should try to learn that same method.

 
I wonder if - since Murfsdotter is a tarot reader - it's an extension of something I've heard of in tarot contexts:  some sources advise that, when one gets a new deck, one should do a reading asking that deck what one is supposed to learn from it/what kind of readings it's for/etc.

Sunflower

[Aster Breo]

I wonder if - since Murfsdotter is a tarot reader - it's an extension of something I've heard of in tarot contexts:  some sources advise that, when one gets a new deck, one should do a reading asking that deck what one is supposed to learn from it/what kind of readings it's for/etc.

Sunflower

Ah.  I see.  Not being a tarot reader, I didn't know about that practice.

I didn't mean that Murfsdotter was wrong in any way.  I hope that was clear from my posts.  I was just trying to understand her question, so I could give the best response I could, and struggling with my own preconceptions.

Thanks for clearing it up.

~ Aster

[SunflowerP]

Ah.  I see.  Not being a tarot reader, I didn't know about that practice.

Hah - I am a tarot reader, and had followed this thread for three days before I remembered about the practice (it's not something I've ever done, so it had slipped my mind completely - though, coincidentally, after I'd posted about it here, I ran across a reference to it somewhere else).  I certainly didn't expect you to have known about it!

I didn't mean that Murfsdotter was wrong in any way.  I hope that was clear from my posts.  I was just trying to understand her question, so I could give the best response I could, and struggling with my own preconceptions.

 
I thought you did a great job being clear on that.  I didn't mean to come across as being possibly critical of your handling it, at all; I'd found the situation hard to understand myself, in much the same way, until I remembered about that practice.  So - being not just a tarot reader but a tarot geek - I did the geek-thing:  have info, will blurt:).  Possibly with too much brevity - it made me think of a possible topic thread for the Divination folder, so I was being careful not to start it accidentally as a thread-drift.

Sunflower