Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom

Author: Erynn Rowan Laurie

Publisher: Megalithica Books, Stafford, England

Copyright: 2007

ISBN: 9781905713028

Synopsis: With two decades of experience with the ogam and more than 30 years of working with divination, the author offers insights into the many profound meanings hidden in the ogam letters and their lore. She explains each letter in context and shows how to expand the system in new and innovative ways.

Review: I’m always weary when I look at books about Ogam.  For the longest time I’ve put off reading anything on them because of all the “Tree Ogam” books out there.  I’m one of these people who prefer history to mix with practice even if this practice is divination, which is by nature subject to the interpretation of the reader/diviner.  I found what I was looking for in this book.  

Erynn clearly states in the beginning of her book that this is her personal system based on certain reputable sources (yep I checked them out and one of them I’ve reviewed on this site already A Guide to Ogam) and her intuition.  So I knew up front what I was getting into.

She does a good job setting up the basics and where her point of view comes from.  I get all the history and reasonable reasons to use Ogam as a divination tool, as opposed to just an alphabet.  I also like that she gives her reasons as to why she would rather work with the word Ogams and meanings rather than tree, without telling people who do work with trees that they are wrong or right.  Her reason makes a lot of sense.  Simply put trees can change from one region or country to another but words and meanings can go anywhere.

She goes into how a beginner can start developing their own associations based on what is in the book, and in the sources she uses.  She talks about how to use the Ogam for divination and rituals, and how to make your own set of Ogams.

I was very impressed with the book as a whole.  It is one that a beginner in Ogam can feel comfortable with especially if they are like me and don’t like interpretations that don’t have a basis in identifiable sources.   

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