Florida Native Plants Ogam OBOD Ovate Gift Dana Wiyninger Starke, Florida USA July 29, 2012 Introduction Moving to a new region with completely different plants and climate, and having to manage a neglected forest meant I had to really learn about and examine the trees and plants on our property. (No relying on my previous knowledge of plants on the west coast.) Even with the subtropical climate, we paradoxically have many temperate east coast trees in north Florida. To make sense of it all in context of the Ogam, I had to seriously study and search to find the plants in my Florida Ogam. I often had to make more intuitive associations when an Ogam plant species wasn‟t found here. I had vivid impressions from the Ogam (and other) plants- I later used these to find my path through the many interpretations authors have offered. Personally, I use my own Florida correspondences when I see many of these plants every day; the impressions and messages are just part of my perceptions of the plants now. Since using my correspondences I‟m more aware of the varying time streams the plants experience and the spirits associated with them. I feel a conduit with the plants, and the resulting insights are particularly useful to me and relevant to changes going on in my life. Not quite formal divination, I receive guidance none the less. I feel there may be a healing practice in my future that will incorporate the Ogam, but that is yet to come. So, as enjoyable as it was, learning the basics of the Ogam wasn‟t easy for me. Ogam systems can use both ancient and modern Irish, European plants, and differing interpretations or associations. Add memorization or cultural issues and just trying to learn Ogam by rote would be pretty meaningless. I know if I hadn‟t started with the plants themselves I would probably not have any real understood the Ogam at all. I feel that learning these trees and plants was one of the main reasons I needed to live here in Florida for this time. I also felt strongly that more regional information on Ogam was needed to help make this magical alphabet more accessible, so I developed a Florida Native Plants Ogam. The following table and individual few pages include European and Florida common and botanical plant names, Ogam symbols, Florida plant photos, and lore. (It is also published online.) This is my Ovate gift. May this version of Ogam plants lead others to learn about, interact with, and commune with their natural world. Ogam & Native Florida Plants Druidry and related paths look to plants and nature for wisdom and the study of the Ogam - an ancient Irish alphabet- is a worthwhile way to this wisdom. The Ogam (or Ogham) dates to well before 300 C.E., with the main symbols carved easily on wood or stone. Each letter (few) is linked with an Irish „tree‟ (and/or plants we would now call bushes) and its symbolism. This basic rich plant symbolism of the fews has been expanded upon in recent centuries to include animal, healing, calendar, element, divination, astrological, and other associations. Studying the Ogam involves finding and knowing these plants. But as many of us don‟t live in northern Europe we have to look to our own region for plants that correspond to the traditional Ogam fews. This can be as simple as finding any local tree of the same species, or a non-related plant that matches some basic features of that few. I was surprised to find many matching species for fews in the Florida region. The table below shows the basic letters (including alternates), their Irish name, associated European tree, brief divinatory meaning, and a corresponding north central Florida plant. When there are many matching species for an Ogam few I generally chose one that I considered most like the original European plant. Other fews had no direct corresponding plant, and again I looked for a plant with similar features. I also tried for plants that can be reasonably easy to find, which unfortunately left out our endangered Yew and Torreya trees. Some other basic Ogam information to start: Ogam is usually read from bottom to top in vertical lines. In the Beith-Luis-Nuin Ogam system there are 20 basic letters (called fews or feda), and five extra letters (called forfeda). The fews are arranged in five groups (called aicme, or aicmi for more than one group). I‟ve also included 2 additional fews in common usage. Ogam spellings vary, modern associations are complex and in flux, and some debated. (For instance, Ogam calendar associations vary so widely that I choose not to include them in the tree pages.) I‟ve provided generally accepted information that can be a starting point to a personal understanding of the Ogam. The references used for this table and individual tree pages are listed after the table, for a more in-depth study of the Ogam itself. SYMBO L IRISH NAME ENGLISH 'TREE' OGAM MEANING FLORIDA TREE OR PLANT NAME AICME OF BEITH BIRCH White tree of RIVER BIRCH (Betula alba, purification, (Betula nigra) BEITH pendula, or protection, & pubescens) beginnings ROWAN OR Protection, vision, BLACK CHERRY LUIS MOUNTAIN ASH gives insight (Prunus serotina) (Sorbus aucuparia) Oracular guidance, ALDER HAZEL ALDER FEARN protection of self & (Alnus glutinosa) (Alnus serrulata) country WILLOW Feeling, intuition, WILLOW (Salix fragilis, alba, fluidity (Salix caroliniana Michaux, SAILLE eriocephala, or floridana) viminalis, or caprea) ASH Tree of rebirth, WHITE ASH (Fraxinus excelsior) passageway (Fraxinus americana NUIN between inner & Linnaeus) outer worlds. AICME OF UATHE HAWTHORN Patience, HAWTHORN (Crataegus restriction, protecti (Crataegus uniflora M.) HUATHE monogyna & on from inner oxyacantha) realms; door to Otherworld OAK Solid protection, LAUREL OAK (Quercus rubur or doorway to (Quercus hemisphaerica) DUIR petraea) mysteries, inner WATER OAK strength, courage (Quercus nigra) HOLLY Life symbol/ AMERICAN HOLLY (Ilex aquifolium) reincarnation; (Ilex opaca) TINNE directed balance, TOPAL HOLLY courage (Ilex x attenuata Ashe) HAZEL Creativity, poetry, AMERICAN HORNBEAM CULL (Corylus avellana) divination & (Carpinus caroliniana) meditation APPLE SOUTHERN CRABAPPLE Healing, love, QUERT (Pyrus malus or choice (Malus angustifolia sylvestris) Michaeus) AICME OF MUIN VINE Harvest, strong MUSCADINE GRAPE MUIN (grape vine) effort, releasing (Vitus rotundifolia Michx.) (Vitis vinifera) prophecy Prophesy, SAND BLACKBERRY BRAMBLE teaching, surfacing (Rubus cuneifolius) (Blackberry) of intuition (Rubus fruticosa) IVY VIRGINA CREEPER Spiral of self, GORT (Hedera helix) tenacity, indirect (Parthenocissus progress quinquefolia) BROOM SWEETBROOM Cleansing, NGETAL (Cytisus scoparius) healing, restores (Scoparia dulcis) harmony REED Meaning and SWITCHCANE (Phragmites purpose to (Arundinaria gigantea) australis) journey, direction Clearing to restore BRACKEN FERN FERN harmony (Pteridium aquilinum) (Pteridium aquilinum) BLACKTHORN Necessity, karma, HOG or FLATWOODS (Prunus spinosa) fate with hope, PLUM STRAIF protection (Prunus umbellata E.) ELDER Regeneration, ELDERBERRY (Sambucus nigra) cycle of rebirth, (Sambucus nigra RUIS change and Canadensis) transformation. AICME OF AILM SCOTS PINE Purification, long LONGLEAF PINE (Pinus sylvestris) sight, foresight (Pinus palustris Mill.) AILM SLASH PINE (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) SILVER FIR Clear view to the LOBLOLLY PINE (Abies alba) future, (Pinus taeda Linnaeus) perspective, foresight WINGED ELM ELM Twist of intuition, (Ulmus alata M.) (Ulmus glabra) bridge between lives; 'elven tree' FRUZE, GORSE SICKLEPOD (Ulex europaneus) Attraction & (Senna obtusifolia) OHN possibility; (or ONN) Harvesting sweet or valuable things. HEATHER Creation; gateway HAIRY WICKY UR (Calluna vulgaris) to spirit world (Kalmia hirsuta Walt.) (or URA) ASPEN Courage & SWEETGUM (Populus tremula) perseverance; EABHA (Liquidamber styraciflua L.) Protects by (or EADHA) shielding & resisting, gift from winds YEW Rebirth, eternal BALD CYPRESS IOHO (Taxus baccata) cycle, (Taxodium distichum) (or IDHO) transformation ACIME OF EABHADH (THE ORIGINAL FORFEDA - vowel diphthongs) ASPEN Central balance & SWEETGUM EABHADH (and/or a grove infinite possibility (Liquidamber styraciflua L.) (or EBAD) containing all trees) (Populus tremula) SPINDLE AMERICAN Fate, sudden OIR (Euonymus change, & the STRAWBERRYBUSH europaeus) unexpected (Euonymus americanus L.) HONEYSUCKLE Way to Inner CORAL HONEYSUCKLE UILLEAND (Lonicera secrets and path (Lonicera sempervirens L.) periclymenum) to search for self GOOSEBERRY Fruitful HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRY IPHEN (Ribes uva-crispa) generations (Vaccinium corymbosum) BEECH Past wisdom AMERICAN BEECH EAMANCHOLL (Fagus sylvatica) revealed; use past (Fagus grandifolia) (or PHAGOS) experience OTHER FORFEDA SWAMP ELDER The horizon, PEITH RUSTY BLACKHAW (Viburnum opulus) creation (Viburnum rifidulum) the MISTLETOE Fertility, healing, MISTLETOE UNSPEAKABLE (Viscum album) sacrifice (Phoradendron leucarpum) (or blank) REFERENCES OGAM The Druidry Handbook by John Michael Greer (2006) Tree Wisdom, The Definitive Guidebook by Jacqueline Memory Patterson (1996) Celtic Tree Mysteries, Practical Druid Magic & Divination by Steve Blamires (2003) The Celtic Tree Oracle by Liz and Colin Murray (1991) Celtic Wisdom Sticks, an Ogam Oracle by Caitlin Matthews (2001) Ogam, Weaving Word Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie Ogam article on Wikipedia PLANTS The Shrubs & Woody Vines of Florida, A Reference and Field Guide by Gil Nelson (1996) The Trees of Florida, A Reference and Field Guide by Gil Nelson (2011) Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants Floridata Plant Profile