Daily Draw

Daily Draw Saturday, 24 December 2016 Method: Ogham Ogham Drawn: Coll – Hazel Ogham phrases: Friends of Nut-Cracking – Fairest of Trees. Inspiration. The last ogham I drew was this one, which was also the first time it had appeared. Hazel is asking me to use its qualities of being both strong and flexible. Those qualities made hazel a precious wood, used for many purposes, such as fencing, sweat lodge construction, basket weaving, wattle and daub construction in the construction of coracles. This led to the practice of coppicing where every 7 years it would be cut back and it would grow in long, straight lengths. Left to its own devices it would form a beautiful tree, growing up to about 12 yards in height. Man has to ruin everything natural. Why do humans see nature as a thing to be conquered? Of course, everyone knows about the fruit of the tree, the hazel nut. They are gathered in the Autumn. Birds and animals also like them, but I wonder how much of them they get, after all they are in competition with human greed and the crop means profit. The purpose in life for far too many. In Celtic mythology, the hazel is regarded as the tree of knowledge, eaten by the oldest animal of all, the salmon of wisdom as they dropped into the pool, which was Connla’s Well in Ireland, the source of the river Boyne. Nine hazel trees grew around it. Nine being the number of completion and an important number in pagan mythologies. Hazel is used for dowsing and often wands are made from the wood. So, the wood is associated with wisdom, knowledge and poetry. Poetry is gained through inspiration which is Coll’s message to me, seek inspiration or be open to inspiration and use it to be creative. I hope this is referring to my photography, but maybe a poem will come to me, both can be shared with the world at large. Oh dear. I’m hoping to profit from photography! Am I a hypocrite? Well I’d rather live by my art, than by drudgery. I still need to eat and feed my dogs. I must wait and see how the day pans out but I’ll be working on photos today.