Daily Draw

Daily Draw

Date: Friday, 21 April 2017

Method: Ogham

Ogham Drawn:  Idho (Yew)

Ogham phrases: Beautiful ancient – Oldest of woods.

Enquiry, Discovery

The last time I drew an ogham, it was this one.

The Yew is a dark tree, but only because its dense evergreen branches shut out the light and its bark and berries are poisonous to humans. The needles it drops stop anything else growing around it. However, its strong, flexible branches were sought out to make that most famous on English weapons, the longbow.

The Yew is associated with the grave and are to be found in many church yards, but bearing in mind the longevity of these trees, they often predate the building of the church and were perhaps the focus of the holy site where people gathered already before the coming of the foreign religion. The Yew is a symbol of everlasting life and where a branch touches the ground, it will take root. It can be both old and young at the same time. It was a sacred tree to our ancestors and remains so for many pagans.

This ogham focuses on the spirituality of the night and the dark side of nature and hidden mysteries. It tells me not to be afraid of the dark side and indicates secrets. The key words, enquiry and discovery indicated the state of my spiritual life the last time I drew it. It suggested I should continue to seek and learn. Find the joy of new knowledge. I must confess to not having done anything. Before I finished writing this I received news that a close relative has cancer. Death can only be a short time away.