Divination Offering: Ask the Ogham or the Runes

[jprussell]

Doing divination with the Runes was actually the first occult thing I learned to do, and since then I've also picked up the Ogham. I do a daily reading for myself with one or the other, and as needed for specific questions where I'm looking for guidance. But I've never done a reading for someone else, and I think it's time I give that a shot.

So! Do you have a question that some additional information might help? A decision you're contemplating? If so, let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to answer. Fair warning, as I said, this is my first shot at other folks' questions, so I can't guarantee how helpful or accurate I'll be! That being said, I wouldn't be offering this if I didn't think I could help.

In your comment, let me know your question, any details or context you think might be relevant that you're willing to share, and whether you'd like me to consult the Ogham or the Runes. For what it's worth, I tend to go to the Ogham for spiritual or magical questions and the Runes for life-direction or practical questions, but I've used both for all sorts of questions. If you have a simple "yes/no" question, I find that easier with the Runes.

With all that out of the way, fire away!
Thanks everyone, but this offer is now closed! Next time I'm offering readings, I'll post here again.

Comments

[jprussell]

I will do another round of readings either a bit later this evening or tomorrow, and I'll share my results then.

If it works for you, I will ask two questions:

"What does anonymous most need to know about worshiping Pantheon G for the long term?"

and

"What does anonymous most need to know about worshipping Pantheon I for the long term?"

If I don't get a clear-cut answer from those, I'll further clarify.

Also, any preference whether I ask the Runes or the Ogham for one, the other, or both? I will likely default to the Ogham if not.

[(Anonymous)]

That sounds good, thanks. As for runes or ogham, I'll defer to you, whichever you think would work better.

[jprussell]

My technique here was similar to those I did for Runes above, but slightly different, since I have a deck of cards I use for the Ogham. After establishing a sacred space and praying to the Gods that help me with divination, I shuffled the deck while focusing on the question. When it "felt right" I drew three cards, in the order "Setting, Outcome(s), Worship" and placed them in the spread. I then said a prayer and looked at the cards to interpret them. Between questions, I reshuffled the cards to use the whole deck (as will become rather obvious). "Reversed" means a card was drawn "upside down" as I look at it on the table, and it is not necessarily a bad thing - for example Nuin - "Ash" is the few of connection and communication, so drawing it reversed means some kind of isolation or lack of communication, but that can be a good thing if you need it.

Asking 1 - "What does anonymous most need to know about worshiping Pantheon G for the long run?"
Draw
Setting: Quert - "Apple"
Worship: Nuin (Reversed) - "Letter"
Outcome(s): Gort (Reversed) - "Field"

My Take on It
For setting, you got Quert, which is a Few of fulfillment or reward. It seems this pantheon has brought some kind of "gift" - maybe healing, or the fulfillment of something long hoped for, or maybe it's just opened up your life somehow. As I drew Nuin (Reversed) for the worship itself, it would somehow be isolating - again, not necessarily a bad thing. A monk or a hermit is "isolated" by his form of worship, but it's not bad for him. For the outcomes, though, I drew Gort (Reversed), which implies getting wrapped up in circumstances or in your own ego - in short, more focus on the kind of "here and now" things the Personality cares about, rather than the "higher" things the Self might focus on. Might this pantheon, or the "gifts" it has already brought you, appeal to you in such a way? For example, being drawn to the Norse pantheon over, say, the Egyptian because it's more metal/what my ancestors did/has already done so much good for me.

Asking 2 - "What does anonymous most need to know about worshiping Pantheon I for the long run?"
Draw
Setting: Huath - "Terrible"
Worship: Coll (Reversed) - "Hazel"
Outcome(s): Gort - "Field"

My Take on It
The juxtaposition of Gort (Reversed) in the first question and Gort in the second, both for "Outcome" is striking, especially for an either/or question like this. Also striking is that the Ogham Fews have elemental attributions, and both readings brought up a lot of Fire. In this second reading, literally every card is some kind of Fire (I can explain all that more if you find the Four elements useful and meaningful symbolically). This suggests to me that a key issue in this decision is your Will and/or Passion.

At any rate, for this second asking, for setting I got Huath - "Terrible", which is a few of patience and waiting, gathering your strength, not acting rashly. So this suggests that you have had some reasons to hold back on Pantheon I, maybe you're unsure about what worship here would mean for you. For the worship itself, I drew Coll (Reversed) - "Hazel", which indicates a hesitancy or withdrawal, maybe a fear of failure. Taken together with the Setting, this seems to say that you have gotten some invitations/indications to worship here, but you have been some combination of prudent and worried about what engaging would mean. At least starting out, the worship would likely be somewhat hard/scary/challenging. The outcome, though, is Gort (upright), which is the Few of slow, patient, indirect progress. Think of Ivy slowly climbing up the highest tower, or of water finding its way around obstacles to flow on its way. This suggests that determination in the face of your initial difficulties would lead to success.

Please let me know if you have any follow-up questions, and while it's not required, I find it very helpful to get feedback on what strikes true, what seems off, and the like, so I'd welcome that if you're willing to share.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks for doing this. Interesting outcomes, it almost seems to provide a straightforward answer.

The point about isolation. If I went that route, it would be blending a pantheon with JMG's traditions/practices that I don't think many other people are doing. I'm not looking for community either way, but it is easier when others have laid more of the groundwork, something I can check my own assumptions against if nothing else. The reading I did myself also pointed to a gradual diminishing of interaction with the gods ending with a focus on the self, which seems to line up with what you said. I have no idea what that might mean, both pantheons are too new to me, no ancestral connections or cool image attached. Doesn't mean there isn't something that will trip me up later.

The second one's very rocky beginning is accurate. I probably should've focused on a different god I had less ambiguity about.

I would like the hear the elemental breakdown here, if you don't mind. The point about will is something I know I need to hear. :)

[jprussell]

Sure thing!

So, if you're doing material from one of JMG's traditions, some or all of these ideas will likely be familiar, and it's just their application to the Ogham that might be new if you're not doing the Druid Magic Handbook or Druidry Handbook. The Ogham has 25 "Fews" (letters), grouped into five "Aicme" of five Fews each. Each Aicme is associated with an element - Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Spirit, in that order (which may sound familiar if you do the SOP). Within each Aicme, each Few is further assigned one of the elements, but in a different order: Spirit, Fire, Air, Water, Earth. What this means is that each Few can be described as "[Element] of [Element]" - so, for example, Gort is the "Fire of Water," which means that in some sense, it represents whatever is "Fiery" about Water.

From your first reading, Quert is the "Earth of Fire," Nuin is the "Air of Air," and as mentioned, Gort is the "Fire of Water". From your second, Huath is the "Spirit of Fire," Coll is the "Water of Fire," and again, Gort is the "Fire of Water."

Most systems of Western esotericism make use of these traditional elements, but they have slightly different connotations and correspondences in different systems. In JMG's Druid Path that I am currently walking, Air is the intellect, Fire the passion/will, Water the emotions, Earth the body, and Spirit, well, the Spirit, that which integrates the other four. The reason I called out the double meaning of Fire is because it is all about what drives you to act - the default state is to be driven by your passions, which just happen to you. As you develop your will, though, you can define what your will is, and so come more and more to drive yourself.

Given the prominence of Fire in both questions, but especially the second, I suspect the worship of these pantheons will interact with that part of your personality rather strongly.