Michael Conneely
The Ogham is so worth following. See details of Michael Conneely’s worldwide distance learning course: www.oghampathways.com.
The Ogham is a most powerful and beautiful tool for personal growth and spiritual understanding.
It introduces you to a genuine and powerful cosmology of the Celtic Otherworlds that interpenetrate this realm: Middle Earth. Your mind explores and encompasses its vast range of consciousness-states.
It is the alphabet of ancient Druid Ireland. It is beautiful and tantalising, and the Ogham Paths that run across the Celtic Otherworlds are inhabited by awesome, beautiful, terrifying and inspiring beings.
The Ogham is very ancient and its growth through time showed changes and mergers of different Celtic alphabets, but each Ogham alphabet letter or ‘Few’ represents the soul and energy of a tree.
And each letter or ‘Few’ is also a pathway that run across or between the Celtic Otherworlds which are different, sometimes overlapping states of consciousness inhabited by their own beings.
Study the Ogham
As the tree alphabet of the ancient Irish druids, each letter of the Ogham alphabet epitomises a deep meditation on the energy and wisdom of a tree. Each letter can thus connect us to very special natural-based state of consciousness.
But also the Ogham alphabet provides keys to connecting to the beautiful and inspiring Otherworlds of the ancient Celts and for navigating across and between these, for example the famous Tir na N’Og, the land of eternal Youth, or Magh Mell: the state of Abundance, The Plane of Delight.
The Ogham’s consciousness is very non-lateral, mystical and beautiful. It is very different from the energy of the Runes, which is far more a will-based system.
Each student’s work is unique and lovely. Stage after stage of spiritual growth is gone through. Amazing visionary writing develops. Here is a first sample very kindly offered from the visionary work of Anne Lee, from Washington State USA:
Hawthorn Journey
As I traveled a dark green Holly path absorbing protective energy I seized the Spear of Llugh and held it firmly with a warrior’s grip. I stepped onto the Oak grove and immediately transformed into an Oak with virile energy. I thundered along the path as a strong male Oak. When I reached the Hawthorn forest I transformed into my human form and entered an ethereal feminine fairy world with soft white light and shimmering beauty. I walked through the forest marveling at the beauty then stopped and hugged one of the trees, suddenly I became a Hawthorn. My head was adored with white flowers and red berries, my branches were the limbs of a dancer. Beneath the softness and beauty, thorn daggers warned of my wintry side. The Oak part of me desired unity with the Hawthorn part. I returned to the Oak grove and this time entered the Hawthorn forest as an Oak. I shape-shifted between the two trees but soon my Hawthorn self was crushed by the weight of my Oak self, and the Oak was badly scarred by the thorns of the Hawthorn.
Analysis
I cannot be two trees at once! I can be strong or I can be fairy-like but I cannot take on both traits simultaneously as trees anyway. I suppose that makes sense. The male and female aspects are distinctive so their essence must be invoked and employed separately. This journey demonstrates the ying-yang of human experience, essential parts that create balance. I can draw upon Oak for strength and courage and invoke Hawthorn to radiate softness and beauty. Interestingly, I identify more strongly with the qualities of Underworld trees. This was my first experience of “maleness” and it was liberating.