![]() ![]() Finally, you are also most welcome to adapt this Ogham as you feel necessary to your own bioregion. Alternatives can be used when you can’t find the trees or if you feel drawn toward other options. Considering the health of the trees can help make decisions on Ogham inclusion or exclusion.įor each of the entries, I have also included possible alternatives when they made sense. Eastern Hemlock is also under serious threat from the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, but at the time when I wrote this, the Eastern hemlock populations are still strong in Western PA-but may not be where you are located. Ash tree populations, including all mature ash trees, have been decimated on the US East coast due to the Emerald Ash Borer-thus, I’ve replaced Ash as the Ash here in the US cannot hold the energy that it traditionally did in the British Isles. Health: A final factor is the health of the trees and tree species.Does the tree grow quickly and help regenerate damaged parts of the forest? Is it an understory tree? A nitrogen fixer? How does the tree interact with other life in nature? Additionally, a preference for native trees is present. Ecology: How the tree functions in the ecosystem is another critical factor for developing a regional Ogham, especially when looking for equivalents to the original Ogham fews.But there are also other very abundant trees that should be included in any North American Ogham like Hickory, Cedar, and Maple which have no equivalents in the British Isles. Equivalency: In over half the Ogham fews, we have equivalent trees in the Allegheny mountains to the traditional Ogham (like Oak, Elder, and Birch).(This is why trees like pawpaw and chestnut are not on this list, even though they are important to this region). Second, for people who want to make their own Ogham, it is helpful to be able to find all of the trees. First, abundant trees have a considerable impact on the ecology and landscape. The reason to use abundant trees is twofold. Abundance varies from region to region, however, so you might want to make your own adaptations. Prominence: I selected trees that are abundant and widespread.When creating this Ogham, the selections are based on the following criteria: This Ogham would be most appropriate for druids living in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and Virginia, but could easily be expanded outward. This Ogham is specifically based in the Allegheny Mountains in Western Pennsylvania (Laurel Highlands and Pittsburgh Plateau regions), so some adaptations may be needed for people who live at other parts along the Appalachians. The Northern Appalachian Mountains range from the Mason Dixon line between Maryland and Pennsylvania and into Eastern Canada. This Ogham is designed for the Northern Appalachian mountain region in the United States while being rooted specifically in the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. However, for people living in places outside of the British Isles, making local Oghams allows them to connect both with some of the roots of our tradition in druidry but also wildcraft and localize their druidry. ![]() In the modern druid tradition, the Ogham has also been associated with divination, and many druids use Ogham as a means to connect with sacred trees in the landscape. The inscriptions are thought to date from the 4 th century and onward, although how old the tradition is is subject to some disagreement. The inscriptions that survive of Ogham, some 400 or so primarily on stone, are found throughout Ireland, Wales, and England. The Ogham is an ancient alphabet, used to write early Irish and later Old Irish. The Allegheny Ogham: An Ogham for the Northern Appalachian Mountains in the Eastern USAīy Dana O’Driscoll, The Druid’s Garden Blog (), Copyright 2020. ![]()
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