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GoodGod!

Meet the Gods: Oghma

Merry meet.

Oghma, also spelled Ogma and Ogmios, is the Irish god of poetry and eloquence. He is also a famed warrior whose magical sword, Oma, would recount all his heroic deeds when removed from its sheath.

According to legend, he created Ogham, a runic alphabet that bears his name and in which Irish Gaelic was reportedly first written.

Wikipedia states, “He often appears as a triad with Lugh and the Dagda, (The Dagda is his brother and Lugh is his half-brother), who are sometimes collectively known as the trí dée dána or three gods of skill.”

Oghma was said to look like an older version of the Greeks’ Hercules, wrote Dattatreya Mandal for realmofhistory.com, describing him as wearing a lion skin cloak, and carrying a club and bow.

 

 

He also had long chains made from gold and amber attached to his tongue, “symbolically represented how the Celtic god had the power of eloquence and persuasion to bind his followers to him.” Other accounts say the chains are attached to the ears of his listeners to illustrate how Oghma could keep a crowd spellbound with his oratory.

White and red are the colors associated with him, as is the element of fire, Tuesday, the quill and the club. He rules writing, language, spells and the arts.

 

 

Morgan Daimler, author of “Pagan Portals: Gods and Goddesses of Ireland: A Guide to Irish Deities,” wrote, “Modern practitioners may choose to honor him for either his physical prowess, his ability with words, or both. As a God connected to poets, one could choose to see the harp as his symbol, and since two of his epithets relate to the sun, one might also use that as his symbol. Honey would be a good offering to him as would mead.”

 

Merry part. And merry meet again.

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About the Author:

Lynn Woike

thewitchonwheels.com

All my life I have known magic was real. As a child, I played with the fae, established relationships with trees and “just knew things.” In my maiden years I discovered witchcraft and dabbled in the black-candles-and-cemeteries-at-midnight-on-a-fullmoon magick just enough to realize I did not understand its power. I went on to explore many practices including Zen, astrology, color therapy, native traditions, tarot, herbs, candle magic, gems, and, as I moved into my mother years, Buddhism, the Kabbalah and Reiki. The first man I dated after my divorce was a witch who reintroduced me to the Craft, this time by way of the Goddess. For 11 years I was in a coven, but with retirement, I have returned to an eclectic solitary practice. When accepting the mantle of crone, I pledged to serve and teach. This is what I do from my skoolie – a 30-year-old school bus converted into a tiny house on wheels that I am driving around the country, following 72-degree weather, emerging myself into nature, and sharing magic with those I meet. Find me at thewitchonwheels.com, Facebook and Instagram.