Ogham Tuesday: Huath/Hawthorn

Restricting, Confining, Waiting

Hawthorn is the sixth letter of the Ogham alphabet.

Starting this week, and continuing for five weeks, we explore the “H” group, or second aicme, of the ogham alphabet. It is usually transcribed as H, as it appears in the English alphabet. Of course,  H does some different things in the Gaelic languages. Sometimes it’s a consonant, and other times it’s vowel-ish.

What we got is thorns up in here. I’ll save the plant stuff for Nik’s run, but thorns have to be taken into consideration because we are desperately trying not to get sliced and diced when Hawthorn appears. The Briathorogam, or Word Oghams, in various written explications read differently, but a theme appears.

The Word Ogham of Morann mic Moín refers to meeting a pack of hounds. This is a kenning, not meant to be taken literally in a canine sense. I’m feeling TEETH. The Word Ogham of Mac ind Óc has to do with the “blanching of faces,” which is a fear response. Hawthorn is a “fairy tree,” which is enough reason alone to treat it with extreme caution. They are thought to guard portals to the Otherworld and to fairy lands, and in a Christian gloss on the lore, their flowers are thought to help prayers ascend to heaven.

When Hawthorn comes up in a reading, it’s time to proceed with caution. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t proceed, but you definitely should be prepared for the eventual consequences. Forcing the situation or moving blindly ahead could get real stabby, real quick. For most situations, Hawthorn indicates a time of being still, taking stock, and waiting. If you’re patient and careful, it’s very possible that those thorns might well be offering protection.

In general, Gaelic cultures consider Hawthorn a symbol of good luck, and it really does make awesome herbaceous borders. It’s not a huggable tree, but if you work with it respectfully, you’ll be the better for it.