Ogham Tuesday: Mountain

Ogham Tuesday: Mountain

Why these modifiers? Last week, I talked a little about modifiers in general and why I use them in my own divination work. As I get into how they’re used, I wanted to take a moment to show how these three modifiers in particular reflect my practice. 

With Mountain, Wave, and Star, I am mapping and connecting several elements (and not just The Elements):

Modifier	Element	Body Center	Powers	Etc.
Mountain	Land	Belly Brain	Ancestors	Past
Wave	Sea	Heart Center	Nature Kindred	Present
Star	Sky	Crown	Shining Ones	Future

You can tell I’m a big fan of threes. Do all of these come into play in every reading? No. I don’t even get a modifier with many of my readings. But, when I do, it always offers depth and direction. HOW can I put my omen into practice? WHY might it be helpful to look at a particular angle for my interpretation?

Keywords for Mountain include: fixed, ancestral, memory, hidden, past, echo, harvest, excavate, preserve, build, land, branch, mine, dig, treasure, wand

In audio terms, a modifier gives you a backbeat to the reading. Mountain is your bass line. Let’s use an example to illustrate how I put it all together. These three were pulled at the same time, so they all had equal “weight” in the reading:

Pine, for getting that bird’s eye view. Observational distance, situational awareness.

Blackthorn, for obstacles and caution. Don’t push through this; it can be a protective barrier too. 

Mountain, calling me to stillness and care for my own safety.

Given the presence of Blackthorn, holding steady might be my best choice. It’s a protection as much as it is a threat. But Pine encourages me to take a look at the big picture too. Perhaps there is a way around that isn’t blocked, or something inside the barriers that I can focus on until a path clears. Mountain grounds me, while Pine lifts my perspective above the obstacles. 

Guidance might be: 

• Tap into memory and documented experience. 

• Slow down. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast!*

• Anchor yourself in what feels sturdy and supportive.

Cautions and questions might be:

• What does the past tell you about this circumstance?

• In what ways is the map different from the terrain? 

• Can you break your objective down into simpler, more incremental steps?

What connections do you see? I’ll try to find and post some other examples of modifiers in my readings soon. 

Blessings,

Nicole

*Thanks, Modern Family. 

~ Nicole (Nikki, sometimes Saffron Hare) is founder and general manager at Nine Fires Press. Her Druidic practice has included solitary, small-group, and congregational worship, with a focus on liturgy and seership. She is studying for her Master Gardener certification, rehabbing an underground home in the Midwestern US, and loves to fall in love with bad ideas.

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