Ogham Tuesday: Vine/Muin

The world has a lot of vining plants, not all of them delightful. Lucky for us, Vine/Muin is an ogham of delight – ecstasy, even. Think of grapevines and the harvesting of their fruit, cultivated with skill over generations, bringing communities together to share the burden of work. 

The thing about grapevines, though, is that they are NOT a “set it and forget it” kind of crop. Timing and selection matter. Protection from pests and careful pruning matter. Terroir (that near-magical combination of soil, topography, and climate) matters. 

It’s not all wine and roses, though. I have seen wild grapevine take over and destroy a landscape. Its meandering habit and heavy growth will create a tangled trunk that pulls fences down and suffocates even something as strong as a mature walnut tree or a line of cedars. 

I’m sure you can see where I’m going with my metaphors, by now. YES, this is an omen of celebration and achievement. But don’t forget that, for achievement to create lasting benefit, it needs to be cultivated with patience and skill. We have the responsibility to actively select for our desired results, from the soil to the sky. 

Keywords include: Celebration, harvest, completion, victory, community, fruit, sprouting, meandering, habit, overburdened, effort, reaching, cultivate, rejoice, connecting, achievement, abundance, festivity, ecstatic

Guidance might be: 

• Take a moment to prune out something that overburdens you, so you’ll have the energy to grow in the direction you truly want. 

• Prepare for your success from the very beginning. 

• Understand your operating environment so you can adjust your input and output accordingly.

Cautions and questions might be:

• Where can community help you manage a big challenge?

• What have you accomplished lately that deserves to be celebrated?

• Are your expectations aligned with the effort you can put into a goal right now?

What connections do you see? 

Blessings,

Nicole

~ 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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