This guide provides ancient wisdom of the Ogham and Coelbren symbols as well as the Celtic tree. Emerging from the sacred oaks of ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic alphabetical scripts known as Ogham and Coelbren are symbolic systems that embody the spiritual wisdom of the ancestors of the British Isles, including druidic teachings and ways of thinking.
Like the trees of the old forests for which they are named, these ancient symbols represent the voices of elemental forces and speak to the inner, untamed side of the human soul, offering the potential for deep psychological transformation.
Nigel Pennick extensively explores Celtic dendrology and tree alphabets, examining the Ogham alphabet of Ireland and Western Britain, as well as the secret alphabet of the Bards of Wales, known as Coelbren. He explains how ancient tradition maintains that these symbols were a gift from the wild nature and were created by Ogma, the God of Word and Poetry.
Each Ogham character is a meditative symbol in itself, embodying a creative energy available to all. He provides an analytical explanation for each character of the Celtic tree alphabets and their historical variations, including correspondences for each symbol, trees, colors, birds, codes, and inner meanings.
He analyzes the correspondences and cosmologies contained in Ogham and Coelbren and explores the practice of Ogham cryptography as well as their use in spiritual invocation, divination, and symbolic art. He also discusses rituals that aid in reconnecting with nature and the wild spirit, such as “maying” and forest weddings, as well as the use of magical knots and colors in Celtic tradition.
This guide to learning Ogham and Coelbren also offers a comprehensive understanding of the ancient Celtic worldview, allowing for the application of their wisdom in modern life.
