Ogham sticks

[Cynon]

I'm very new to this, but I think I'd like to collect the ogham sticks myself rather than buy them. Is there a particular time of year when you should cut the sticks, e.g. when the sap is rising? Lucky for me, I've already got 4 of the trees growing in my garden.

Ruth /¦\

[Badger Bob]

Some people make all sorts of magical theories about collecting wood for ogham but in reality you can easily make a set of ogham staves out of shop bought dowel. Mine are all willow that was taken from the tree-trimmings when it got its summer haircut and they work fine. I have another set of apple-wood ones that I made from branches that were blown off the tree in a gale and they work equally well. As long as you gather your wood responsibly and respectfully I don't see how it makes any difference. It is what you do with them once they are made that makes them magical.

[Oakapple]

I'm not sure about any "proper" time for collecting but it does seem a nice idea to have the "right "wood for each ogham. At least it means that you have actually had contact with all the trees.
At the moment I am searching my neighborhood for them so I know where my nearest trees are, I found an unexpected yew tree yesterday, very exciting!

[Lily]

with the wood of each tree route - I found Heather the hardest. this also meant the one piece I found will be the "measuring stick" for all others - length and width wise, approximately of course.

I collect fallen wood only.

[Cynon]

Thanks everyone. I think I'd still like to go down the 'proper' tree route, but as it might take me quite a while to gather them all, perhaps the dowel idea would do as a stop-gap in the meantime.

Badger Bob - I read your meditation article - my right knee is a total no-go area as regards bending it since a hair-raising accident involving my bicycle and a patch of ice, so I was really pleased to hear about the walking meditation.

[mark the compost elf]

just as a thought, historically oghams were carved in to wands of yew, there is no reference to them being created upon the wood of the tree of each's name.

as a codex system the symbols themselves are the important feature and their essence need not be mirrored in their making.

also, ogham was used as an alphabet to be read, and carved upon stone, does this lesson their power?

As with all things eosoteric, it is often better to go with what feels right. Sycamore oghams work well in my experience, as do beech and these are not featured in the tree ogham.

[dmiley]

Having a relationship with a tree can be helpful when building a set. Most of mine are deadfall from a silver maple that has been with me for over 10 years. There is also a bit of ash, a single red maple, and all the forfeda from a fallen butternut. The connection makes a difference in effectiveness, particularly in spellwork, at least for me.

[sophiemorgane]

I think it is way better to gather wood that speaks to you and that you either meet over several contacts with nature or even just one. Many of the trees in the ogham don't grow in my area, so I would have to order the essences, which feels way less "organic" than letting Nature point me towards the right sticks for my ogham.