Edred Thorsson, Llewellyn, St. Paul, 1992
This handbook on Celtic ogham divination is the one that has the most personal resonance for me. The author, of course, is better known for his work with the Nordic runes, and I like what he has done with the ogham.
His first chapter takes a look at the ogham letters, original and supplementary forfeda, at historical and mythic concepts concerning the origins of the alphabet, at the uses of ogham as a system of classification, as memorial records and in medieval manuscripts.
His second chapter considers the connection between the oghamic and the runic systems. He notes that these represent different spiritual traditions from that founded on the Phoenician or Hebrew alphabets. He cites a reference to runes in AURAICEPT NA NECES (THE SCHOLAR'S PRIMER). He mentions similarities and contrasts between the oghamic and runic systems.
His third chapter using the concept of the fifths, four dimensions plus the centre, explores Celtic cosmology. There follow some general remarks on divination and then some comments on the topic as it applies particularly within a Celtic framework.
His fourth chapter looks at Celtic psychology in the framework of seven distinct psychological states.
His fifth chapter considers the means of casting the oghamic fews. This includes comments on preparing the fews and cloth, if one is used, and on getting in an appropriate frame of mind for the divination. He then considers different methods of divining with the fews. This includes the threefold layout, the fivefold layout, casting on the fifths, extending the fifths to ninths, etc.
Next comes his letter by letter consideration. This includes remarks on the tree whose name is the name of the letter, on deities and heroes corresponding to the letter, divinatory meaning, a professional correspondence for the letter and a defining word for the letter in each of the five fifths of Celtic cosmography.
There are appendices providing tables of correspondences, the alphabet of Nemnivus and the pronunciation of Old Irish.
It is hoped that in future this site will contain carefully considered remarks on the divinatory attribution of each of the ogham letters. This may well include considerations of the attributions provided by Thorsson and others. For now, avoiding any debate on the palaeopagan application of the ogham in divination, I will say that, in general, Thorsson's attributions and many of his other remarks in this book have a very strong personal resonance for me.