Next up on our ogham journey is Gort. Not sure what ogham is? Here is a quick refresh…
Ogham is an ancient Irish inscription alphabet that was used to inscribe headstones and other important markers. In mythology, it was created by the God Ogma (OH-muh) to warn Lugh about a plot to steal his wife. Today, Ogham is used in magic and divination.
If you want to learn more about what ogham is in general, I wrote about that here: Irish Tree Language - The Ogham 
I also have a video explaining the origin story of ogham that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/CWEm2pcAFc8
Gort is the second fíd of the third aicme. The word itself roughly translates to garden, though it is associated with all forms of growth. It is also connected to the ivy plant – though not a tree itself, ivy represents the vast expanse of growth and strength required to reach new heights. When we pull Gort in a reading, we are being called inward toward personal expansion in many ways, from tending our spiritual gardens, growing our careers, and allowing old wounds to heal.
According to Weaving Word Wisdom, there are three traditional word oghams associated with Gort. There are also two additional word oghams that come from later manuscripts. They are as follows.
- milsiu féraib - sweeter than grasses, sweetest grass
- inded erc - suitable place for cows
- sásad ile - saying of multitudes, satisfaction of multitudes
Additional word oghams:
- glaisem gelta - greenest of pastures
- med n-ercc - counterpart of heaven
We can read part of these word oghams from The Ogham Tract.
Millsin feraib, sweeter than grasses, that is gort, ivy, g, with him owing to the identity of the name with the cornfield. When it is in the blade, sweeter than any grass is that grass, to wit, the cornfield.
As I was writing this and reading over the word oghams, the second one struck me as important – inded erc - suitable place for cows – because of the value cattle had in ancient Ireland. Cattle were prized possessions. They were often an indicator of the wealth of a family. The more cattle they had, the more powerful they were. I mean, an entire war was fought because a King told his Queen that he was more wealthy than she was, so she sought to take the most prized bull in the country!
Quoth Ailill: “True is the saying, lady, ‘She is a well-off woman that is a rich man’s wife.’”
“Aye, that she is,” answered the wife; “but wherefore opin’st thou so?”
“For this,” Ailill replied, “that thou art this day better off than the day that first I took thee.”
Then answered Medb: “As well-off was I before I ever saw thee.”
“It was a wealth, forsooth, we never heard nor knew of,” Ailill said; “but a woman’s wealth was all thou hadst, and foes from lands next thine were used to carry off the spoil and booty that they took from thee.”
…
“Yet so it is,” pursued Medb, “my fortune is greater than thine.”
“I marvel at that,” Ailill made answer, “for there is none that hath greater treasures and riches and wealth than I: yea, to my knowledge there is not.”
They go on to call their servants to bring their wealth to them. To my surprise, when a woman married a man in those days she got to keep her wealth – it did not become the property of her husband. Anyway, the final part of their wealth they “count” is their cattle. It turns out that Aillil, Medb’s husband, had one steer that she could not match in her own heard (even though that Bull was the offspring of one of Medb’s own cows…but anyway!) So, she set out to take the Donn Cualnge, the best bull in all of Ireland, from Ulster.
Anyway, that is a very long way to explain the importance of cattle in Ireland. This connects back to Gort because it indicates a suitable place for our riches and wealth. Gort is cultivating a feeling of home, peace, and safety, allowing the gardens of our hearts and minds to grow beautifully and uninhibited in their glory.
The Ivy Plant
Hedera hibernica, also known as Atlantic ivy, Boston ivy or Irish ivy, is a species of ivy native to the Atlantic coast of Europe. This ivy is not to be confused with common ivy, or Hedera helix, as they are two different species of Ivy. One way to distinguish them is by the veins on their leaves – Irish Ivy has less pronounced veins on its leaves.
Irish Ivy is actually an evergreen plant. It can grow up to 30m high where there are suitable climbing surfaces such as trees, cliffs, and walls. If there are no suitable surfaces for the ivy to climb then it will grow as ground cover much like clover. Rather than growing like your typical plant, Irish Ivy grows with aerial rootlets that cling to the ground.
Irish Ivy is fairly easy to cultivate and it is commonly used in gardening. However, in parts of North America, ivy is considered an invasive weed. If not kept in check, Irish ivy can rapidly take over Gardens and other spaces where it has grown, overtaking hedges, trees, and other surfaces.
In Divination
Much like the ivy plant itself, Gort in divination is very much connected to rapid and expansive growth. This is a fíd that is hardly ever negative in meaning when pulled in a reading. Gort has everything to do with growth and gardens in as many aspects as you can think of. This includes literal gardens where we grow our food, emotional gardens where we deal with trauma and where we rest and heal, as well as spiritual gardens in terms of abundance and growth.
Pulling Gort in a reading can indicate that a period of prosperity is coming soon and patience is needed. It can also indicate a time when rest and recovery are needed, tending to the emotional and spiritual side of ourselves.
Here are some keywords I’ve come up with in my studies for Gort regarding divination.
- growth
- passion
- garden
- wealth
- fertility
- abundance
- happiness
- patience
- sanctuary
- safety
- peace
At the end of every fíd in her book, Erynn has questions and linked concepts to think about for each one. For Gort, she writes the following…
Where is my safe space to grow? How do I cultivate my highest self?
A Personal Note
I have always liked this fíd both in my readings and in general. When I think of Gort, I think of the time and effort it takes to grow a flourishing garden. I think of chasing my dreams and reaping the rewards of my hard work. I think of the feeling I get when the first glimpse of green peeks through the dark soil of my garden. This is a fíd that very much feels like home.
Sources and Further Reading
– Celtic Ogham Symbols and Their Meanings
– The Ogham Tract
– [1] Weaving Word Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie
, Britain, & Welsh Deities Masterpost
I like adding new ones. I learn about Ogham here and there. I will try to make my own Ogham set; I just haven’t decided how to go about it yet.
I’m glad to hear they help you with your studies – that’s exactly why I write them! 
if you ever get around to making your own ogham set, I hope all the posts here can help you get more comfortable with reading them!