Next up on our ogham journey is nGétal. 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
nGétal (neh-tahl) is the third fíd of the third aicme. The word itself literally translates to wound and it is a fíd of healing and charms. In fact, the main keyword associated with this fíd is “healing” and it is associated with giolach or the broom tree. The word charm as a translation is also applicable here and for good reason. In traditional healing practices of many Celtic cultures, songs were sung and chants were spoken to create charms for healing over a person who was sick or injured. That healing carries over today into many Celtic practices where the focus is on healing and community service.
According to Weaving Word Wisdom, there are three traditional word oghams associated with nGétal. These are:
- lúth lego - a physician’s strength, sustenance of a leech, physician’s cry
- étiud midach - robe of physicians, raiment of physicians
- tosach n-échto - beginning of murder; beginning of slaying
We can read part of these word oghams from The Ogham Tract.
Hence for that letter in Ogham owing to the complete identity of the name between them Luth legha, a physician’s strength; that is broom, ng, because it is strength with the physicians, and there is an affinity between cath, battle, and getal, broom.
Etiud midach, robe of physicians, cath, panacea (?). Hence it was put for getal, broom, ng.
The last word ogham may be confusing, but it is just as necessary as the other two. We have to look at this word ogham in the context of healing for it to make sense. Healing is not just about the mending of broken bones or the curing of sickness. Sometimes it involves damaging something first so that healing can happen. When this happens, it can feel like the beginning of murder, so to speak. A surgeon cuts into the body of their patient to fix what needs healing. In any other context, someone cutting into the body of someone else would be a crime.
There is also an important relationship between the sick and the healer. Without the sick or broken, the healer becomes unnecessary. This leads to the important connection between all living beings. We are all connected and we all have value and purpose in our lives. It is also a reminder that gratitude for those around us and those we interact with is important.
The Broom Plant
Cytisus scoparius, also known as Wildflower Broom or by its Irish name of Giolcach shléibhe, is a deciduous shrub that makes a spectacular entrance in May and June announcing the beginning of Summer. This was a great time for Broom to bloom since it is around Bealtaine. Historically, Broom was used as a disinfectant both magically and in mundane life. It was sometimes burned during saining rituals or smoke cleansing to purify and fumigate homes. It may have also been used during Imbolg for different rituals where a peeled white wand was necessary.
Among its other uses, the branches of Broom were also used as a narcotic and a tonic for kidney, liver, and heart issues. However, care needed to be taken because overdoses of Broom are toxic!
Broom is considered an invasive species outside of its native countries of Ireland and Scotland. It is often used as ornamental landscaping due to its hardiness. However, it has a tendency to reseed itself and will grow pretty much anywhere. In areas where forestry and timber production are important, Broom tends to overcrowd the budding seedlings of trees as they try to grow, thus inhibiting reforestation efforts after wildfires and tree harvesting.
In Divination
With the obvious connection to health and wellness, pulling nGétal in a reading brings health to the front of the mind. It can indicate that health should be a priority for you at that moment or that your health is in danger in some way. If you pull nGétal with other feda, pay attention to those as well because they will help you understand where your health comes into play. nGétal may also indicate the presence of a deity associated with healing, so if this is important to your reading, pay attention to any other indicators that may suggest Divine connection.
Here are some keywords I’ve come up with in my studies for nGétal regarding divination.
- healing
- peace
- deities of healing
- balance
- recovery
- burnout
- chronic illness
- health
- death
- magic
- healers and doctors
- regeneration
- hope
At the end of every fíd in her book, Erynn has questions and linked concepts to think about for each one. For nGétal, she writes the following…
Where am I wounded? What in my life requires healing?
A Personal Note
nGétal is one of my most-used ogham feda in spellwork because of its healing nature. It is the fíd I have the most connection to. I guess that says a lot about the type of spellwork I prefer to do! I have created a healing box before using nGétal and I have performed countless healing spells with it as well. I find that when I call on the power inherent in this fíd, my healing spells are more powerful and work much better than if I used something else.
nGétal itself is a reminder of the intrinsic nature and connection between all of us.
Sources and Further Reading
– Celtic Ogham Symbols and Their Meanings
– The Ogham Tract
– [1] Weaving Word Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie
I probably have and just didn’t realize it. If you have something to burn the plant on such as a charcoal disc, you can make loose incense from the plant itself! I used to do that with the Juniper I would harvest when I lived in Oregon. I love the way it smells, and Juniper is a traditional plant used in Scottish Saining rituals.
