Next up on our ogham journey is Ruis. 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
Ruis (roosh) is the fifth and final fíd of the third aicme. The translation for this fíd is Redness and once we look at the word oghams below we will see more of this connection. However, this redness is coupled with the main keyword of passion, further clarified to be passions with intensity. This deals in all things passion – think about anything that turns your face red. Anger, shame, embarrassment, lust, guilt, and so much more.
The thing to remember with ruis, though, is that it is neither harmful nor helpful. It comes to you just as it is. The way we feel and the intensity with which we feel our passionate emotions dictates whether this is helpful or harmful just as intense passions and emotions can do the same.
According to Weaving Word Wisdom, there are three traditional word oghams associated with nGétal. These are:
- tindem rucci - most painful of shames, intensest of blushes, most intense blushing
- rúamnae drech - redness of faces, reddening of faces
- bruth fergae - glow of anger
We can read part of these word oghams from The Ogham Tract.
Tinnem ruccae, intensest of blushes, that is ruis, elderberry, r, from the reddenirig or shame according to fact, for by r it is written, and it is a reddening that grows in a man’s face ’through the juice of the herb being rubbed under it. Tindi ruccae, an ingot of a blush, again, said of the ruis, elder-berry, from shame or from reddening, for it is by r that it is itself written.
Looking at the word oghams above, we can see that only one of them deals with anger. The other two deal only in blushes and reddening faces, although the first one does mention shame. The word oghams further clarify, albeit through their vagueness, that ruis is intense passion in its many, many forms.
Think back to a time you felt intense shame or guilt. Then think about a time you felt intense anger. Now think of a time you felt intense passion. Each of these emotions is very different but they can cause the same or similar physiological responses within the body. You may feel hot and flush, your heart may race, and your palms may get sweaty. The body does not differentiate between the passion of rage and the passion of love. It is the mind that does that.
The Elder Tree
A tree known for both its curses and cures, the Elder Tree is associated with Ruis. This tree has a long and contradicting history of folklore in many Celtic countries, so it comes as no surprise that a contradicting tree would be associated with a fíd that can be both positive and negative. There may also be a connection between the Elder and that of deities. If we remember from the Rede of the Wicca, there is a line that says Elder is the Lady’s tree and you should not burn it or you will be cursed.
A few examples of Elder in folklore include a story from the Annals of the Four Masters, cradles of children, and protection from the Sídhe. Erynn Rowan Laurie says that in the Annals of the Four Masters, a queen takes revenge on her husband’s mistress with an Elder tree. She does this by taking a bundle of Elder rods and tying them up with nine knots to prevent the mistress from having a quick and easy birth. As a note, I did try to find the exact quote or passage from the Annals but it is difficult to navigate and may have been lost in translation from the original language to English.
There is also the belief that cradles of children should never be made from the wood of the Elder tree. This was thought to anger the Sídhe and they would come steal away the baby. Interestingly, though, the Elder was said to be a powerful tree in Scotland. It was used in charms against malevolent magic, as well as to anoint the eyes to allow a person to see into the realm of the Sídhe.
In Divination
When ruis shows up in a reading, it is important to remember that it encompasses all aspects of passion, both positive and negative. This means it can indicate anger and fear as well as lust and sexuality. Things such as shame and guilt can appear alongside ecstatic joy and happiness, as well. Ruis encompasses a lot of emotions that many people find difficult to face, so it is very important to be open and honest with yourself if ruis shows up in your reading.
Here are some keywords I’ve come up with in my studies for Straif regarding divination.
- frenzy
- sexuality
- ecstatic emotion
- passion
- rage
- obsession
- jealousy
- abuse of emotions
- loss of control
- shame
- ecstatic trance
At the end of every fíd in her book, Erynn has questions and linked concepts to think about for each one. For Ruis, she writes the following…
What am I passionate about? How do my passions help or harm me?
A Personal Note
If I am being completely honest, ruis is a fíd I know I need to work with more. I have struggled off and on my entire life with feeling my emotions, even positive ones. Connecting with ruis on a deeper level through both divination and magic can help cultivate that sense of knowing within myself. Strong emotions can be hard to face, of course, but feeling them can lead to a better understanding of myself.
Sources and Further Reading
– Celtic Ogham Symbols and Their Meanings
– The Ogham Tract
– [1] Weaving Word Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie
