This month when I did my Dark Moon ritual (a few days ago, sorry for the delay posting), I began my journey at the cottage where I usually meet Bé Chuille and Dinand, and I spoke to them first, and then took the path out back which, in a meandering way, leads me to the place I normally meet Na Morrigna around their cauldron. I had a feeling, as I walked up, that we’d be doing prophetic poetry again this month, and sure enough, as I lowered my eyes to look in the cauldron, what I found was a small stick with ogham carved on it. Three feda: hÚath, Uir, and Tinne. My kennings for those three are, respectively: “Humanity’s Hedge”, “Unending Cycles”, and “Tested Resolve”.* I was told that we’d be working on poetic forms with specific numbers of syllables this time. Three lines of three syllables, followed by two lines of five syllables for each ogham fid, and then an ending couplet with three syllables on the first line and seven on the second.
Here is what I ended up with, when They were satisfied with my work:
hÚath
Held at bay,
At thorn-point:
Disaster.
It will not come if
it is not summoned.
Uir
Cycle turns.
Remember:
Prepare, breathe.
Not a finish line,
just a resting place.
Tinne
Hardened blade
Thorn-sharp edge
Clean and smooth
Forged in melting fire;
plunged in ice water.
Together:
Moon Cycle:
Time to reflect and to plan.
* I developed these kennings as part of the Ogham Intensive through the Irish Pagan School a few years ago.