What methods do people prefer for making the fedha? I have most of my set made by cutting cross-sections, then drawing or carving on them. This has proved time-consuming. Lots of sawing and sanding. Some of the pieces are still very rough, awaiting a day when someone will help me with the physical work of cutting and sanding some more.

I've seen others carve or wood-burn pre-cut pieces, and others have spoken of simply making notches on twigs.

One of my friends has also considered casting pieces in a stone-like medium as some do with Norse runes.

Trying to find a balance between something that looks good and lasts, without being so time-consuming it never gets made. Like so much of my life...

I
Name: Idad - yew (?) [age]
Color: irfind - very white
Tree: yew (?), service tree, ivy (?)
Bird: illait - eagle
MM: sinem fedo: oldest of woods, oldest tree, oldest letter, older than letters
MO: caínem sen: fairest of the ancients
CC: lúth lobair: energy of an infirm person
Other word ogams exist for this fid: crinam feada no cláinem: most withered of wood, crookedest of wood; cáined sen no aileam áis: lovely wood, most pleasant of growth. Also on this fid is the gloss of claidem: sword.
Deities: Caílte and Oisín as the ancient survivors of the Fianna, Tuan mac Cairell
Meanings: history, the past, ancient memory, old stories, lore, tradition, immortality, reincarnation, past lives, age and aging, elders, endurance, permanence

Notes: As with the previous fid, this has no obvious meaning or root for its name, though the word ogams do suggest the yew, which appears to be the longest-lived tree in the world. From this implication of great age, I derive the other meanings suggested here.

E
Name: Edad - [fly agaric or amanita muscaria]
Color: erc - red-speckled
Tree: yew, aspen
Bird: ela - swan
MM: érgnaid fid: discerning tree, distinguished wood
MO: commaín carat: exchange of friends, synonym for a friend
CC: brátahir beithi: brother of birch
There are additional word ogams for this fid: aercaid fer no fid: plant or tree of harm; erchra fer; plant of destruction. Commaín carat is glossed in one place as clesach uisce "tricky in water," i.e. éiccne "a variety of salmon," but this would seem more rightly to match with the forfeda fid Ea (ebad), which has a very direct link to a meaning of salmon through its word ogams.
Deities: Oengus mac ind Og as bringer of dreams
Meanings: divination, dreams, visions, seeking of dreams and visions, intoxication, discernment, enlightenment, tools used to achieve visions or ecstasy, connection with the Otherworlds, communication with the sídhe and Otherworld beings

Notes: Edad, as Idad below, are not actual words in any form of Irish. Neither Meroney nor McManus were able to discover any relevant root words to point at a meaning. This means that we have to depend on the word ogams and our own intuitions to derive meanings for these letters.
I chose to emphasize the word ogam "brother of birch" and to interpret that as the amanita muscaria mushroom. In my mind, this is aided by the color ogam of "red-speckled," which is how one could describe the red-capped, white-speckled mushroom. Additionally, the "plant of destruction" or "plant of harm" word ogams would point to the popular belief that the amanita muscaria is poisonous, when in fact it is a commonly used visionary mushroom in much of the world where it occurs. More discussion of the amanita muscaria and its possible links to Filidecht can be found in the 1997 article I wrote with Timothy White for Shaman's Drum.

"Speckled Snake, Brother of Birch: Amanita Muscaria Motifs in Celtic Legends", in Shaman's Drum #44 from the March/May 1997 issue discusses literary, folkloric and linguistic evidence for the proposition that the Filidh used entheogenic mushrooms as a part of their vision-seeking activities.

U
Name: Úr - humus, earth, soil, clay; Úir - grave, burial, flesh
Color: usghda - resinous [amber]
Tree: thorn, heather
Bird: uiseóg - lark
MM: úaraib adbaib: in cold dwellings
MO: sílad cland: propagation of plants, seeding up of plants
CC: forbbaíd ambí: shroud of a lifeless one, shroud of the lifeless i.e. soil
Additional word ogams exist for this fid: gruidem dál: most prompt of meetings, guiremh dál: nearest of meetings - metaphors for "death, grave, earth" according to Meroney.
Deities: Anu or Danu as the land mother whose breasts are mountains
Meanings: death, graves and graveyards, ghosts, hauntings, memories of the dead, burial, grieving, the cycle of life and death, the end of a cycle, something inescapable, the body, physicality, embodiment of a spiritual principle, land, the earth or biosphere, land spirits, wild plants, caves or caverns

Notes: The word ogams and word meanings are fairly clear in leading to the various divinatory meanings I've chosen. Meroney's glossing simply gives extra weight to the death/grave aspects of the fid. As with the death card in the Tarot, death can as easily be a metaphor as an actual death or end of a cycle. Clay is a common metaphor for flesh or the body, particularly in the context of death and the grave.

O
Name: Onn - ash tree; wheel, turning, movement, sole of the foot, foundation
Welsh: onen - ash tree, possibly cognate with L: ornus - mountain ash or rowan
Root: IE: *os-, *osen-, ash-tree; OI: onn, ash tree (though it is more often uinniuis or uinnsiu by the period when the Book of Ballymote was written); OI: (f)onnaid, turning, swift movement, wheel of a chariot, wanderer
Color: odhar - dun
Tree: furze, ash, whin, heather
Bird: odoroscrach - scrat
MM: congnaid ech: helper of horses i.e. the wheels of a chariot, wounder of horses; hastener of horses (horsewhip)
MO: féthem soíre: smoothest of work; smoothest of craftsmanship
CC: lúth fían; desire of the fianna i.e. heather, sustaining equipment of warrior or hunting bands
Deities: Manannán as Gatekeeper and Lord of Mists, Láeg the Charioteer of Cú Chulainn, Maíle Dúin

Meanings: travel, journeys, movement in a static situation, spiritual journey work, working within the Otherworlds, guidance, guiding spirits, building foundations
Notes: Two word ogams here point to the meaning of wheel or movement, as does the OI fonnaid. The idea of the horsewhip suggests furze, while the sustaining equipment of a warrior or hunter would suggest spears, made from ash wood.
My preference is for the wheel, turning, movement meaning set based on fonn, sole of the foot (and foundation) -- which implies walking or journeying -- or (f)onnaid suggested by Meroney. McManus doesn't even suggest this for a possible interpretation, preferring the "ash" reading.
Fonnaid has four distinct meanings: the wheel of a chariot, swift movement, a wanderer, and turning, movement or removal. The Duil Feda ("Elements of Letters") section in the Book of Ballymote uses the word "onnaid" to indicate the wheels of a chariot, and is a variant spelling of fonnaid. All of these meanings for fonnaid lead me to the idea of movement and journeys, and the other meanings expand from that basis.

A
Name: Ailm - pine tree(?) [wailing]
Color: alad - piebald [spotted, usually black and white]
Tree: fir, pine(?)
Bird: aidhircleóg - lapwing
MM: ardam íachta: loudest of groanings, loudest of groans
MO: tosach frecrai: beginning of an answer
CC: tosach garmae: beginning of expressions, beginning of calling
Deities: Macha the Mother of Twins, Danu as Great Mother
Meanings: birth and death, pregnancy, child(ren), cycle of life, origination, inception, conception, creation, initial understanding, an "ah-ha" experience

Notes: The word ailm is attested only once in the literature, and appears to mean "pine tree," but this is entirely conjectural. I assigned "wailing" to this letter based on the word ogams, which point to the groans of birth and death pangs, and to the "ah" of understanding when one begins to apprehend or express an answer to a deep question. In the Amra Choluim Chille, the letter a is glossed with "between his two a's, i.e. the a of his birth and the a of his death," regarding the "ah" cry of the newborn and the dying.

R
Name: Ruis - redness
Root: OI: ruise, red; IE: *reudh-, red
Color: ruadh - red-haired
Tree: elder, bog berry(?), fern
Bird: rócnat - rook
MM: tindem rucci: most painful of shames, intensest of blushes, most intense blushing
MO: rúamnae drech: redness of faces, reddening of faces
CC: bruth fergae: glow of anger
Deities: Cú Chulainn as the Hound of Ulster, Fergus mac Róich
Meanings: shame, anger, embarrassment, guilt, jealousy, warrior's frenzy, loss of control, obsession, sexuality and eroticism or their abuse, ecstatic trance

Notes: Redness in the mythology can refer to many different things. It is a sign not just of anger or shame, but also of the warrior in frenzy, the color of blood and visions, and the flush of sexuality. Lips and cheeks of the beautiful and beloved are red. Vision-causing berries are red or crimson, as are the hazels of wisdom. Though they are described in some texts as "purple" it should be noted that at the time, "purple" was more of a dark, blood red if we look at the dyes used then.
Cú Chulainn is famous for his warrior frenzy or "ferg" (which translates as anger) which manifested as a warping or twisting, and grotesque physical changes in the stories about him. Fergus mac Róich, Cú Chulainn's warrior-mentor, also manifested the ferg. Fergus is also associated with sexuality. The name Róich may be derived from a name meaning "great horse." He was said to have immense genitals and required seven women to satisfy him.

Sr
Name: Sraiph - sulfur
Color: sorcha - bright
Tree: sloe (blackthorn), willowbrake
Bird: stmólach - thrush
MM: tressam rúamnai: strongest of red, strongest reddening dye
MO: mórad rún: increasing of secrets, increase of secrets
CC: saigid nél: seeking of clouds i.e. its smoke above it
Deities: Senchán Torpéist, Fionn mac Cumhaill as Seer
Meanings: transformation, transcendence, spiritual work, secrets, magical or occult mysteries, shapeshifting, divination, taking of omens

Notes: This fid's meanings bring to mind aspects of classical alchemy and alchemical transformation. Sulfur is itself a major part of many alchemical processes. The dying referred to here is spoken of in the texts as dying white gold to red through a process involving the use of urine (ammonia). "Increase of secrets" may refer to the counterfeiting properties of disguising one metal as another by alchemists seeking to turn "base metal" into gold. In all, my feeling is that sulfur implies transformations and spiritual work (if one at least tentatively accepts a more Jungian view of alchemy), and that transformation leads to the concept of shapeshifting, which is yet another type of transformation. This can be spiritual shapeshifting, changes in one's personal life, or physical transformations of one sort or another. In ways, I see this as having a similar function to the Death card in the tarot; one transforms by leaving the old behind as the caterpillar leaves the chrysalis as a butterfly.
The word ogam "seeking of clouds" seems to refer specifically to the divinatory and omen taking technique called néldoracht. Some would interpret that art as "astrology" but gazing for shapes in clouds is a common enough activity that it would seem to be ripe for use in omen taking. It could also refer to the smoke of burning sulfur.
The "deific" figures chosen to represent this fid are not "divine" per se. Senchán Torpéist was a Fili who did historically exist, but his legend grew to such an extent that he is credited with feats that seem quite supernatural. He is best known for his "recovery" of the Táin Bó Cuailgne, which he was said to have heard from the spirit of Fergus Mac Róich himself, while seeking visions on a sídhe mound. Fionn mac Cumhaill is one of the preeminent Filidh of Scottish and Irish mythology. Both are well known for their ability to pierce the deepest mysteries.

Ng
Name: n-Gétal - killing, slaying, wounding; Cétal - chant, sung or spoken charm
Welsh: gwanu - to pierce or stab
Root: IE: gwhen-, to pierce, strike; OI: gonid - wounds, slays; OI: céadal, singing, a song; IE; *kan-, chant, enchant, charm
Color: nglas - green
Tree: broom
Bird: ngéigh - goose
MM: lúth lego: a physician's strength, sustenance of a leech, physician's cry
MO: étiud midach: robe of physicians, raiment of physicians
CC: tosach n-échto: beginning of murder; beginning of slaying
Deities: Dian Cécht the Physician, Miach the Surgeon, the Mórrigan as Battle Goddess
Meanings: wounding, death, healing, beneficial magic, healers, doctors, good health, well-being, hope, regeneration

Notes: Two of the word ogams for this fid point directly to healers and healing as a primary meaning. It should be pointed out that without a wound or an illness, there is no need for healing or physicians, and so a wound would be a necessary precondition to a healing. The second meaning of cétal, a chant or charm, is suggested by Meroney rather than McManus, but makes sense in the context of the word ogams, and also appears to have roots that directly express the majority of the word ogams, so I prefer this reading. Dian Cécht was often invoked in oral charms for healing and aid, and charms both oral and physical were frequently used as part of healing practices. I generally see this fid as indicative of healing unless it is near h-úath or ruis, in which case its damaging tendencies would more likely manifest.

G
Name: Gort - field, garden
Welsh: garth - garden
Root: IE *gher-, *ghort-, to enclose, enclosure, cognate with L hortus - garden
Color: gorm - blue
Tree: ivy, vine
Bird: géis - swan
MM: milsiu féraib: sweeter than grasses, sweetest grass
MO: inded erc: suitable place for cows
CC: sásad ile: sating of multitudes, satisfaction of multitudes
Deities: Danu as Land Goddess, Fódla, Banbha and Ériu as eponymous Goddesses of Ireland, Bres as the revealer of the proper times to till, plant, and harvest
Meanings: growth, fertility, plenty, wealth, abundance, generosity, happiness, patience, waiting for fruition, cycles and cyclic time, sanctuary or a place of safety and peace

Notes: The word ogams all support field or garden as the main meaning, and from there all the other potential meanings can arise. Because a garden is an enclosure of sorts, it can lead to the idea of a sanctuary or peaceful place. Gardening also implies patience and waiting for the proper time of harvest. Having plenty allows for generosity. Abundance and the ability to be generous are often conditions of happiness.

M
Name: Muin - upper back, neck; trick, wile, ruse; love, desire, esteem
Welsh: mwn - neck, throat
Root: IE: *mono- or *moni-, neck, throat; cognate with L monile - neck, throat
Color: mbracht - variegated [many-colored]
Tree: vine
Bird: mintan - titmouse
MM: tressam fedmae: strongest of powers i.e. the desire or affection for another, strongest of effort, strongest in exertion
MO: árusc n-airlig: condition of slaughter, proverb of slaughter
CC: conar gotha: path of the voice
An additional Word Ogam exists for this letter: back of an ox
Deities: Ogma as Cermait the Honey-Tongued, Oengus Mac Ind Óg as the God of Love
Meanings: work, effort, carrying a heavy burden, falsehoods, tricks, lies, denial, concealment of facts or truth, love, respect, desire, speaking, communication, persuasion, flattery

Notes: This word is actually three distinct homonyms in Old Irish, which result in the three groups of meanings seen here. It is my feeling that all three are valid and useful when dealing with interpreting this fid in divination or for use in spiritual or magical work. Its range of meaning makes it quite flexible and useful, and the main meaning in a divinatory context will generally be hinted at by other fiodh in a reading, or by the intuition of the reader. The word ogams suggest all three meanings. The strongest thing in exertion or effort is one's back. Lies and tricks are conditions which give rise to slaughter. The path of the voice is the throat.

Q
Name: Ceirt - rag, Cert - rag, bush
Welsh: perth - bush
Root: IE: *kert- or *krat-, turn, plait, interweave; *kwerkw- or *perkw, bush, cognate with L quercus
Color: quair - mouse-colored [light grey-brown]
Tree: holly, rowan, aspen, apple
Bird: querc - hen
MM: cliathar baiscill: shelter of a hind, shelter of a lunatic
MO: bríg anduini: force of a man, substance of an insignificant person
CC: dígu fethail: worst of ornament or covering; dregs of clothing
Deity: Suibhne Geilt the Mad Poet

Meanings: poverty, illness, fleeing, retreat, madness, insanity, psychological and emotional issues, ill luck but without total loss, healing from illness or madness
Notes: Technically speaking, Suibhne is not a deity, but rather a cultural figure associated with madness and the power of poetry and its magic. Formerly the king of Dál nAraide, he is cursed to insanity and flees into the woods, where he lives in the bushes, naked, eating nothing but herbs. Despite this, he has magical powers and is famous for his poetry and visions. Rags and bushes also have associations with healing rituals, for instance the "clootie trees" of Scotland which were trees or bushes tied with rags torn from the clothing of sick people in hopes of healing

C
Name: Coll - hazel tree
Root: IE: *koss(e)lo-, hazel tree
Color: cron - brown
Tree: hazel
Bird: [córr - crane]
MM: cáiniu fedaib: fairest of trees
MO: carae blóesc: friend of cracking, friend of nutshells
CC: milsem fedo: sweetest tree
Deities: Brighid the Poet, Bóann of the Boyne, Nechtan the Guardian of the Well of Wisdom
Meanings: poetic inspiration, well of wisdom, world tree, liminality, source of wisdom, tradition, the senses, visionary ability, creative ability, wisdom, second sight, omen-taking

Notes: The complex of symbols surrounding the hazel tree and its nuts is so deep and complex that to address it would require an entire book. The hazel is one of the premier symbols of poetic wisdom in Celtic cultures, along with the salmon. The nine hazels of wisdom stand circling the well of wisdom in the Otherworld where the salmon of wisdom dwells. The well of wisdom is said to be the source of the five senses. It is deeply intertwined with the poetic magical and visionary tradition of Filidecht and without an understanding of this matrix, the practice of Filidecht would be impossible. There is no bird listed in the source materials for Coll in the bird ogam, and so I assigned the crane to this letter, as it has a deep association with wisdom and magic in the tradition. Manannán's crane bag held language as one of its treasures, and language is the magic and power of the Fili and the vehicle through which inspiration and wisdom are expressed.

T
Name: Tinne - bar or rod of metal, ingot, molten metal
Root: OI: tind - brilliant; tend - strong
Color: temen - dark grey
Tree: holly, elder
Bird: truith - starling
MM: trian roith: a third of a wheel, one of three parts of a wheel i.e. axle
MO: smuir gúaile: fires of coal i.e. iron, marrow of charcoal i.e. molten ingot
CC: trian n-airm: a third of a weapon, one of three parts of a weapon i.e. a bar of iron or metal blade
An additional Word Ogam exists for this letter: today
Deities: Brighid the Smith, Goibhniu the Smith, Cerdne the Craftsman
Meanings: the Aes Dána, creative force, mastery, technical skill, making, the forge, arts and crafts, wealth, money, magical technologies, today (immediacy, as an indicator of time in a reading)

Notes: Bars of metal were once used as currency, and thus we have a connection of this letter with wealth. Metal and smithcraft are indicated by the continual word ogam references to charcoal and the parts of wheels and weapons. My association with magical technologies derives from the beliefs about the magical powers of blacksmiths. In fact, the Siberian tribes have a proverb that says "shamans and smiths are born in the same nest." Metalworkers are seen as master craftsmen in Celtic society, and the intricacy of their metal arts only serves to support this view. The Aes Dána as a class represented "the people of art" and included all those classes capable of masterful creative work, from smiths to Filidh.

D
Name: Dair - oak tree
Welsh: derw - oak tree
Root: IE: *deru- , firm, tree, steadfast, true, enduring, truth; OI: dair/daur, oak tree
Color: dubh - black
Tree: oak
Bird: droen - wren
MM: ardam dosae: highest of bushes, most exalted tree
MO: grés soír: carpenter's work, handicraft of an artificer
CC: slechtam soíre: most carved of craftsmanship
Deities: Daghda the Good God, Manannán Mac Lir as keeper of the Cup of Truth
Meanings: strength, stability, firmness, endurance, effort, skill, truth, foundations, longevity, the Gods, sacred places

Notes: The Indo-European origins of the word are excellent indicators for various meanings. Its associations with height and exaltation suggest a connection with the gods, as does the famous druidic connection (mostly but not entirely continental, incidentally) with places of worship.

H
Name: h-úath - fearsome, terrible, fear, horror
Color: h-úath - terrible [possibly mottled grey-green like rotting flesh, or the color of deep bruises]
Tree: whitethorn (hawthorn)
Bird: hadaig - night raven
MM: condál cúan: pack of wolves, assembly of packs of hounds
MO: bánad gnúise: blanching of faces
CC: ansam aidche: most difficult at night
Deities: Nemain the battle goddess, whose name means Terror
Meanings: fear, terror, misfortune, loneliness, nightmares, difficulty, anxiety, feeling or being trapped, destruction, accidents, enemies, war, fighting, battles, shock

Notes: The name's origin is unknown, but the word ogams provide a distinct indication of the direction that should be taken for the meaning of this fid. It is obvious that this fid is associated with ill-luck and problems, as is the whitethorn itself if damaged or cut down. To bring whitethorn into the house at any other time of year but Beltain is to invite disaster. By itself I would not say that h-úath indicates death or illness, though in conjunction with other fiodh in a casting it might lend itself to that interpretation.

N
Name: Nin - letters; loft (of cloth or yarn); fork in a branch or part of a weaver's loom
Color: necht - clear
Tree: ash, nettle
Bird: naescu - snipe
MM: costud síde - checking of peace, establishing of peace, weaving of silk
MO: bág ban: fight of women (the weaver's beam), boast of women, contest of women
CC: bág maise: contest of beauty, boast of beauty
Deities: Bríghid of the Judgements, Scáthach the warrior
Meanings: peace, support, choices, letters and writing, agreements and contracts, networks, weaving, a safety net, harmony, women's power, circle of friends

Notes: One of the tools of the weaver is a beater that looks rather like a sword, hence "fight of women." This image brings forth an association, for me, with Scáthach, the famous woman warrior of the Isle of Skye who taught Cú Chulainn the martial arts, and from this the association with women's power. Establishing peace was one of the tasks of the brehon or judge, and so the obscure Bríghid of the Judgments seems appropriate for this fid. It also leads to the concept of choices, which must be weighed before proper judgment can be rendered. Letters and writing in combination with peace and judgment could lead to the idea of treaties, contracts, and agreements. The overall references to weavers and looms leads to associations with weaving and harmony, with the support of a fork in a branch for the frame of a loom.

S
Name: saille - willow tree
Root: OI *sal-, dirty; also related to L salyx, willow
Color: sodath - fine colored [pale yellow or bone]
Tree: willow
Bird: seg - hawk
MM: lí ambí - hue of the lifeless, pallor of a lifeless one, delight of the dead
MO: lúth bech - activity of bees, sustenance of bees
CC: tosach mela - beginning of honey
Deities: Donn who rules the house of the dead, Bile as lord of the dead, Brighid as poet and musician
Meanings: ancestors, death, messages from the ancestors, the realm of the dead, water, flowing, time, tides, knowledge of time and proper timing, impurity, music, honey and mead

Notes: Willow is a tree that is always found near water. This association with water leads me to the notion of time and tides. The association of tides with the moon leads to the concept of ebb and flow, and thus to time as a concept, and proper timing. The willow's tiny, barely noticeable flowers attract bees in multitudes when they're in bloom, making honey from which mead is made. The word ogam "pallor of a lifeless one" may refer to the color of the bark or the silvery leaves, but through it I came to the associations with death and the ancestors. Willow wood was used for the bodies of harps, hence the association with music. Both music and mead were used to create altered states of consciousness by the Filidh as part of the visionary process. Much of the Filidh's wisdom was gained from the ancestors.

F
Name: fern - shield, alder tree
Welsh: gwern - alder tree
Color: flann - blood red
Tree: alder
Bird: faelinn - gull
MM: airech fían - shield of warrior bands, vanguard of warrior or hunting bands
MO: comét lachta - guarding of milk, milk container i.e. a bowl
CC: dín cridi - shelter of the heart, protection of the heart
Deities: Manannan as protector, Fionn mac Cumhaill as Chief of the Fianna
Meanings: physical protection, emotional protection, walls, containment, warriors or the military, hunters and the hunt, preparation and being prepared

Notes: Celtic shields were frequently made of alder wood, thus the connotation of protection and the association with warriors, walls, and the military. This association is strengthened by the color reference to blood red, and also suggests a connection to hunting. Alder was also used for buckets and other kinds of containers, hence the word ogam of a milk container. This gives the idea of containment as one potential meaning for this fid. Protection of the heart suggests emotional protection. All these protective associations lead me to an association with preparedness, which is an essential part of effective protections.

L
Name: lus - herb; luise - flame, blaze
Welsh: louber - light, splendor
Root: IE *leudh-, to grow; *leuk-, to shine
Color: liath - grey
Tree: elm, rowan
Bird: lachu - duck
MM: lí súla - delight of eye, luster of eye i.e. flame
MO: carae cethrae - friend of cattle
CC: lúth cethrae - attraction of cattle, sustenance of cattle
Deities: Airmid the herbal healer, Bóann as cow goddess, Brighid as healer and flame-keeper
Meanings: inspiration, sustenance, food, herbal healing, magical protection, animals, protection of animals, magical or spiritual teachers or teachings, passion

Notes: I take this most often in its meaning as herb or plant, because two of the three word ogams point in that direction. Flame, to me, is a secondary meaning. Fire has to do with inspiration in an Irish context, hence that association here. It also signifies passion. Cattle, associated with this letter, are frequently protected by three-armed Brighid's crosses over the doors to their byres, or by red thread and rowan berries. They were also passed between two fires at Beltaine and Samhain each year to protect and purify them, hence my associations with magical protections and animals. To me, Airmid the herbalist goddess is a spiritual teacher, and so I associate this letter also with teachers and learning.