Source: learnreligions.com

As the year comes to a close and Samhain approaches, the Ivy moon rolls in at the end of the harvest season. Ivy often lives on after its host plant has died — a reminder to us that life goes on, in the endless cycle of life, death and rebirth. The Celts called this month Gort, pronounced go-ert. This is a time to banish the negative from your life. Do workings related to improving yourself, and placing a barricade between you and the things that are toxic to you. Ivy can be used in magic performed for healing, protection, cooperation, and to bind lovers together.

Source: tree2mydoor.com

Ogham Letter: Gort (G)

Symbolic Meaning: Growth, Regeneration, Love, Opportunity

Ruling Planet: Moon

Ruling Element:

Season:

Corresponding Star Sign: Libra / Scorpio

Ivy Zodiac

Just like the Ivy can grow despite harsh conditions, those born under this sign are survivors, they face challenges with the strength of their emotions. They make loyal friends and are very giving making them likeable to many different people. When it comes to accepting help from other holly signs tend to keep quiet in times of inner turmoil choosing to suffer in silence than to speak out. Despite this, they go about their life with grace and wit making them charming to others.

Ivy signs pair well with Oak and Ash.

Source: druidogham.wordpress.com

Perseverance, strength, tenacity, determination

Tree: Ivy (Hedera spp.)

Letter: G

Ivy, not to be confused with ground ivy, is a tough plant, considered invasive by many. As an Ogham, Gort signifies unbreakable character and nearly-superhuman determination. Gort indicates you are a steadfast personality and will hang in there no matter what, or perhaps a goal that you’ll do nearly anything to achieve, or a person or cause you are willing to put a great deal on the line for. Gort is the fiery energy inherent to water — think of water’s ability to forge any route over time and how it carves canyons out of rock. There is a certain ruthlessness about water. Water can penetrate almost any substance: for instance, you can soak calloused skin in oil and nothing will happen to it, but soak it in water and it becomes soft and pliable. Water is power: most forms of electricity, including electricity created by harnessing nuclear energy, are nothing more than souped up versions of a steam engine.

Gort implies a certain leanness and willingness to sacrifice/impose hard limits to achieve a goal. Drawing Gort is an opportunity to examine your goals and which ones you are the most serious about. Like ivy, you will cling and grow around obstacles. Beaten down by wind, washed loose by rain, and scorched by the sun, you will outlast adversity by the strength of your will.

Questions when you draw Gort:
-What are three of your main goals right now? Which is the one that is the dearest to you?
-When you have gotten something you wanted in the past, what were you willing to do to get it? Were you willing to compromise? What would you have done if it had not worked out?

Gort ill-dignified excess: Victim of your own success
You can actually succeed too much. Think of how ivy, once established, can kill a tree or cause the wall holding it up to crumble. If you succeed too much in business, you may have too many clients to handle, which means it’s either expand the business or not be able to serve all the clients. Many people in the US have too much physical stuff — so much that storage of excess stuff is a multibillion dollar industry. They have succeeded so much, now they feel compelled to pay to store all of the sentimental trophies of excess in a glorified garage. Perhaps you have too many abstract goals and need to whittle down what you can and cannot achieve given this short lifetime; which ones should you release? Success for some people can turn into fairytale-style warnings about greed for more. For instance, the rich man who commits a horrendous crime to become more famous or the fantastically-wealthy author who tweets every passing thought in a vain effort to push DVD sales will never be happy because they will never be able to fill a void that cannot be placated by money. They will try though, and they will try hard!

Gort ill-dignified dearth: Hanging by a thread
Sometimes when the going gets tough, the tough have to cling to a knife edge to survive. The goal you’re clinging to may or may not be worth saving — only you can know this for sure. Look at it with a critical, unbiased eye. Most likely you are feeling tired, weary, blasted, battle-weary, and scattered. You might have anger at the forces working against you that needs to be admitted and analyzed. Sometimes you simply don’t have any more resources to sacrifice towards your goal and you are probably feeling that now.