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30AJournalofContemporaryShamanismVOLUME7ISSUE1SPRING2014druidsstrongseerschantprayersoverthedreameruntilheorsheachievesanalteredstateofconsciousness.Weareworkingtorejuvenatethistraditionbycombingtheancienttextsforprayersandinvocationstobringforwardalongthespiraloftime.AsOldIrishisdifficultchantersmaywishtomakeseparateof-feringstothespiritsexplainingtheyareusinganotherlanguagetoconnectwiththeOtherworldandempowertheritual.Theimportantthingisthatthelanguageisrespectfulsacredandheartfeltandprayerschantedforasufficienttime.Inadditiontheimagesandwordsthathavebeenchosenshouldhelpthedreamerconnectwithspiritandobtaintheneededinformation.InvokingtheAncientSpiritsOtherreferencestodruidicdivina-tionritesincludelookingatcloudsnladorachtandlisteningtothevoicesofbirdswhichthedruidsweresaidtounderstand.Thewordusedtorefertothecallingorsummoningofthespiritsistoghairm.ThisderivesfromtheOldIrishverbdo-gairmeaningcallinvokepetitionconjureawordthatisattestedasearlyastheninthcentury.6Thisverywordinalaterform-Scot-tishGaelictaghairm-ismentionedinanumberoffolkloreaccountsfromearlyScotland.AvisionaryritualisdescribedbutnotnamedinanearlyeighteenthcenturyaccountoftheScottishHigh-landswrittenbyMartinMartinADe-scriptionoftheWesternIslesofScotland1703.TherewereseveralvariantsoftheriteincludingSummonsbyWaterandSummonsbyCowsHide.Thewaterritualwasusedbythosewishingtoinquireaboutthefateoffamiliesbattlesandsoforth.Atnightagroupofmengatheredtogetherandonepersonwaschosenfromamongthembycastinglots.Fourmencarriedhimtoariverthatservedastheboundarybetweentwovillages.Theyswunghimbackandforthandstruckhishipswithsomeforceagainstthebankoftheriverostensiblytousehiminbodilyformtoattracttheattentionofthewaterspirits.OneofthemencriedoutWhatisityouhavegotthereandanotheransweredAlogofbirchwood.ThefirstmanthencriedoutagainsayingLethisinvisiblefriendsappearfromallquartersandrelievehimbygivingananswertoourpresentdemands.Withinafewminutesanumberoflittlecreaturescamefromthewaterwhoansweredthequestionsometimesratherambiguouslyandthendisappearedverysuddenly.Themanwhoservedasthelogofbirchwoodwasthensetfreeandthemenreturnedtotheirhomes.BirchisusedindivinationritesinanumberofEuropeansettingsandthemansubsti-tutingforthelogofbirchmayrepresentanoriginalsacrificethatwasgiventothespiritsinexchangefortheirassistanceortheuseofbirchstavesorwandsinvision-arysettings.7MartinssecondaccountSummonsbyCowsHideisreminiscentoftheIrishrituals.Agroupofmengatheredatasolitarynaturalsiteawayfromanydwellings.Theysingledoutonemanfortheriteandwrappedhiminalargecowshidesohisentirebodywascoveredexceptforhishead.Hewasleftinthispositionallnightlonguntilhisinvisiblefriendsrelievedhimbygivingaproperanswertothequestioninhandwhichhereceivedfromseveralpersonshefoundabouthimallthetime.Hiscompan-ionsreturnedatdaybreakandtheseercommunicatedtothemwhatevernewsorinformationhadbeenobtained.8ThomasPennantwitnessedasimilarritualinhis1772tourofScotlandandtheHebrides.Herethedivinationritualisdirectlyreferredtoasthetaghairm.IntheregionofTrotternesslivedafamilyrenownedforpracticingaceremonyusedtoobtainoracularknowledge.Therewasahugewaterfallnearbywhichfellfromahighrockwhosewatersjettedoutsofarastoformadryhollowbetweenthewa-terfallandtheprecipice.Onememberofthefamilywassewnupinthehideofanoxandplacedinthedarkhollowbehindtheroaringwaterfall.Aquestionwasputtothedivinerwrappedintheoxhidetowhichthepracticeofthetaghairmprovidedananswer.9JohnRamseyofOchtertyrealsodescribedaScottishritualthattookplaceinthelate1700sorearly1800swhichinvolvedtheuseofacowshideandawaterfall.HedescribesthepracticeoftaghairmanuisgetaghairmbywaterwhichwasmaintainedbyafarmingfamilywholivedontheIsleofSkyenearabeautifulwaterfallcalledEas-bhereraig.Whentheywishedtoconsultthespiritsonanymatterofimportanceamanfromthatfamilywouldcoverhisentirebodywithacowshideandplacehimselfbetweenthewatersofthecascadeandtherockbehindit.Anothermanassistedusingapoleorsticktogiverepeatedstrokestothewa-terfallandtothemanconcealedbehindit.EverynowandthenhewouldcryoutinGaelicAnmaidefearnasoIsthisastockofalder.Hereagainthemanisperceivedaspieceofwoodfromatree.Theprocesscontinueduntilthemaninthecowshidewaseitherfuriousorfran-tic.IndeedadegreeoffrenzywasoftenreportedtohavebeenexperiencedbytheHighlandseers.Atthispointthemanwasbelievedtobeinapropercondi-tiontoanswerimportantquestions.Hisresponseswerebelievedtocomefromsomethingmorethanhuman.MembersBird-headfguresholdinghumanheadseatothesoulancientScotland