At a glance

• Letter: L
• Tree: rowan
• Place: letter 2 of the 20 original letters, the second of Aicme Beithe
• Written with: 2 strokes to one side of the stem line
• Also known as: Luís
• Keywords: protection, insight, rowan, mountain ash, quickbeam, warding, second sight, threshold tree

Lore and history

In the medieval Irish texts, Luis is named as the second letter of Aicme Beithe, the first of the four aicmi of the ogham alphabet, written as two strokes set to one side of the stem line. The Auraicept na nEces and In Lebor Ogaim pair this letter with the rowan tree, one of the trees most woven into Irish daily life and belief. Rowan, sometimes called the quickbeam, was planted by doorways, byres and churchyards across Ireland and Scotland, its red berries and pale blossom marking it as a tree people turned to for protection against misfortune and enchantment. Walking sticks, cattle charms and small crosses of rowan wood were carried or hung for the same reason, a tradition remembered in folklore well into recent centuries.

In a reading

In modern ogham practice, Luis is drawn as a letter of protection and insight, a reminder that the two often travel together. Rowan's spirit is watchful and clear sighted, the kind of energy that guards a threshold while helping you see what is really going on around you. When Luis appears in a casting or a reading, many of us take it as an invitation to set a boundary, trust a flash of intuition, or call in a little extra protective energy around ourselves, our homes or a situation that feels uncertain. Working with rowan, whether through a bead, a bit of wood, or simply picturing its bright red berries, is often used as a way to feel steadier and more clear eyed when you need to move through the world with a bit more watchfulness.

A little more

Look closely at the bottom of a rowan berry and you will find a tiny five pointed star shape, which is part of why the tree has long been tied to warding and protective lore across Britain and Ireland.

Keep exploring

• Before it: Beith
• After it: Fearn
• All 25 ogham letters