Ivy
Gort
(Tenacity)
Gort pronounced: Gohrd


Gort corresponds to the letter G in the Ogam alphabet and is associated with the Ivy. This symbol represents tenacity, growth and both physical and spiritual development.
Status: Chieftain-tree
Element: Water
Gender: Feminine
Celtic Eleventh Month: September
Celtic Eleventh Month: September
Powers: Gort is the spiral search for self.
Keywords: Tenacity, ruthlessness, achievement, restriction, the second harvest, spiral of the self, inner searching, soul search or you will take a wrong turn, development, transformation.
Deities associated with Ivy: Bacchus, Dionysus, Osiris, Isis, Ariadne, Arianrhod, Cerridwen, Gorgopa, Hymen, Lakshmi, Kundalini, Persephone, Saturn, the White Goddess.
Interesting Spiritual Information: The ivy symbolizes the maze of the labyrinth. It is the spiral of the self in the search for its self. It is the wandering of the soul, circling inwards and outwards, seeking nourishment and experience in a bid to achieving its goal of enlightenment.
Folklore: It is in Egypt, and the story of how Isis searched for parts of her dead husband, Osiris, who once was restored, became a reborn god and stayed in the Underworld, that we see the association with ivy as a plant of life, death, renewal and also equated with fertility.
The plant was sacred to the druids and considered the female counterpart to the masculine holly. In medieval Christian symbolism, because ivy can cling to dead trees and remains green, it was also seen as a symbol of the eternal life of the soul after the death of the body.
Interesting Spiritual Information: The ivy symbolizes the maze of the labyrinth. It is the spiral of the self in the search for its self. It is the wandering of the soul, circling inwards and outwards, seeking nourishment and experience in a bid to achieving its goal of enlightenment.
Ogam healing: Acknowledging your achievements; Compassion; Courage; Development; Emotional trauma; Fear; Fidelity; Good luck; Inner soul searching; Intelligence; Love; Loyalty; Nervousness; Looking for safe transformation; Power; Re-balance; Resilience; Ruthlessness; Self-love Survival; Stability to the mind-body system; Tenacity; Toughness; Transformation; Fear; Neuralgia; Shock; Sore throats; Asthma; Bronchitis; Colds; Pulmonary disorders; Sunburn; Stretch marks; Vaginal infections Inflammations; Leg ulcers; Rheumatism; Cancer…
More Medical information and in-depth healing suggestions can be found in my book The Beginners Book of Ogam Tree Healing, or by attending one of my workshops.
Notes: Ivy was believed to be very powerful by the Druids, more powerful than its enemy, the vine, and quite sinister. In old Ireland, when growing on or near a house, ivy was thought to protect it from evil. However, if it died or fell down then hard luck would befall those within. Ivy is also associated with good luck and fertility.