Rosc Poetry: Ireland’s Oldest Spellcraft

(And How You Can Use It to Speak the Truth Today)

We’ve been taught to think of poetry as something delicate. Soft. Meant for books and art galleries.
But in Irish tradition - it’s a weapon.
A spell. A curse. A blessing. A declaration of war.

And right at the heart of it? Is Rosc.

Rosc is one of the oldest forms of Irish poetic speech. You’ll find it in battle chants, in legal curses, in prophecies, and in the mouths of deities and heroes throughout the mythological cycle.

It’s the form the Mórrígan herself uses when she calls warriors to battle - and when she names the truth that others refuse to face.

It’s also something you can use, right now, in your own practice.

Rosc as Magical Language, Not Just Poetry

Rosc is not verse in the modern sense. It’s not there to soothe or to entertain. It doesn’t rhyme. It doesn’t flow. And it doesn’t care about your expectations.

In early Irish texts, roscada - these strange, rhythmic bursts of language - show up when something serious is happening: in legal disputes, ritual cursing, declarations of war, ecstatic visions, and yes, prophecy.

This is performative language - words that do something just by being spoken aloud.

As Irish scholar Isolde Carmody points out in her examination of the Mórrígan’s prophecy poems in Cath Maige Tuired, rosc occupies a liminal space between the seen and the unseen, the rational and the ecstatic.

It twists language into something fierce. The rhythm stirs the body. The alliteration forces your breath to move a certain way. The content? Often fragmented, confrontational, and impossible to ignore.

You’re not reading it - you’re being moved by it. That’s the power.

This is the form the Mórrígan uses when she names the peace that follows battle. When she blesses the land. When she condemns the forgetfulness of future generations. Her voice in these roscada doesn’t just describe what is. It binds it into being.

This is not ornamental. It’s operational.

And when you use even a few lines of this style yourself, something shifts. It’s not always subtle, but it is always real.

How the Mórrígan Uses Rosc

We see this most clearly in Cath Maige Tuired, which we explore in depth inside the Mórrígan Intensive. The Mórrígan appears three times in this story, and each time she speaks a rosc:

• Before the battle – calling warriors to fight, stirring courage with vivid, rhythmic incitement

• After the victory – declaring peace and sovereignty over the land

• In the aftermath – naming a bleak future, full of forgetting, when the old ways are lost

These are not passive prophecies. They are actions. Each one shapes the course of the story. And each one carries a message that still speaks to us today.

So Why Should You Care?

Because your words hold power too.

If you’ve felt the Mórrígan’s presence, chances are you’ve felt the weight of unspoken truth. That thing in your life that needs to be named. The change that’s waiting for your voice to begin.

Rosc isn’t just an ancient form of Irish poetry. It’s a tool for speaking what you know - and calling in what must be.

You don’t need fluent Irish. You don’t need perfect structure.
You just need a few words that cut through the nonsense and ring true.

Try This: Speak a Simple Rosc

Here’s a quick way to try this in your own practice.

1. Light a candle.

2. Take three slow breaths.

3. Ask yourself: What truth needs to be spoken right now?

4. Say it out loud, in short bursts. Let it fall into rhythm. (For example only - do your own!)

“Heart cracked. Breath held.
Words buried.
Fire rising. Voice strong.
Truth now.”

You’ll feel it when it lands. It might make your belly tighten or your skin prickle. That’s good. That’s the edge of the work.

Want a Full Ritual and Template?

This is exactly the kind of work we explore in the Speak the Truth guide - our free 8-page resource that walks you through the lore, the practice, and a full step-by-step ritual for speaking your own rosc in the Mórrígan’s honour.

✨ Inside the guide, you’ll get:

• Myth-backed context for prophecy and truth-speaking

• A simple, potent ritual to call in her presence and voice

• A clear template to write and speak your own rosc

• Journal prompts to help you integrate what rises

👉 Download Your Free Guide Now

A Core Skill on the Path

In the Mórrígan Intensive, we go much deeper into rosc, fír flatha (sovereign truth), and how the act of speaking shapes both the inner and outer world.

This isn’t performance. It’s presence.
It’s about honouring the lineage of Irish speech-magic, and finding your own voice inside it.

Whether you’re brand new to Irish practice or you’ve been walking this path for years, learning to speak your truth with courage and clarity is part of what she asks of us.

Start now, with this practice.
Then, if you're ready for more - know that the door is open. (or, it is open once per year, at least!)

Slán go fóill,
Lora 🐦‍⬛