I found these links last night:
http://ipc.paganearth.com/diaryarticles/bonus/ogham/ogham2.html
http://www.faeryshaman.org/arch/es52arc2.htm
Ogham
The Celtic ogham script was used in Ireland from the fourth century AD to the eighth century AD. The script consisting of stokes or notches where were cut into wood or along the edge of a standing stone. It was a clumsy method of marking, based on groups of one to five stokes for each letter, and was used only for short inscriptions, such as grave markers or memorials. It is speculated that the script is much older than it seems, and was originally based on a type of sign-language used by the druids, using the five fingers.
http://www.knowth.com/celts.htm
WolfSpirit said:
Ogham used as a sign language seems to be rather complicated...
...And it also says "Each Druid college probably developed its own version of the meanings..., very much like regional dialects".
I did a quick search on the OBOD site and I found a few threads on the written or carved Ogham symbols but nothing on sign language.
My guess is, if Will W. meant the hand to have a message, it will not be understood by many. Then, that could be just intentional...a little extra for the initiated maybe?
...
I read somewhere there were a 150 different ogham alphabets & the Druids were expected to know each. I read here there were 93 (fourth paragraph down).
http://www.netowne.com/historical/european/ogham.htm I also saw mention of an animal ogham (along w/ some others, maybe a mineral ogham), but I can't find that site again. There was no explanation they just said there was an animal ogham.
This is from the interview w/ Phillip posted over on the OBOD board:
"Q. At the back of the book you have a Further Reading & Resources section. Can you say a little about this?
A. Of course there are masses of books about the Tarot, and hundreds, probably thousands of decks. So what we’ve done is chosen books that are particularly illuminating if you are approaching Tarot from a Pagan perspective or from the position of wanting to understand it not as a fortune-telling device but as a profound psychological and spiritual tool. With these ideas in mind we’re also working on an in-depth course using the Tarot, with fellow members of the Order, Jurre & Agnes Yntema in Holland, who have been working with the Tarot for years, and we’re hoping to include some DVD material with the course, since the visual faculty is so important in the Tarot."
So maybe there will be an explanation in there!
There's another possibility for the "reason" of her hand position. Maybe her pinkie on the staff hand is used as a "point" in sacred geometry which was incorporated in the cards like in the Druid Animal Oracle? I'm not sure how it would line up & what other points there are in that card. I know nothing of sacred geometry. The description of the deck on the order page said this in the second paragraph: "THE DRUIDCRAFT TAROT also draws upon the ancient concepts of Pythagorean numerology to enhance the meaning of the cards, and to provide the artist, Will Worthington, with inspiration from Pythagorean Sacred Geometry." Here's a link to the portion of Will's site where you can see the Sacred Geometry of the DAO. I think you used to be able to click & enlarge them so you could read the notes. You can see four of them here: (You have to click on "PRINTS" then on that page click "NEXT" & on that page at the bottom there's a link that says "Sacred Geometry".
http://www.crissiam.demon.co.uk/frameset.html