A long time ago, before the old stories were recorded, in a land now far away from my own, deep in the forest…a shadow emerged from the underworld. A large hulking presence with antlers for a crown. He was calm, the forest creatures seemed to congregate around, and a glowing metal torc encircled his neck. He looked deep into my ancestors’ souls and reminded them that they were connected to everything around them and that the passage of death was but a bridge. The Antlered One and Hooved One they began to call him…Cernunnos, Cernunnos, Cernunnos. He blessed the fertility of the land and its people.
Artist: Anthony Machuca
A name that would eventually be scratched on Roman temples, hammered into a cauldron in Denmark, carved into marble in France, Cernunnos would also be feared by the Christians. Was it his connection to nature? Role in the afterlife? Divine masculine qualities? Association with the old world? Whatever the conglomerate of meanings that led to his near eradication as time continued on, Cernunnos has enjoyed a resurgence in this current era. Will we be able to recapture the old practices exactly as they were done? Perhaps not but knowing a little more about this horned diety could help us come to a better understanding of ourselves as participants in this mystery as old as the universe itself.
Gundestrap Cauldron
Today we have fast communication and beautiful images of nature, but few experiences with her forces like our ancestors explored. The result has been a vision of reality that has quickly taken root claiming dominance over nature, and mass belief in an external savior from our perils. Division and a deep searching for truth are now as common as Roman roads were in the age of an empire that seemed to have no limit to its influence. Could history be repeating itself, a natural cycle coming around again, maybe somewhere today a traveler enters a forest and is greeted by a shadowy figure with antlers adorning his head?
Our local deer and elk carry the spirit of Cernunnos
A story like this happened in my life. My family was new to this land along the Magic Skagit River, emptying its watersalong the northern coast of the Pacific Ocean. We had heard the stories of the Upper Skagit Tribe, finding their guiding spirits in this land, prosperous and beautiful. Could those spirits talk to anyone on the land? My Upper Skagit friend would say that we are all native, a comforting thought and one filled with great profundity for me. My own ancestors were forced to give up their beliefs and practices not unlike my friend in more recent years. We are bonded over forging that connection again with the land, its spirits, and beyond.
We get many visits from the Elk and Deer each year.
It was August, and I felt the forest calling me into itself. Odd I thought, I was trying to get things done on the farm, yet a strange niggling drew me close to the edge of the forest. I peered into the dark paths and made my way in, noticing the towering trees and dense understory. This place still feels ancient just like it did that day. A loud crashing sound brought me to a halt. I froze behind a large deeply scared tree trunk as a majestic set of antlers rose out of the forest just up ahead. The broad head of an elk emerged, huffing and grunting as he had just climbed up the heavily wooded hill to reach the summit and spotted me, hiding behind a tree. The wind must not have alerted him to my scent because he kept coming straight at me until slowing to a rest a few paces in front of me. We stared at each other, and I looked into his deep brown eyes. I could see his strong muscles tighten as he adjusted his stance, his massive six-pointed antlers slowly scanning like antennae. I could feel his breath and smell his musk, then without anything so much as whisper, he turned and tromped back down the hill.
I stood motionless for quite some time, never having seen elk so close. They are massive! Big things were going to happen here, I thought. Then I felt drawn again into the forest, so I timidly walked to where the enormous bull elk had stood. I knelt to put my hand into the space his hoof had carved out of the forest duffand glanced in the direction he traveled. Cautiously, I followed his tracks through the brush he had cleared out of the underbrush. I easily walked along his path until we came to an opening in the forest. The lower field lay ahead, but the bull elk was gone. Beyond the field, another thick but narrow forest shelters the Magic Skagit River. This is all connected and now I am connected to this as well, I thought.
A Forest Deity
The essence of Cernunnos had returned to me, across an ocean, new land, a people and language different from my own, but here he was connecting, returning from the Underworld, opening me up to more, just beyond my own understanding.
How about connecting with others who have had experiences with Cernunnos? You won’t find us at formal gatherings ready to discuss our latest interactions with Cernunnos. Perhaps you may glimpse us along a trail, coming out of a forest holding a found stick or sprig of evergreen. For most, a central experience involving a deer or elk, male or female is prevalent. A feeling of being protected. A deep knowing that we are nature and not separate complete the experience with varying levels of messaging included. You may even experience Cernunnos giving you a different name to be called!
Many who look into Cernunnos find a deep connection with ancestors as well. When we all look back far enough we see our ancestors living with the land and making connections. Do not be surprised if you find a connection to a primal energy source!
I look forward to writing again after Solstice and the new year, welcoming the energy of the Land.
I am a husband, father, farmer, and friend. I live on the banks of the Magic Skagit River, ancestral lands of the Upper Skagit people. I practice rune reading, tarot, land magic, and work with many spirit guides. My life began Pagan but I veered off into the Christian church in college. I found my way back to my Pagan and ancestral roots in 2005 and have journeyed along this path since then.
