Cernunnos is a Celtic god of fertility,
Vegetation,
Animals,
And the wild.
In neo-paganism,
He is also seen as the deity of life,
Death,
And rebirth.
He is often depicted with antlers,
Being part human and part stag,
Sitting cross-legged,
Like a teacher.
He is a protector of the forest,
A god of vegetation and trees,
And master of the hunt.
In Wicca,
Cernunnos is referred to as the horn god,
Who lives and dies each year with the wheel of the year.
At his symbolic death in autumn,
The land becomes barren until he is resurrected again in spring.
He is celebrated as the green man in spring and summer,
And the dark god in autumn and winter.
It is his hand that turns the wheel of the year.
This is reflected in the Wiccan reed,
Where it states,
When the wheel has turned to yule,
Light the log,
And the horned one rules.
Many view Cernunnos and the green man as similar aspects of the same deity,
Due to the fact that both have almost identical associations.
Because he is often depicted with antlers,
And known as the horned god,
Pagan devotees of Cernunnos were often inaccurately characterized as devil worshippers throughout history,
A label that is entirely false.
This is largely based on paintings of Satan that bear a resemblance to images of Cernunnos dating back to the 5th century BCE.
During Paleolithic times,
Civilization recognized a god of hunting and a goddess of fertility,
Both governing what amounted to matters of everyday existence.
Since most animals being hunted had horns,
The god of hunting was shown with antlers in early paintings.
Our earliest ancestors revered Cernunnos as a shape-shifting,
Shamanic god.
He is recognized as a protector of the forest.
In the underworld,
He is believed to provide comfort,
Guidance,
And rest to those who have passed away into the spirit realm.
If you would like to work with or honor Cernunnos in your spiritual practice,
Here are a few suggestions for building a relationship with this liminal deity.
Spend time in nature as often as possible,
And make a great effort to look after the environment.
This can be as simple as picking up litter as you're on an afternoon walk.
You might also consider feeding the birds regularly,
Or pouring the unused portion of your daily drinking water on the roots of a tree.
When it comes to acts of earth-first kindness,
No act is too small.
Honor him with music or poetry you've written.
Plant a tree in his honor.
Leave him offerings of herbs,
Honey,
Or water if outdoors,
A potted plant or woodsy-scented incense if indoors.
Consider arranging a gathering of small stones as a shrine to him somewhere in the woods.
Dedicate a cauldron to him.
One of the earliest depictions of Cernunnos is found on the Gundestrup cauldron,
Thought to date from 200 BC,
That was discovered in Denmark.
The cauldron you use can be your ritual cauldron,
Or a smaller one that is reserved to honor him and filled with offerings.
As an invocation in ritual,
You might choose to say something like the following.
Great Cernunnos,
You who tends to the needs of all plants and animals,
May your example guide me as I nurture and attend to all that has been placed in my trust.
As your hand turns the mighty wheel,
I learn from you patience and adaptability.
You who sings lullabies to nature in the fall,
Grant me that same song in the autumns of my life.
Great Keeper of all cycles and passages,
Teach me to befriend and defend all that is around me as you do.
Great Keeper of the mysteries of nature,
I ask that you share those mysteries with me.
Blessed be.
