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  • #16
    Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

    I do worship Cernunnos, but I haven't had a whole lot of vivid experiences. Once or twice I've semi-tranced and seen images of a wild buck, my mind instantly thinking about that particular Horned God. Most of my experiences, though, haven't been vivid imagery. I've had odd feelings while walking around in the woods, like a tugging feeling, leading me deeper in. Simultaneously feeling protected and of sinking further into something untamed. I haven't really experienced much of the grimness, but maybe that's because I'm well aware of it and don't "need" to be shown it. I understand it already, that death is just as much a part of nature as birth and life. I get that he is a multi-faceted god of not just the parts of nature that burst with life, but of the parts that end it too.

    I'd recommend taking a stroll in the forest as a way to communicate with him. It's his "home", so to speak; where he dwells most powerfully.

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    • #17
      Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

      Originally posted by John Blackthorne View Post
      Could this be some sort of sign? Regardless, i wish to communicate with him in some way, what do you guys recommend doing for first time communication, offerings and future endeavours?
      Everything is a sign if you want it to be. I think that creating an altar for Him and expressing that you are opening to listen is an important first step. I also agree with Louisvillian that taking a stroll in the forest is a really great idea. Take a trance journey with the intention to meet Him or interact with Him. Go camping with the intent to interact. Speak your intention out loud and spend some time every day at the altar your have created in meditation and openess to His energy. These simple steps will help you to open up and hear what else He might ask of you.

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      • #18
        Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

        Thanks for the advice, it is greatly appreciated! I think i might go for a nature walk later this week. Anyways, more replies are still welcomed!

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        • #19
          Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

          I recently had a very interesting and rather forceful encounter with him. It was my first encounter and the second took me a bit to get to since I was left a bit reeling after the first. Without going into too much detail, there was a lesson involving embracing the wild, unbridled parts of life. Once I did that, he was very warm, very welcoming. I get the feeling he is not the type to give one of his followers time to aclimate. I feel like he pushes and if you don't get it, he pushes harder. But then, this may be just me since I tend to be stubborn and probably need the push.
          My second encounter was today, and it was when I finally accepted and embraced the lesson and I got such a sense of approval and acceptance from him. It was very warm and welcoming but I don't think he'll be one to be gentle or to coddle when he thinks something needs to be known.
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          • #20
            Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

            Originally posted by wisp View Post
            I recently had a very interesting and rather forceful encounter with him. It was my first encounter and the second took me a bit to get to since I was left a bit reeling after the first. Without going into too much detail, there was a lesson involving embracing the wild, unbridled parts of life. Once I did that, he was very warm, very welcoming. I get the feeling he is not the type to give one of his followers time to aclimate. I feel like he pushes and if you don't get it, he pushes harder. But then, this may be just me since I tend to be stubborn and probably need the push.
            My second encounter was today, and it was when I finally accepted and embraced the lesson and I got such a sense of approval and acceptance from him. It was very warm and welcoming but I don't think he'll be one to be gentle or to coddle when he thinks something needs to be known.
            Sounds like you had another interesting experience!!! I've done more research also...and i think i may be on to something! I think you are dead on about Cernunnos not being the one to coddle nor be all nicey nicey gentle about things. at least those were my experiences as well!

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            • #21
              Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

              This thread is awesome. Cernunnos was the first spirits I believe I had actually encountered following an offering. My needs were met, and I fulfilled my promise. Now when I enter the particular area where we met, I am almost instantly aware of his presence.
              “A lifetime may not be long enough to attune ourselves fully to the harmony of the universe. But just to become aware that we can resonate with it -- that alone can be like waking up from a dream.” - Br. David Steindl Rast

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              • #22
                Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

                Originally posted by John Blackthorne View Post
                Thank you for the replies everyone! Truly an interesting and helpful read! And Clive, when you first decided to worship Cernunnos, what drew you to him in the first place?
                Sorry for the late reply. I wouldn't say that I "decided" to worship Cernunnos, per se. When I began my path I was attracted to Wicca. As I went along and learned more about the gods and goddesses, I was very attracted to the Horned God archetype. Though I was always most interested in the Greek pantheon, Cernunnos always stuck out to me. There was something he had that the Greek Horned God Pan did not. What it is, I still don't know for sure. It has something to do with horns vs. antlers, I think. Antlers, with their multiple tines, suggest to me more aspects than do single-pointed goat horns.

                So, basically, I feel that Cernunnos called to me from the beginning. I didn't claim him as my patron until I was several years into my path, but in hindsight he was there the whole time, poking me in the back of the head (with what I'm still not quite sure, hehe). Speaking of which, I've had similar experiences to what Wisp described - he's not an obviously loving and kind god. He really does seem cold and stern at times, but I too am the sort of person who needs a lot of hard pushes when it comes to learning lessons much of the time. I consider Cernunnos to be my spiritual father, the one who really is loving and caring, but would sooner say, "You fell down? Well get up and keep walking, dumbass" than coddle his children.
                Children love and want to be loved and they very much prefer the joy of accomplishment to the triumph of hateful failure. Do not mistake a child for his symptom.
                -Erik Erikson

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                • #23
                  Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

                  I was drawn to Cernunnos quite a while ago and I just didn't know it for a long time. I guess he can come across as cold at times but I always feel very protected and loved by him.

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                  • #24
                    Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

                    Thank you Clive and everyone else for their replies, you all have no idea how helpful this is . Also i was thinking of making an offering to Cernunnos soon, would some kind of herbal tea such as Camomile be suitable? And how would one go about actually giving the item in particular to their god?

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                    • #25
                      Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

                      Offerings are a matter of preference both for you and your deity. My personal experience with Cernunnos has been that he has wanted me to experience that which I give him (so I would drink the tea if it were me, being mindful that I do it for him). However, the gods know we are as individual as they and may not expect the same from each follower. You can devote the essence and consume the tea, or you could leave the loose tea on your altar or outside, or brew some and either leave it to sit or pour it into wooded ground..the options are virtually endless and it's all about what feels right for you when dealing with Cernunnos.
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                      • #26
                        Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

                        Originally posted by wisp View Post
                        Offerings are a matter of preference both for you and your deity. My personal experience with Cernunnos has been that he has wanted me to experience that which I give him (so I would drink the tea if it were me, being mindful that I do it for him). However, the gods know we are as individual as they and may not expect the same from each follower. You can devote the essence and consume the tea, or you could leave the loose tea on your altar or outside, or brew some and either leave it to sit or pour it into wooded ground..the options are virtually endless and it's all about what feels right for you when dealing with Cernunnos.
                        I agree with this. I like offering anything from plants, herbs and incense to food that I have prepared Than afterward I like giving the food back to nature and spread it around for the birds and any other animal interested around my place.

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                        • #27
                          Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

                          Originally posted by chris1987 View Post
                          I was drawn to Cernunnos quite a while ago and I just didn't know it for a long time. I guess he can come across as cold at times but I always feel very protected and loved by him.
                          Yes, in my expierience I get the feeling he can often be cold anddisinterested in certain things. Though I usually find that is for good reason.
                          “A lifetime may not be long enough to attune ourselves fully to the harmony of the universe. But just to become aware that we can resonate with it -- that alone can be like waking up from a dream.” - Br. David Steindl Rast

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                          • #28
                            Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

                            Just about any kind of natural offering would be accepting by Cernunnos at some point, by someone. As an Earth god, anything that comes out of the earth would be suitable. Let your intuition guide you and keep your eyes and ears open for any signs from Cernunnos. I've given him corn meal, dried patchouli, frankincense, laurel leaves, and whiskey.

                            When it comes to liquid offerings, I will fill my ritual chalice with the offering, say some spontaneous words, pour the first bit out onto the ground on offering plate (the Gods get served first in my practice), and then take a sip myself.
                            Children love and want to be loved and they very much prefer the joy of accomplishment to the triumph of hateful failure. Do not mistake a child for his symptom.
                            -Erik Erikson

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                            • #29
                              Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

                              He is of the hunt, the earth and the underworld. Romans associated him with gold (metal from under the earth) and food. Meat offering to the hounds of Annwfn may also make sense. He also has something to do with the dead.

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                              • #30
                                Re: Experiences With Cernunnos

                                Bear with me a bit. I really am staying on topic (after this short digression).


                                I was once listening to an evangelical Christian talk show, and the host was talking about how stupid the pagan gods were. His main example was Diana. He said it was contradictory that she was both a protector of the animals of the forest and the hunters. I think he missed the point that she is a goddess of the natural balance of the forest, favoring hunter or prey based on the ecosystem as a whole instead of individual concerns. I think much the same is true of Cernunnos.


                                That's why, for me, it's so interesting to see people talking about offering him meat or asking him for help in hunting. I'm not saying that's wrong, and I'm not disputing your experiences with him. It's just that the differences are so striking. He has led me to consider that the forest is unbalanced. With 7.12 billion humans and counting fast, I feel that veganism is the best path to choose. Cernunnos has always supported that decision and been proud of me; he's even led me in the direction of hunt sabotage and other animal activism pursuits. It's amazing to contemplate the sometimes brutal, sometimes wondrous, open-mindedness of the forest. That Cernunnos can encompass such diversity is amazing.


                                Personally, I tend to be very underworld. All four of my matrons and patrons - and lots of my other guides outside this group - are underworld guides. I find Cernunnos to be very intense, but it doesn't frighten me. And I tend to be intense, so he can understand where I'm coming from.

                                In my (subjective, relativist) experience, Cernunnos interacts with the fey fairly often. Seelie or, sometimes, Unseelie, though the latter have never bothered me and can be quite interesting.


                                Cernunnos seems to love sharing music - and that's actually when I see him with the fey the most. After I share something, I sometimes get to hear of bit of fey music. It's marvelous.


                                Cernunnos initiated (quite gently but passionately) my first astral sexual experience. We've shared pleasure several times since then, and I've never felt that is was threatening or disturbing or anything. He has also helped me find ways to enhance my relationships with lovers in the physical world.
                                OO

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