Years ago, when I still lived in Ohio, I was blessed to have participated in several spiritual retreats with women of the Pagan community. These retreats took place twice a year on average – once in the spring and once in fall, generally speaking.
Most of the retreats I remember attending we were in the woods at one campsite or another, though one time we had the chance to camp out at the Olentangy Indian Caverns with several special arrangements made. The best of which was the opportunity to go through the caves after the tourist portion of the place was closed. The lights were turned off and we drummed, prayed, chanted, and sang there in the dark. The next morning my (then) boyfriend and I took the tourist tour through the caves and it was an empty, hollow experience compared to the intensity and magic of the night before. The spirits of that land were awake and hungry for more of what we were able to do simply by being there, at peace with them, sharing community, drumming and chanting in ways similar to what they must have had centuries before… Before their homes and sacred knowledge had become a cheesy tourist trap with memorized scripts given by passionless guides only there for a summer job.
But that’s not the dream I had last night…
In my dreamwalk, I journeyed back to the site of another retreat in the woods, where the large cabin I stayed in was next to a beautiful ravine. It was common practice at these retreats for us to invoke and work with feminine power and energy: Goddess, and that was always wonderful. But one time, that changed and we instead stood in a circle facing one another and invoked the God.
I was nervous about this. It wasn’t what I expected. I’d been Pagan, a Witch, for a few years now at that point, but in the back of my mind somewhere I still felt that the God was too foreign to me. I was comfortable with the notions of the divine Mother, but uncertain how to truly connect with Her other half. I’d heard about him. I’d heard how Wiccans were believers in dual divinity and the balance between male and female, men and women, God and Goddess. But personally, that wasn’t how I felt about things.
To me, “God” was still too far away, too patriarchal, too unfamiliar and too unreachable.
I thought I was okay with that. The Goddess was all I really felt like I needed and for the most part, I felt like I was giving ‘lip service’ to my belief in masculine deity. Sure he was there, but always just names in a book: Apollo, Herne, Enki, Hermes, Osiris, the faceless ‘other half’ of divinity.
All of that changed that night however. Candles flickered, women chanted and hummed, and there was something ancient, primal, powerful, strong, and otherworldly that filled the room. Even now, I still recall the energy of it but as then, lack sufficient talent and vocabulary to put it into words. But I still feel the warm static chills it brought. It smelled of moist, dark earth that was ready to be planted but could have been just as easily prepared for a grave. It smelled of forest, rain, burning sunlight, sweat, sex, and death. It wasn’t a simple scent that wafted through your nostrils… No… it was all-encompassing, swallowing you completely until there was nothing else and you didn’t even feel as if you were still standing inside of a building but rather on bare earth and there was no roof overhead… just starry heavens.
I held the bare skull of an antlered stag in my hands and felt something I’d never felt before whoosh through me, over me, inside me, around me, everywhere all at once. I spoke and felt the words resonate from someplace other than my throat. As if my heart, stomach, mind, and larynx were all joined together somewhere behind my eyes but managed to get out through my mouth.
I don’t remember what I said. I just remember saying it with the intention of recognizing Him for the first time and asking Him to join with us. I desperately wanted that connection. I wanted to know Him as more than just “the Lady’s Consort”, more than just dusty names from ancient sources that didn’t really feel alive to me. I wanted Him to be more than just relics and myth, a character in stories who used to reside in what are now crumbled ruins and broken groves.
He answered.
He’s answered ever since.
Last night I journeyed in a dream back to that cabin near the ravine and I sat there, naked on mist-moistened earth with sunlight only a greyish hint in the sky. I smelled him again as I had that night. He arrived across the ravine as a graceful stag with golden threads like holiday tinsel weaving through the tines of his antlers. Each time he turned his head or moved they flashed. He was powerful and graceful, gazing at me across the ravine; a ravine covered across the bottom with mist so thick that it appeared I was seated both on the cool ground and above a cloud. He began walking towards me, sure-footed over the mist, hooves bouyed up by it until he arrived as he had before, smiling and happy to see me again.
The Keeper's Path 
I have yet to experience him and have lost myself in hours of meditation… But still find my connection to the Goddess stronger than a thing I’m willing to let go of. Thank younfornyournwriting it makes me feel as if there is a possibility I will experience him. Any advice would greatly be appreciated.
May the Godess watch over you,
Anderson
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I apologize for the typos auto spell can be difficult at times.
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Thank you for your comment Anderson,
I don’t think you have to relinquish your bond with the Goddess to form a connection with Cernunnos, or any god.
If you want to seek him, seek him in a place he would be comfortable with. Go outside, especially to a place where deer roam. Then sit there quietly and see what happens.
He is a god of the wild, of animals, of fertility, as well as Lord of life and death. Work to form a connection with and understanding of these things in your own life. Through that connection, Cernunnos will find you.
If you don’t have anything going on in your life that ‘fits’ with him then forming a connection will be difficult. He’s got to be more than a name or a character in a story to be real to you and the best way to have a connection is to have things in common that you care about or are important to you.
If you really want him to make himself known and if you’re really ready to accept it, I think doing this will help.
Let me know if I can be of more assistance or how this works out for you.
I wish you a good journey!
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Oh My God! Literally. This is the most awesome rendition I have ever seen or read. You have opened up a new realization for me. Thank you. I will cherish it.
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I’m happy to have helped, Autumn. 🙂
Thank you for visiting, reading, and taking the time to comment with such kind words.
Blessings!
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Last night I had a dream of a stag headed man, he was powerful and sexual, yet overflowing with kindness. I woke up feeling this dream, I had never even heard the name Cernunnos, never read about him until I searched for stag headed man this morning. I was also shocked in reading to find I had this dream on the 1st of November the start of the Celtic year a significant day to him. I feel Honored to have been graced with such a connection to him, how can I show my gratitude? I am not wiccan, or pagan but I understand that this encounter was significant.
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Hello Krissa,
That sounds like a really special dream. I agree that it was significant, but how you follow up on it, if you choose to, will be up to you.
I suggest learning as much about Cernunnos as you can. Use books, the internet, as many sources as you can find. Since you don’t consider yourself to be Wiccan or Pagan, I think it’s important that you find out what the dream could represent without crossing personal barriers or upseting your personal beliefs. Then again, maybe that’s part of why he visited. It’s your call and I wish you the best in the journey.
If you feel gratitude for the dream and want to show your appreciation to him, go out into the woods and sit and meditate. Someplace with deer is best, as wild and untouched as you can find. Leave an offering of good beer (imported ale from the British Isles is his favorite), peaches, apples, and some patchouli incense. These are the things I have found that he enjoys and appreciates. If there is some volunteer work you could do with keeping up parks nearby, keeping natural landscapes clean and beautiful, or volunteer to do some work with animals at a shelter or zoo, he is the Lord of Wild Things. Do this and dedicate your efforts to him.
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Well I am a 30 year old male. Last year just before Halloween I was visited by HIM in a dream The dream was very much real and very detailed. I can remember every detail like it was yesterday. When I awoke I was amazed and exhausted from my experience. I did not know who HE was all i knew was I had a dream of a hoofed well built shape shifter with antlers. I then looked online and was left speechless that my dream matched HIM 100% I am still left with so many questions. I wish i could fully understand why he came to me.
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Hello James,
Thank you for visiting and commenting. I apologize for taking a long time to respond to this properly.
The time around Halloween/Samhain is specific to Cernunnos in several ways, his role as psychopomp (one who leads souls) is big here. The dream could have had something specific to do with this, or with events that were going on in your life. Have you had other dreams involving him? Has he made himself known to you in other ways? There is a lot of possibility here for deep, personal work.
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MM, Serpent. I found your post when I was researching Cernunnos. I’ve been having dreams of him since Thanksgiving (which remarkably matched the picture you have up and I just saw it today). The Lady of the Moon has been in my dreams as well… I’ve been trying to gather input from other Pagans/Witches about the meaning behind meeting Cernunnos in my dreams, especially since I live in Las Vegas now and have very little (if any) access to wild areas of trees and such… I’m having trouble figuring out how to commune with Him because of it… Do you have any tips or ideas? I’d love to hear your thoughts… Brightest Blessings….
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Hello Autumn,
Thank you so much for visiting and commenting. I haven’t been able to get online much so it’s taken longer than I would have liked to get back to you on this. I apologize.
Similar to what I told James is this: Cernunnos has various roles or duties that he performs. Some of these are more prevalent during particular times of the year. Halloween/Samhain and the time heading into winter aligns with his role as the sacrifice, the psychopomp, and the teacher. If you look back on what was going on in your own life during the time you had these dreams, do any of these roles seem important?
Dreams are tricky things and can have and fulfill several different meanings or purposes. When you’re using dreams as a guideline, you have to consider all these possibilities.
As for communing with him where you live, and as a means to learn more about him, find what other sorts of roles he has. No God or Goddess is merely ‘god or goddess of __ ” There are many subtle (and not so subtle) associations to be found that might go beyond what we typically think. Cernunnos is more than just a forest deity. While that is the area most associated with him, and where I think he’s comfortable being, it’s not the -only- place he lives and not the only role he possesses.
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What an amazing experience to feel him so close. Cernunnos seems to be the hardest for many of us to connect to because of past hang-ups or misconceptions of “God.” He really is so awesome and powerful though.
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Owyl,
Definitely.
I started writing a more detailed reply to your comment, and ended up talking at length about this again. So, you have inspired another blog post that will be forthcoming shortly hehe. Thanks 🙂
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Since childhood I have felt more at home with the forest than among people. I was raised Christian. Yet I have always known of or felt Cernunnos. At a former address I know I came into contact with him. A heard of deer came thru the yard to feed on corn, apples, and a salt block we put out for them. He was a stag with great antlers among the herd. There was a magical presence about him, magnetic, drawing me to him. Our eyes locked together and I looked into his eyes for the longest time feeling his nobility, power, warmth, and loving kindness. I felt a passion only known to me once before when I met my soulmate. His love is filled with strength and grace. I am shy and I broke the gaze. Only until last fall did I begin to come into contact with him again. I have had many dreams of him most if my life. Recently as I have felt him so close I have struggled with my longing and need to know him. I recently realized there is a soul connection with him and that there are times he comes to me and I commune with him. His passion of spirit and kindness is what draws me to him and there are times I feel his energy consume me. After a recent experience with him I know now that I must learn more about him. He is the God of my ancient people from England and in a sense he is in my blood and my soul. I must learn more about following him, to walk the path of the Deer People.
Thank you for this blessing that flows from your writing. It is a gift you share with all who wish to partake. May the brightest stars shine upon you with blessings always.
Stargazer*
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I really love to know about this and hear some information that you have
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The smells, you described them perfectly! That’s how I knew who I had a vision of. I’m not even a practicing witch, but I think my soul is a witch. I often have visions of witchy stuff and my niece calls me snow white because of how wild animals often befriend me. I have been practicing connecting to my spirit guides and I believe Cernunnos is one of them. He was the first to make himself known to me. I had never heard of cernunnos until the smell-o-vision I had. He is a spooky looking God, but it felt so gentle and just this loving radiance filled me. He spoke, but it wasn’t so much in words it was more a deep feeling. I was really excited to read your experience. It really helps me feel validated. I hope you’re still active with this blog, I know your post is very old.
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Hello!
I’m not as active as I’d like to be, but I try to check in on things and keep up with messages. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment.
Forming and strengthening a connection with Cernunnos is one of the best things I’ve had in my life. If you continue with your own connection, I wish you blessings and joy.
Take care.
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LISTEN I know this was posted yEARS AGO. Y E A R S. But I haven’t found Anyone to share this with? Nobody? So I’m writing out a novel here, but bear with me I need help maybe? Idk who I’m looking for from this dream LOL but I’m digging with my nails to find him.
for context, I was going through such an extreme depression all I did was sleep and waste away in my bed. I made this shrine for funsies with a headless deer figure in the center. I was bored one day. Anyways
Five years ago I had a dream that my brother, dad, and I were hunting. They shot a red stag (we live in North America) and wounded it. It ran into this dead forest and I told them not to go into there. The closer you got to the forest the more the dark the sky became. It looked like a dying ember.
they didn’t come out so I ran in. The deer had died but by the body there was a stag-like animal, the face of a horse skull, burning blue eyes, antlers, wearing red stag skins on his back over his Melanistic, almost blue fur. He was leaking black ichor like he had been wounded. He, because it spoke but only I understood it. At least my brother and father seemed frozen in time. He told me a life for a life and was about to take one of them- but I jumped in the way and told him to take mine instead. I didn’t value my life at the time anyways.
So he agreed and my family was gone from the scene, so was the corpse, and suddenly I was following behind this beast into the woods over the fallen leaves. It was dark like night but I could see fine. His antler beams were bare, no tines, and sun-bleached.
He led me for a while and showed me traps set in the woods for animals. Then he said he needed me to do things for me. He turned me into all sorts of animals- a tiger, a horse, a wolf. I don’t remember much of that. Then after more time had passed I was asking him questions and excited for our next adventure. He’d tuck me away in this creepy semi-home with a little fire burning when he had to deal with important things. I went around and collected items he thought he might like. A bleached white bone, a white feather, and a pure white smooth rock for when he returned.
He did, and I presented my little trinkets to him to which he sighed and said I was too pure to be there. He told me his name but I cannot remember what it was… there was an N in it or something Idk. He told me just to call him Shaakir.
next thing I knew I was standing in my grandmas backyard. I was sad and went looking for him, called to him, he was gone and I woke up very sad.
BUT OH HOHO THATS NOT THE ONLY DREAM D,:
I had another dream. In some sort of flying chunk of an old castle- but only a piece of it. This creature was there in it again. The same face, same antlers, same eyes, but the body of a monster. He was sitting in a throne and I think I saw people from my past along the steps trying to jump into the desert flying quickly beneath. Someone I hated was caged. He asked me to sing to him so I did. He called me Coyote, kept calling me Coyote. I might’ve howled like a coyote some point there I’m not sure. Anyway another girl started singing to him and I threw her into the desert and crawled into his lap.
That one was weird.
UHM another dream he was this giant deer /moose creature and was letting me ride on his back. He was still calling me Coyote, I really like that I actually do call in coyotes. I used to call them in by mouth for hunting but now it’s just for fun. I loved riding this giant through the forest— he took me to a lake nestled low with mountains stretching all around.
He turned into this half-beast again and we sat on the shore, well I was looking for bones and rocks. Anyways. Giant wolves showed up l, he was going to fight them, but a blonde woman appeared and apparently he had a past with her. She was angry I was there but invited us to her home anyway while her brother was gone. I don’t know why we went— well I didn’t really have a say in the matter. She turned into this beautiful blonde wolf- HUGE, like he was, and we ran off towards her home.
it was a nice cabin, she was really nice to me there. She helped me find clothes because all I was wearing was a night gown, and teased this Shaakir character about me a lot. WELL her brother came home- and he’s not so nice. Big dark bearded man with black hair, who turned into a black wolf. His sisters name was Sol. I think it means sun idk.
anyways he got mad at her and Shaakir and I had to escape from the pack of wolves and run all the way back out of their territory were we were safe. Back to his cabin.
he told me how the mountain next to Sol’s was where a family of Lions lived, next to them bears, and the ones next to them were something I don’t remember- but they were all gods. I was very chill with it, I don’t know why. I think I remember being- welp.
I remember at some point though discovering that he was a fierce protector of his woodlands though and had skulls of the hikers and loggers of everyone that died in a cellar. Even some of their belongings. I didn’t want to ask he seemed angry that I was poking around.
I got him to calm down though and finally went to sleep in the dream. He held me close and I just remember how fluffy and comforting the thick mane-like fur of his was.
there were a few more dreams- we’d go for walks together, go stare at the lake, little adventures here and there. There was a budding romance until finally HE SAID THE L WORD FIRST IF I REMEMBER and turned me into a coyote here and there to race him or keep up with him. His woods was dead, but when I was with him I started to make things grow. Just touching them, vines and plants. Pretty leaves- we had birds return and even some deer.
when fall came around there was some trouble. I remember a giant white stag with his whole ass harem going through a valley that Kir and I were having a picnic and being goofy in. The stag wanted to add me to his harem, Kir got instantly angry and they clashed. It was beautiful though. The white stag was practically glowing against Kir who looked like night. It was the white stag that one—- but I remember telling him I’m not some dumb deer and I have free will to stay with whomever I want. His harem got mad, but they left eventually. Kir had some booboos for a while on his pride, but was over the moon that I stayed.
I loved to sleep, because whenever I slept I got to spend time with this guy and I did really love him. I wrote about him when I was awake. However, I had lost probably 70 lbs from not eating or moving. I lost a lot of muscle and I wasn’t able to function from sleeping so much. It was literally killing me. I had to stop and live my own life, plus.. I was a Christian. I wanted to be a good person.
I told him in another dream and he was sad, I could tell— but not entirely. He was very understanding and just held me when I bawled like a baby. He told me some things I couldn’t really remember, something about giving up a few things as well.
I felt a lot in my dreams, I felt like I was really there a number of times. I’d wake up and feel so weird like I was leaving a part of myself behind.
The last dream I had when I needed to leave for a while was the most vivid and real- I was there. There’s not telling me I wasn’t. It was beautiful too- a lovely meadow between a beautiful forest. There were flowers everywhere and he was holding me in his lap and singing. There was music playing, birds, and we just spend the time hugging each other. There wasn’t an ounce of hate or sadness. I think he knew I’d be back and I just needed a break to not like… you know… die.
I did take down my shrine though. I still had dreams here and there, I still missed him. Years later I started dreaming and imagining him… but he’s changed.
not in a bad way… He’s so sweet. He appears as a man now a lot which Sucks because I’m constantly looking through crowds or expecting to see him, I feel like I’m getting depressed again because of it. I tried to have a relationship too which BOMBED and now I have 0 interest in people they’re horrible. I’ve put on a lot of weight from different medications, but in my dreams he still calls me his beautiful little coyote. I’m trying really hard to get my shit under control for once.
I’ve been working on a new and better shrine thingy idk how those things are made. I’m not into wiccen or anything like that. Love old Norse and Celtic music but that’s it… I have never seen anything like what he is in my life before honestly.
I’m just trying to find who this is and why I have to live in this stupid waking world without him.
and no. I’m not crazy, or have mental problems. I have not EVER in my WHOLE life had any experiences like this before.
I hope you’re still around and you were able to read through all that… everyone I know is such a strong Christian they’d probably slap me with a Bible, so I’ve kept so quiet about all this but hey- I figured someone like you might know Something?
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Hi Samantha,
I am here and I did read all of that, but it’s late for me right now and I don’t have the energy to analyze it and respond. Also, since this is something so personal to you, would you prefer that I email you regarding this rather than post a response here that goes into detail?
You can email me at ladyserpent9@gmail.com if that’s your preference.
I’ll comment back here with a small response when I have the time to actually write something more helpful. 🙂
Blessings!
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