Lord Cernunnos.

 (Art by Dahamion of DeviantArt.)

Not a whole lot of people know this, but I've recently changed religions. The reasons are multitude and the conversion has come as one of the biggest challenges of my life, but it has by far been one of the most spiritually rewarding decisions I've made. This blog's primary purpose is to explain my newfound beliefs, and how I came to them, but that will come later. First, I would like to talk about the God who crossed my path. More than anything, I've learned that while we choose the Gods we worship...sometimes they choose us.


Lately I've been keeping a journal. This is an entry from a few weeks ago.

"Cernunnos is a good mentor. At every opportunity, He builds me up, identifies areas of improvement without condescension, helps me to use my own logic in finding the truth, and shows me how to find the way along a winding path. This is what I have needed. Not people telling me how and what to think, but rather asking "WHAT do I think?" He may be Lord of the Wilds, and of animals. But he represents change. Challenge. Growth. Clearance of the old for new life to flourish. Sacrifice. Survival. He represents, (to me,) the balance of nature, as well as the balance within ourselves.

He is more complex than I'd imagined. Though He is warm and friendly, there is also a rugged, darker side lurking there under the surface. Not dark as in "evil," but dark as in the fact that he knows how life can be harsh, and that sometimes life is a struggle. He is an interesting paradox of laughter and sadness. Primal and logical. Predator and prey. The lessons we learn in the dark as well as the light. To me, he is that inspired, aggressive, projective energy that "gets things done." His energy is very active as opposed to being more nurturing. And, (though I've come to see that side of Him more often these days,) I would say He is more encouraging than nurturing. He demands that you not wallow in self pity, (He has little patience for it,) and instead urges you to live with intent, in order to solve problems and be empowered in your own self.

He's that quiet, masculine confidence, and has a protective nature. He is the father, brother, and son. Love and lust. Ferocity and restraint. I feel like I'm identifying with these parts of Him through my own personality, and that's why I have this connection with a God I never believed in before. What's more interesting is, I've discovered His personality almost entirely through relational interaction. And then, when I eventually read bits of lore on Him, I'm shocked to the point of chills to discover the level of consistency my experiences have, with information surrounding His character.

This reinforces my belief that you don't need a book of law to teach you how to interact with God. I think that God is all around us, and within us. If we are to hear His/Her voice, we have only to listen. I connected with Cernunnos simply thinking of Him as the "nature God," and the male aspect of the One.

I found so, so much more."