Dedication to Cernunnos

Last summer I did something I never thought I would, I dedicated myself to a deity. I've worked with spirits my whole life, but not until recently did I work with deities. Honestly, just saying "I worked with a deity" sounds wrong and disrespectful. I feel deities are the same as other spirits, but older and more powerful. For them to even notice me seemed unlikely and arrogant to assume.  

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However there has always been an energy or force that I've spent my life being drawn to, even knowing that it would be a challenging path to walk and attempting to walk another. That is where the name for this blog comes from "Undomesticated". It was this wild force that would not allow me to join into the normal flow of life many other take. I could never make myself fit into the shapes needed to do the things so many do everyday, month and year. 

After learning more about myself and the deity connected to the name Cernunnos I realized there was something different about this energy than just a personality trait or a little spirit. It was something much more powerful than that. I knew it was Cernunnos when I read about him and not just the horned god in general. He was different from the rest. He was wild, but not "out of control". He was in control of himself, but nothing else controlled him, nothing else could. There is a nobleness about Cernunnos that isn't always connected to wild gods. That was the part that made me sure it was him that called me so powerfully. 

I couldn't deny it any longer, there was a deity that called out to me, my spirit was drawn so strongly to it that I couldn't possibly turn away. So I accepted it and myself fully. This was the way I am and I would have to live according to this energy and what it represents or I would not find happiness within myself. That's when I decided to ritually dedicate myself to Cernunnos. 

I was lucky enough to preform this ritual in a group of other pagans. They were dedicating themselves to their own deities the same day and it made for a very powerful experience. This of course doesn't mean you need a group to dedicate yourself, but for me it was rewarding to do so. Here's the ritual:

I began the ritual with just a robe on and quickly removed it, preforming the ritual sky clad. I felt this was the best way to express my dedication. I then cleansed myself with burning cedar and awaiting my time to speak. 

Once everything was set I began my dedication:

“Great voice in the woods,

You call to me,

Your voice shakes my soul.

I have tried to ignore your song,

To follow others way of life,

But I find myself humming your tune,

Singing it under my breath.

I accept now that I am of you.

My soul was born to dance to your song,

no challenge can keep me from your side.

I know that my place is forever with you,

Singing along on the great hunt.”

“I ask for your forgiveness,

For the time I spent quieting the wildness inside me.

It hurt me,

It hurt to turn away from you.

I will never do it again.

I will never deny you,

For my soul is made from your smile.

I feared the pain of not being able to reach you.

For your feet are the fastest,

and I may never catch up,

But to never look and chase after you,

Would be a fate worse than death.”

At this point in the ritual I planned to un-robe, but in actual practice I went sky clad earlier. Finish up with the rest:

“Cernunnos!

I run with you always.

From today onwards,

I am yours, as I always have been.

I will sing your song,

and dance your dance.

You have my heart, my soul and my body.”

Then place the oak crown on your head, expressing your connection to Cernunnos, but also becoming the offering itself. Lastly I finished off with this:

“Thank you for never giving up on me.”

Then I had another member of the group draw the symbol for Cernunnos on my chest with henna. You can also use something else, I wanted to have the reminder on my body for an extended amount of time. However, ashes paint or many other mediums would work fine.

We were lucky enough that the home we conducted the ritual had a pool and we finished off the ritual by diving in all sky clad. It was a soothing way to finish off some very powerful magic.

Have any of you dedicated yourself before? Or do you have a deity that you find yourself connecting to strongly? Are any of you fond of Cernunnos? Or want to know more about him? I would love to hear from you!