Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Pagan
Preparations and Invocations

Preparations and Invocations

Last updated on: December 30, 2014 at 9:02 pm by John Beckett

Preparations and Invocations 2014-12-30T21:02:01-06:00 John Beckett

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The old goddesses and gods are, for the most part, not jealous gods. As long as they get their just due, they don’t much care if you work with or for other deities. That makes sense if you think polytheistically: while our gods and goddesses are far more powerful than we are, they are not omniscient, omnipresent, or omni-anything. Their limited capacities mean they only have so much time to listen to you.

Though I am pledged first to Cernunnos and secondly to Danu, and though I honor them in my nightly prayers, for the past many months I’ve mainly been working with and for others: Morrigan, Brighid, and most recently the Neteru of Egypt. But earlier this year I began to hear Cernunnos calling to me again. His call was calm and patient but also clear and firm: “finish this work, but after Summer Solstice I need you.”

Summer Solstice is over. When we set our calendar back in December I volunteered to lead the Lughnasadh circle. Obviously, Lughnasadh will be a circle dedicated to Cernunnos. But what kind of circle should it be? Simply plugging Cernunnos into our standard liturgy doesn’t seem to be enough.

One of the primary duties of a priest or priestess is presenting the gods to the people. In ancient times that wasn’t necessary – people knew who their gods were. In our time, an average person may recognize the names of the better-known Greek and Roman deities, but odds are good they can’t tell you anything beyond “Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love” and “Ares is the God of War.” Cur-no-who? Never heard of him.

One of the best ways to introduce gods and goddesses to people is to tell their stories. At Imbolc we told the story of Brighid the Inspirer, Brighid the Transformer, and Brighid the Healer. At Beltane we told the story of Morrigan and her dealings with Dagda and with Cú Chulainn. At Summer Solstice we told the story of how Horus defeated Set, with the aid of his mother Isis.

There are no ancient stories of Cernunnos. There is only one (possibly two) records of his name. We don’t know if the iconography attributed to him (including the image from the Gundestrup Cauldron I wear on a pendant) is properly his, although it seems likely. Though he is considered a Celtic deity (an assumption I consider likely, both from objective evidence and from my own experiences), Cernunnos seems to have more in common with the figures of cave paintings than with the Tuatha De Danann.

There are, however, modern stories of Cernunnos. I’ve been re-reading Hoofprints in the Wildwood, a collection of stories, poems and artwork dedicated to the Horned Gods, many of them specifically dedicated to Cernunnos. But even the best of these stories (Juniper’s “My God” remains my favorite) aren’t really suitable for ritual presentation.

Last week I spent some time contemplating all this. I read some from Hoofprints, went outside with a glass of wine, poured some of it as a libation, then sat down to sip the rest. It was hot – just on the cusp of the kind of heat that makes being outside miserable. But the setting Sun was to my back, and the low rays created a beautiful vision of the trees, hedges and vines in the back yard. Lines from Hoofprints were dancing in my head, bouncing off my own experiences of Cernunnos and my ideas about rituals. I kept waiting – and hoping – for Him to break through and tell me what he wanted.

Instead, a young rabbit appeared on the patio. He/she sniffed around, saw me, and stopped. I expected the rabbit to run off, but she/he came closer and closer, getting within an arm’s length. I remained still. And quiet. The rabbit looked at me again, then hopped into the yard and started nibbling grass.

Some things can’t be explained – they can only be experienced.

Telling their stories is one way to present the gods to the people. Another way is to invoke the gods, to reverently invite them into the circle and ask them to touch those in attendance.

We do invocations all the time, at every ritual and in my own nightly prayers. But it’s one thing to invite a god or goddess to be your honored guest, to accept your offerings and sacrifices, and to bless your life and your work. It’s another thing to say “here we are – speak to us.” You don’t know what He’s going to do. You don’t know how everyone will respond. You don’t know who might not be ready to hear and see what will be seen and heard.

For someone who likes order, that’s a scary proposition.

But it’s become clear that’s what He wants.

So that’s what we’re going to do. I have a month to get ready, to come up with just the right combination of preparation, presentation, and invocation. I need to do more reading, more meditation, and more contemplation.

Because in the wonderful words of S.J. Tucker, we best be ready when the Horned God comes.

Previous Post

July 1, 2013

Photography and the Sacred

Next Post

July 4, 2013 The Lone Ranger – Telling It Like It Is

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Community CUUPS Druidry Foundations and Context Gods and Goddesses Magic Myth Nature Ritual Spiritual Practice Theology Travel Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to James, what should elders do for someone who is sick?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Fast for them Lay hands on them Give them holy water Pray over them and anoint them with oil