When I first began going to the mysterious nighttime field beside a forest in my meditations, I met a man with goat legs in an ancient cabin who often sat cross-legged and kept himself shrouded in darkness. He told me he would reveal himself to me in time.
As he did, I found he had deer antlers and goat legs, and stood at a formidable height. He felt wild yet wise and gentle. He told me he was not the Wiccan horned god, and not to look him up until I had permission.
Very soon after, a woman appeared. She mostly floated and danced in the sky above the field in flowing white robes and wild, dark hair. It was quite a while before I was able to speak to her at all, but I was again told not to look her up until I had permission.
I mostly stand near a bonfire in the middle of the field to talk to the man, or I dance in the sky with her in the light of an unnaturally large full moon. Sometimes I go for walks with them through the field or into the nearby woods.
It took a month or so, but I finally got permission to seek their names. He told me he was not Celtic and not the Horned God, and he told me to look to Europe. I struggled to find them, but when I talked to a metaphysical shop owner in the area about my search, she asked for all the details I knew and gave me a name.
Cernunnos is an ancient god from Gaul, an area that encompasses present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy, who was picked up by other religious groups in the area, including the Celts in the area that is now Germany. They then migrated to the British Isles with Cernunnos fully incorporated into their pantheon. He's so old that all his legends and myths have been lost to time. We only have images left.
Cernunnos is known as the Lord of the Wild Things, the Lord of Wild Places, or Master of the Wild Hunt. He is associated with death, fertility, wealth, abundance, hunting, animals, and prosperity.
His most famous depiction is this one, located on the Gundestrap Cauldron found in Denmark. He holds a torque in one hand, a ram-horned serpent in the other, and is surrounded by forest animals and foliage. His traditional depictions often show him cross-legged while holding and/or wearing a torque, which was a symbol of status, wealth, and power.
The goddess in white I discovered was Cerridwen, a Welsh goddess of inspiration, creation, and nature. She was referred to as a white witch and had a cauldron in which she could brew potions, mostly for altruistic reasons, though she had to be cautious about whom she gave the potions.
Cerridwen is included in the Mabigonion, and her most famous myth is one about her son called "The Tale of Taliesin."
I found no traditional depictions of her, but I did find some rather beautiful art.
When I brought my findings to them in my next meditation, they confirmed their identities. Cernunnos no longer shrouds himself, and Cerridwen takes me or walks or flights. I've never seen her with a cauldron, but she is gentle and wise.
I hadn't necessarily intended to dive back into neo-paganism when I began practicing witchcraft again, but apparently these gods have things they wish to teach me. I will listen to them as best I can while they teach me what I need to learn.
Blessed be!
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