I have written several articles on this subject and have met with many positive and negative resposes to this point. Some modern neo-pagans refuse to acknowledge that Cernunnos/Herne has a darker side. They also insist on giving him a solar moniker, and there is no evidence supporting this. They also make him a consort of a lunar goddess ( I guess this is where the solar moniker comes from) where archeological eveidence never shows him in association with a goddess.
What is the group's ideas on this subject? I am interested in hearing them.
I'm with you on this. I have been a follower of Cernunnos for a year, and I agree about His darker side. Nature is not always pretty or light, and I see Him as the living embodiment of nature. I agree about the artificial tacking on of the solar aspect also. I have not yet had a chance to read the article you posted, but I will. Thanks!
First of all the Horned God, in what ever name he takes has a light and a darker role. That the Wiccan community is unwilling to except. Just like they were unwilling to except the possibility of how nasty the God Set could be when portrayed in the Scorpion King. Yes I know it was a movie The Scorpion King was a real Pharoh who began to unify upper & lower Egypt.
I've been walking this path for a real long time now, and its not all peace and light. for every beginning an ending, every light a shadow,
But if you go digging into that darker nature unprepared well thats your lesson to learn.
There are a lot of people in the Neo-Pagan movement who are a little light on any real understanding of the ancient world. They have no real idea what the Wild Hunt represented, and Death is treated much differently today as well. There really were very few of the ancient gods who DIDN'T have a dark aspect. Regardless of the whole consort issue, I agree with your thoughts on this.