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Writer's pictureLina Mystic

Deer Spirit Animal | Deer Spiritual Meaning, Symbolism & Mythology

Updated: Dec 23, 2021

The Deer Spirit Animal is quite common and extremely powerful. The symbolism of this spirit animal is very specific when it comes to why you see it. It does not come just to showcase its beauty, but rather to deliver a message from the ethereal. A message you never want to miss as it could be exactly what places you closer to your destiny.



Curious Facts

All 43 different species of deer, scientifically known as Cervidae, such as elk, moose, reindeer, etc, can be found on every continent except Antartica. You may be wondering why I said Moose. Moose are absolutely a part of the Deer family. They are in fact, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the largest members of the deer family.


The most common deer to see in North America are the White Tailed Deer, Mule Deer and the Black Tailed Deer.

White Tailed Deer

The White Tailed Deer can be found in every state in the U.S. except Alaska. It is often the deer that we are most familiar with. If you look at the captioned picture, you will understand where it gets its name from. The white markings on the underside of its tail, throat, stomach, eyes and nose is a major characteristic that can separate it from other deer by the naked eye.


Mule Deer

The Mule Deer can be identified by its large ears. They are usually found throughout western North America or the boarders of the Pacific Ocean. They have a distinct characteristic where it seems they have a mask on their head or a darker tint. They also have a tail that appears smaller than the White Tailed Deer.







Black Tailed Deer

The Black Tailed Deer is actually a subspecies of the Mule Deer which is why you may notice some similarities. They can also be found throughout western North America. They have dark antlers and an all or mostly black tail. . They are a reddish-brown in the warmer months and brownish-gray during the cooler months.



A baby deer is called a fawn. Fawns will often have white spots that fade once they get older. It is believed that the spots help them to camouflage. Fawns are also born "scentless." Both of these characteristics help them to remain undiscovered by predators. Fawns can on average stand within 10 minutes on their own after being born. Commonly they can even walk within only 7 hours of birth. The mother deer will leave the fawn while she forages for food in hopes that she will not attract predators to the her young.




Female deer are called doe and male deer are called buck. You can often tell the difference between the two genders by the presence of antlers. In most cases the male deer will have them while the doe will not. Female Caribou (of the deer family) are found in most cases to be the only female deer/cervidae that grow antlers. Each year Deer will shed them and then they begin to grow back soon afterwards. The newer ones will normally only have slight differences from the previous ones.


Bucks will commonly spar with one another during rutting season (around end of September - December). One of the bucks will challenge another buck by lowering his head and showing his antlers. The other buck can accept if he pleases and in most cases he will. Sparring allows bucks to test their strength, command dominance of a herd, or gain mating rights over a doe.


Something I found quite interesting about a doe is that their pregnancy will vary according to their size. The larger the doe, the longer the pregnancy gestation period. They normally give birth to one to three deer, two being the most common.




Spiritual Meaning of The Deer


Deer have shown up for me many many times. But lately it has appeared to me in a very symbolic way as if it has a message for me. This led me to research their behaviors, personality, and life cycles. Through this research and my personal experiences I found quite a bit of strong symbolism. With deer being both strong and graceful, I felt led to dig deep to understand the powerful symbolism that they bring to us. These are the reasons I gathered for why they show up.



Be Gentle With Spirit


The Deer shows up at a time where you have constantly proclaimed thick skin. The countless challenges you've faced and the hurdles you've had to jump to avoid obstacles have been quite exhausting and almost numbing. The deer asks you not to numb your truest and deepest emotions but instead recognize them for what they are. Allow yourself to become more vulnerable, compassionate and understanding towards spirit.

We too often lose ourselves in becoming numb, leading us to welcome depression into our day to day.


Face all that you are so that you can heal the parts of you that feel unheard, unloved and unappreciated.


Every part of you plays a significant role in your life. To include the tears you hold back and the deep breaths you forget to take. Give love to yourself by being gentle with spirit. Let spirit reveal its truest form to you so that you can give him/her/them what is desired.


Your spirit deserves every bit of love, compassion, patience, and appreciation. By numbing your emotions you reveal to yourself that you are unworthy of these things. So listen to spirit and provide gentleness. You are exactly where you are meant to be. You deserve every bit of peace that you desire. So start by listening within to sort out what needs attention.


Grace and Strength

You have an ability to showcase such elegance when handling hardship as if it is your second language while still possessing great power and demand. This is a great gift that not everyone can tap into.


When the deer spirit animal appears to you, you're being asked to never let anyone take you out of your higher vibrational self. Oftentimes we assume we need to lower ourselves to treat people the way they treat us but that is not the case. Leave unhealthy environments. Take a break from entertaining toxic people. Remove yourself from the negative energies of others. It is not your job to stoop down to their level. Your job is to radiate your highest form of energy! Continue to walk around in grace, because grace is strength.


Releasing The Old To Bring in The New


Deer lose their antlers to regrow new ones that are even stronger and bigger than ever. It can often be terrifying for us to release old things. And even more petrifying to lose things that we once valued and cherished. But sometimes we romanticize these things, people, environments and mindsets. Remember that the things you prayed for that consist of change will require you to rid yourself of things that do not match the vibrations of your desires.



When you realize that something is weigh you down more than lifting you up, at least take a break from it. Gather yourself in a grounded state of mind. And weigh the pros and cons of keeping it or releasing it. This is even for relationships. Sometimes we keep people around just like things because we are used to it and how long it's been around but empty value is no value. If it does not build, progress or move forward then something needs to be changed to ignite and spark growth.


Patience | Stillness Until Divinely Moved


The Divine is completely aware of your desires. That is why you are being asked to remain still for a moment to listen to divine guidance. Set aside time daily to build yourself spiritually. Your spirituality / spiritual well-being is a practice, be sure that you practice it daily. Pray often. Meditate or practice mindfulness often as well. Write in your journal. Exercise. These things bring levels of peace that allow you to vividly hear the Divines messages for you.


Pay attention to the opportunities that you have asked the Divine for because they could be presented to you in an unexpected way. And that will be when you are being divinely moved. An easy way to recall your prayers is to write them down. This helps you to keep track of what you truly desire while also reminding you to envision that opportunity. Inspect the opportunity to see if it fits your goals, aspirations and higher self. Often times we ask God for opportunities that feed our ego not knowing that it will weigh us down in the long wrong and keep us from our truest paths. Which is why it is crucial to first ground yourself and connect with God to realize that Gods plan is whats best for you.


Pay attention to the shifts. The environments you spend your time in how they influence you and if they lead you to where you desire to be. Your life will change tremendously when you allow the Divine to become your influence. So sway with the wind as the Divine reveals to you your path of destiny.






Nurturing The Body


Deer are known to groom themselves and even each other. Grooming helps them to remove parasites from their body. This is a reminder that we should do the same as humans. Care is a must to remain healthy. Of course our grooming looks differently than theirs but the purpose still remains. Grooming ourselves is to grow health, love and wellness for ourselves and in some cases, others.


In what ways can you provide care to yourselves that is healing? Be sure to set aside time to provide self care. Other wise your body will crave it and begin to vibrate at a lower frequency. Give your body the care that it needs so that it grows in healthier direction each and everyday. Self care can simply remove the negative thoughts we have about ourselves, similar to the parasites that deer remove while grooming one another.


On days that you love your body the least, give it the most love because that is what it needs.

Grooming is not only shared within and for ourselves but with and for others as well. In your day to day relationships how can you offer a form of grooming to the people that you care about. Something as little as inviting a friend or family member out to get a pedicure could make a huge impact. Spread the vibration of self care, love and wellness by taking the first step, yourself.






Mythology & Folklore Of The Deer


Chinese Mythology:


Although some of the most popular folklore does not reflect it, this culture believes deer are a symbol of prosperity and longevity because they accompany the God of longevity, Shou Lao. Shou Lao is accompanied by a vast amount of deer. They are also capable of finding the sacred fungus of immortality.


In Chinese Folklore the Fu Zhu or Fuzhu is described as a stunning white deer with 4 antlers from its head. It is said to be a peaceful creature that lives in a mountain filled with beautiful gold and jade that has a vast mystical and magical pond. This mystical creature appears when a big flood will come that will destroy or distress the area it appears in.



Native American Mythology

Deer are often associated with fertility and creation. They are viewed as being caretakers of the earth. They are even thought of being a symbol of the people. The stag was considered a king of the forest as it was a protector for other creatures. They also believed that deer were messengers that represented intuition, gentleness and sensitivity.




Although it seems to be contradictory to the statements of the symbolism of deer, In Native American culture can be heard a story of a deer woman who stomps out men that she attracts. This woman can shape shift to an elderly woman, younger woman and a deer. Some depictions reveal her to be a woman with the lower body of a white tailed deer. According to legend she lures men into her presence and right as they notice she is not completely human, she stomps them to death. Legend says that she can be deterred by the use of tobacco or by looking at her hooves. Other legends depict her as being a sign of major transformations and sometimes a warning symbol. Folklore states that she is quite fond of dancing.



The deer has a variety of meanings depending on when and how it appears to you. Next time you see one be present with it as it energetically sends you a message. Know that you are abundantly blessed every time you witness its powerful yet graceful presence.







Sources





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