Deer - Reh

(Careolus capreolus)

The deer belongs to the family of cervidae, of which there are 45 species worldwide. Their body length is of approximately 4.26ft (60cm) and a weight of 44 to 99lb (20 to 30k). They live in Europe and in Turkey, in coniferous and deciduous forests and open grasslands. It has a black nose and different spots on the chin and neck. It appears tail-less with a white rump patch which is especially conspicuous when its hairs are puffed out when the deer is alarmed. The rump patch is kidney shaped in males and heart shaped in the case of females. In summer, the fur is smooth and reddish brown, in winter the fur is thicker and gray. The offspring are spotted to camouflage themselves. Males have small antlers. During the breeding season, there are fights between the male deer to control the territory and females.

Antlers are present and are shed annually in October and November. They regrow immediately afterwards. Deer live in small groups that are usually composed of a family. Females give birth, usually to twins, but sometimes to four fawns. They can camouflage and are almost scent-free. Deer are active all day long. However, they prefer sunrises and sunsets. Males (bucks) may also bark or make a low grunting noise. Females (does) make a high-pitched piping call to attract males during the rut (breeding season). They are herbivores and feed on pasture, buds and twigs. They defend primarily by flight, though they can also use their hooves against their many enemies. They are mainly preyed by wolves, foxes, eagles, lynx and bears. In Europe, they are systematically hunted, when it would be much more beneficial to nature if their natural enemies, such as wolves or lynx, were introduced.

Mythology: Deer and elks are mentioned in the mythology of the most diverse people. They have often been represented by our ancestors in the Paleolithic cave paintings. In Celtic mythology, Cernunnos is the epitome of the stag god. The deer were dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis. Agamemnon killed a deer in a grove sacred to the goddess Artemis. She punished him by interfering with the winds so that his fleet could not sail to Troy so she demanded the sacrifice of Iphigenia, Agamemnon's eldest daughter. In the Bible, Psalm 42 2, when referring to a soul in search of salvation, it says: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God." Saint Hubertus and Saint Eustace, both of whom converted to Christianity after experiencing a vision in which they saw a Christian cross .between the antlers of a stag In the Japanese religion Shinto, deer are considered divine emissaries and they roam freely in Kasuga Shrine. Within the mythology of many indigenous tribes, deer play an important role and are associated with characteristics such as softness and appreciation.

Deer in the interpretation of dreams: It wants to show us where we have to be careful, vigilant and suspicious. It shows us an inner image of our vulnerability; but it can also refer to confidence.

Deer Essence conveys humility and modesty.

On the body level: The deer helps us sharpen our senses, such as sight, hearing and touch sensitivity in our hands. We develop greater sensitivity and our perceptions regarding our inner world as well as the outer world are improved. We develop greater touch sensitivity and our body energy flows better and, as a result, our self-healing forces are stimulated and our wounds heal easily.

Emotional: The essence of deer gives us a better perception of our heart encouraging its qualities, such as humility, modesty and faith. We learn to release the inner role of victim and to open ourselves again to life; we can trust the others again. It gives us the memory and the healing of certain parts of the soul of our inner child that we had thought lost. But, it also warns us of some dangers and opens our eyes to the subtle energy, toward the perception of the intangible.

On the spiritual level: The deer essence helps us, as a transformer of images, to rely on the prosecution and the healing of our connection with our soul, to listen to the soul, to understand it and to experience a renewal in our confidence toward God.