It can spot danger and run away faster than the predators. The Bible uses the deer in several verses of scripture including the Songs of Solomon to demonstrate the beauty, grace and provision of God. It is only God who can establish us and give us direction or how we are to scale the mountains.
In many cultures, the deer is a symbol of spiritual authority. During a deer’s life the antlers fall off and grow again and the animal is also a symbol of regeneration. In the Christian imagination, the deer is a symbol of piety, devotion and of God taking care of his children: men.
When deer is staring at you, it’s reminding you that you can achieve ambitious goals and tackle difficult situations smoothly with a touch of gentleness and grace. Deer will remind you to be gentle with yourself and others. Being gentle does not mean being defenseless.
Other than people and God, trees are the most mentioned living thing in the Bible. There are trees in the first chapter of Genesis (verses 11–12), in the first psalm (Psam 1:3), and on the last page of Revelation (22:2). As if to underscore all these trees, the Bible refers to wisdom as a tree (Proverbs 3:18).
If a deer crosses your path or makes themselves known to you in some way, it can be a sign to hone your intuition and psychic abilities. You can do this through meditation, prayer, training, and practice. In addition, spending time in the woods and other quiet places in nature can help to fine tune your senses.
Young deer play all day and sleep the night through. Adult deer try to snooze during the day as well and do their deer duties like foraging for food and feeding mainly at night. Because deer fall prey to many carnivores, they are usually alert, especially when bedded down.
Cernunnos was often portrayed with antlers himself, and was a god of the forest and wild animals.
Nine times out of 10, deer show up on your property because of the plants in your landscape. And while deer can and will eat just about anything — starving is out of the question — they do favor plants that offer something else in addition to foliage. That can be twigs, berries, seeds, fruits or flowers.
When a deer is staring at you, it is also assessing your general movements. If you make a rapid movement the deer is likely to flee unless it feels you are far enough away to pose no risk. If you are a hunter, when a deer stares at you, the game is up, and the deer knows you are there.
If you are out and about enjoying these beautiful days by hiking, or maybe just tending to your garden, you may be lucky enough to see some deer. Or you may happen upon a baby deer, otherwise known as a fawn. During spring and early summer, fawns will usually be very young.
Fig, olive, oak, palm and green bay can bring a little bit of the Bible into your backyard.
12:5); apple (Song of Solomon 2;3), chestnut and fir (Ezekiel 31:8), cedar, myrtle and oil (Isaiah 41:19).
The deer was sacred to the feisty goddess Artemis, from Greek mythology. Deer symbolize the powers in nature that are not easily subdued. They are native to every continent except Australia, thus they are able to adapt very well to many habitats.
With 297 million olfactory receptors, the sense of smell is a deer’s ultimate superpower—superior, even, to its hearing. Although those big ears give them an advantage in collecting sound, the deer’s hearing range is similar to a human’s.
The stag is a symbol for Christ, who tramples and destroys the devil. As the stags crossing a river help each other, so should the Christian crossing from the worldly life to the spiritual life help others who grow weak or tired.
In a beautiful passage from the Zohar, beginning with a verse from the Song of Songs, the author dwells on the image of a fleeing, turning deer, using the deer as a metaphor for Divine mercy, comparing the love of God to a turning deer, constantly looking back at the Israelites who, by their sins, drive the deer away.
To make the process easier, we’ve created a list of some of the most popular spirit animals and their meanings.- Bear spirit animal: strength, courage, and tenacity.
Eagle spirit animal: freedom, vision, and courage.
Butterfly spirit animal: transformation, change, new beginnings.
The same is true of power animals—spiritual helpers in animal form who share their gifts and medicine with us. While a bit of research can certainly be helpful, if you dive right in to other people’s interpretations, you’ll be more likely to miss important elements of your personal relationship with your power animal.
Examples of Native American totem animals and their meaning:
Bear—power, physical strength, leadership, motherhood. Raccoon—curiosity, disguise, explorer, dexterity. Turtle—fertility, protecting, self-reliance, long life. Butterfly—transformation, grace, ability to accept change, vulnerability.
Watch out for incoming deer that start to stomp or scrape the ground with their hooves and lowering their heads at you. Don’t challenge them, and just slowly back away while keeping your eyes down. While this is a possibility, chances are you won’t see too many violent wild deer confrontations in your yard.
As neophobes, deer fear new, unfamiliar objects. Though they aren’t always attractive, scarecrows, sundials, and other garden ornaments—especially those with movable parts—make deer skittish. Use them in combination with wind chimes or bright lights to keep deer out of your yard.
Where do deer sleep? The quick answer is, “anywhere they want.” Deer sleep anywhere they bed and may do so singly or in groups. However, during daylight it’s far more common for deer to sleep in heavy cover where they feel secure.
Although deer generally are docile and timid animals that do not attack humans, the deer population explosion, due to human activity, has greatly increased deer-human contact.
If hiding or greatly alarmed to danger at close range, a deer will press the tail flat so only the brown hairs are visible. It’s also used when danger is at a long distance and there’s an opportunity to escape undetected. Note a fleeing deer’s tail position.
Even when we mean them no harm, deer tend to be wary of humans. When we approach, they usually raise their heads, prick their ears and stand very still. It’s how these creatures stay vigilant against predators.