Throughout the past two years, I’ve been mentored and taught on how to pray to Creator, our grandmothers and grandfathers, for guidance and answers I may be seeking.
One thing that gives me goosebumps every time during these processes of questions and finding the answers, is the way we receive the answer. It always seems magical, a cryptic fantasy mystery that, once solved, holds so much more knowledge than you ever even knew you were looking for.
Ask, and you shall receive — but what they don’t tell you is that receiving isn’t always so simple or set in stone. However, once you finally see these answers (usually found within) the bounty is tenfold.
A long time ago, I asked Creator for the answer to a question I thought of often. I am now receiving the answers, and realizing that I had been receiving them all along, even though it felt like I was still searching. I guess that was a part of the plan.
The answer to my specific question was rather a series of realizations, as opposed to something that came in a simple sentence, or single phrase.
My question … what is my spirit animal? Seems simple, right?
There’s been two separate sweats in which I asked for the answer, as well as numerous times in personal smudge, prayer and ceremony. However, the answer never fully came crystal clear to me. I figured to never try to force it, and let the answer come when it was supposed to, when it was meant to be received.
More recently, I’ve had countless friends and family casually mention the encounters they have all been having with Deer — and I mean countless; my father, sister, best friends, co-workers, cousins, acquaintances, the list goes on. Personally, I’d always felt a certain magnetic pull toward the deer, I saw them as a living unicorn! Somehow, I felt a part of me as a Deer, or that they were somehow a part of me.
Doubtful, I thought to myself, “If the Deer is my spirit animal, why hasn’t it visited me? Why does it visit all my relations, but not me?”
Why would this be so?
I then decided to read more into the Deer and its medicine, of what it represented.
I discovered that the Deer is a symbol of gentleness, kindness and grace in all motion and thought. It is a symbol of connection to our families, Mother Nature, Woodland Goddess and a symbol of an appreciation for the beauty of balance.
And that’s when it all clicked.
The Deer wasn’t visiting me because I am the Deer. It was gracefully watching over and protecting my loved ones. It was providing them with its medicine, my medicine, our medicine. Like my partner in crime — it had my back when I couldn’t be there. And even though I didn’t physically see the Deer, it still visited me through my loved ones, letting me know it was always there all along.
I know now that I must continue to strive to live like my beloved partner and spirit guide: the Deer. I must work in a beautiful balance with her — until our paths meet — when they need to.
Nya:weh Deer for your beautiful medicine, I forever honour your spirit.
